Tulum
A Maya walled port on a cliff above the Caribbean, with stone temples and watchtowers beside a small beach. Beaches and cenotes nearby make it a popular day trip from Cancun.
Cancun and Riviera Maya
This Caribbean beach region offers lively resort strips, cenotes, a turquoise sea and the Mayan ruins at Tulum.
Attractive locations
Isla Mujeres
Small island a short ferry ride from Cancún, with calm beaches, snorkelling spots and a relaxed fishing-town feel. Many visitors tour it by golf cart, and Playa Norte is the best-known beach.
Cancún Underwater Museum (MUSA)
Collection of life-size sculptures placed on the seabed, designed to become artificial reefs. Visitors see them by snorkelling, diving or glass-bottom boat, and watch marine life grow around them.
El Rey Archaeological Site
Small Maya site in the Hotel Zone, with temples and platforms among trees. Large iguanas are often seen on the stones, and the ruins give a quick taste of the region's ancient past.
El Meco
Coastal Maya site north of Cancún, with a stepped pyramid close to the sea. It was once part of the area's trading network. Quiet and uncrowded compared with the larger ruins in the region.
Mayan Museum of Cancún
Museum in the Hotel Zone displaying objects from Maya sites across Quintana Roo, including jewellery, pottery and carved stone. An archaeological site, San Miguelito, lies beside the building.
Xcaret
A large eco-archaeological park on the Riviera Maya with underground rivers, snorkelling, shows and Maya ruins. It is a full-day outing across caves, lagoons, wildlife areas and evening performances.
Xel-Há Park
A natural cove and lagoon park on the Riviera Maya where fresh water meets the sea. Visitors snorkel, float down lazy channels and swim among tropical fish.
Cozumel Island
A Caribbean island reached by ferry from Playa del Carmen. Divers and snorkellers come for its offshore coral reefs, and visitors also explore small Maya sites and quiet beaches.
Playa del Carmen
A lively beach town on the Riviera Maya, with a pedestrian Fifth Avenue of shops and restaurants. Ferries to Cozumel leave from its pier, and cenotes and ruins are a short ride away.
Isla Holbox
A car-free island off the northern Yucatan coast, with sandy streets and long, shallow beaches. Visitors come for relaxed beach days, birdwatching and, in season, boat trips to see whale sharks.
Isla Contoy National Park
A protected island north of Isla Mujeres, home to thousands of seabirds and turtle nesting beaches. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed each day, usually on boat tours.
Airports
Cancún International Airport CUN
It is about 14 km in a straight line from Cancun and Riviera Maya.
Cozumel International Airport CZM
It is about 73 km in a straight line from Cancun and Riviera Maya.
Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport Tulum TQO
It is about 140 km in a straight line from Cancun and Riviera Maya.
Getting around
From Cancun Airport
ASUR, the airport operator, lists an ADO shuttle to the city as well as taxis, which pick up at Terminals 2 and 3. Canadian advice says to pay by card only when you arrange and pre-pay inside the terminal or at the designated boarding area, and not to withdraw or exchange money in public areas of the airport. UK advice says to use only authorised pre-paid airport taxi services.
- Source: ASUR: Cancun airport transfers (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Mexico (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Mexico, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Scams and safe taxis
Taxis and ride-share disputes
Roads near Cancun's hotels have been blocked by licensed taxi drivers protesting about Uber, and such protests can happen without notice, UK advice notes. Canadian advice adds that disputes between taxi and ride-sharing drivers may occur and bystanders can be harassed. It suggests verifying who the driver is and checking the licence plate before you get in, using the app's security features, and relying on reputable taxi companies or ride-sharing apps instead of hailing on the street.
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Mexico, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Mexico (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan24.0 °C63 mm
- Feb24.6 °C51 mm
- Mar25.3 °C38 mm
- Apr26.6 °C41 mm
- May27.6 °C92 mm
- Jun27.8 °C181 mm
- Jul28.1 °C89 mm
- Aug28.4 °C114 mm
- Sep28.0 °C166 mm
- Oct27.0 °C224 mm
- Nov25.4 °C124 mm
- Dec24.7 °C68 mm
Driest months: Feb, Mar, Apr. Wettest months: Jun, Sep, Oct.
Costs
Prices here are about 54% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
911 for police, ambulance and fire.
local government
Angeles Verdes (Secretaria de Turismo) - line 078
Helps with: The tourism ministry's road-traveller line. Call 078 for minor roadside help, tourist information, or to have an emergency report passed to the right authority. Covers federal highways.
Who qualifies: Travellers on Mexico's federal highways, within the Angeles Verdes coverage area.
Phone: 078
Email: atencion078@sectur.gob.mx
ngo
Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross)
Helps with: Mexico's national Red Cross society. Its site says it responds to disasters and medical emergencies and gives food, shelter, medical care and psychosocial support.
Who qualifies: People in Mexico affected by emergencies or disasters, or in need of its medical and humanitarian services.
local government
National Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED)
Helps with: Mexico's national disaster prevention centre. It monitors the Popocatepetl volcano and publishes alert levels and public safety information.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Mexico looking for official disaster and volcano alert information.
Email: direcciongeneral@cenapred.unam.mx
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mexico
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Mexico since 2004. It supports migrants, displaced people and returnees, including a campaign against trafficking of migrant women and girls.
Who qualifies: Migrants, displaced people and returnees. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +52 55 5536 3922
Address: Avenida Presidente Masaryk 101, Piso 18, Colonia Polanco V Seccion, Miguel Hidalgo, CP 11560, Ciudad de Mexico
embassy
Foreign embassies in Mexico City (city government list, partial)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. Mexico City's government page lists about 25 of the roughly 86 embassies, with address and phone.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy.
local government
Guest Assist (Cancun municipal emergency numbers)
Helps with: Cancun's municipal tourism page lists Guest Assist among its emergency numbers for visitors. The page does not describe the service in detail.
Who qualifies: Visitors to Cancun who need help from the city's listed emergency contacts.
Phone: +52 998 887 3379
local government
Cancun police (municipal emergency numbers)
Helps with: Cancun's municipal tourism page lists this police number, with 911 or 089 for emergencies, among its emergency numbers for visitors.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Cancun, residents and visitors alike. Covers the city of Cancún, not Playa del Carmen or Tulum.
Phone: +52 998 885 2277
local government
Emergency number 911 (police, ambulance and fire)
Helps with: Reaches police, ambulance and fire services. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 911