Mexico, the southern neighbor of the US is a place that deserves to be on your bucket list. The land of Taco and Tequila is blessed with some of the best beaches in all of North America and is rich in ancient and cultural heritage.
Today, we will be focusing on spending a memorable day in the city of Cancun. Known for shoreline and nightlife, this city will give you the time of your life.
From landing in the city to enjoying the finest Mexican liquor in the night (or all day if you like), let’s see what you can do in one day in Cancun.
09:00am – Start Your Day With Street-Side Guajolota
If you are staying in Tulum, and you want to spend the day in Cancun then you can easily take a bus or a van from Tulum. You can book your transportation from Tulum to Cancun with Bookaway.com
One of the most important things to do in any city is trying street food. You can have a luxury 12-course breakfast at the hotel. But you can do that in Manhattan too, so why bother coming to Cancun at all?
After you clear the formalities at the airport, grab some delicious Guajolota from a street vendor. If you want to really spice things up, ask them to prepare it spicy. However, the default recipe is already spicy enough for Americans.
Ukaizen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Where to Stay in Cancun?
After having treated your tastebuds to a delicious Mexican breakfast, you need a place to stow your luggage away.
This city is known for its resorts but they are away from the thriving hub of the city, the downtown.
Selina hostel in downtown Cancun is a good option to have some quality relaxation, a good night’s sleep in a cozy style setting, in the center of Cancun. if you’ve planned the trip beforehand, you can enjoy a significant discount on your accommodation.
10:30am – Get Bus to Chichen Itza
After you are done with breakfast, it’s time to start exploring the area. Chichen Itza, 120 miles from Cucann, is one of the oldest archeological sites in the world. Ask your street food vendor about the local bus stop and hop on a bus to Chichen Itza.
Yes, a bus. You can go there by taxi or can rent a car from the hotel but where’s the fun in that? While you are on the bus, it is the best time to socialize with the locals and know more about the country you are visiting.
It takes buses under 3 hours to reach Chichen Itza. Spend some time on the ruins and try to imagine what life would’ve been like for the people who erected that thing.
05:30pm – Visit Museo Maya de Cancun
Located in the City’s main convention center, this museum, opened in 1987, houses more than 300 artifacts. This is a massive insight into the lives and culture of the Mayan people.
Arranged in more than 3 halls, the artifacts present in this museum date back to as much as 14,000 years.
David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
06:30pm – The Beach
No tour to Cancun, even to any place in Mexico, can be complete without appreciating the sun going down on the horizon while sitting on the Carribean beaches of the city.
Take some time and find a calm and quiet place to sit on the beach. This is the best time to reflect on your life as the sun goes down.
The sun will be down by 7.
We know you’ve just had a couple of guajolotas in the morning and you’ve traveled 250 miles on a bus and 10 miles on feet. Now’s the time to eat something.
07:30pm – Grab Something to Eat
Continuing our low-key and economical theme of the visit, the next thing to do is to grab something Mexican to eat. Here are some suggestions for you.
- Tacos, but not the ones from a known franchise. Ask the locals for the best street-side taco maker and enjoy the real taste of Mexican Tacos. You’ll not regret it.
- Tortas. Made from a crusty bun known as the bolillo, this is the Mexican take at sandwiches. You can have them made according to your own preferences or just let the cook decide it.
- Churros can be a dessert or the main course if you don’t want to go spicy. These are made of fried dough sprinkled with white sugar. Unless you are diabetic, these are some of the best dinner options Mexico has to offer.
- Quesadillas. What can be better than a tortilla? A tortilla with melted cheese inside. Give this Mexican cheese-loaded wrap a try if you want the best of both worlds – Cheese and Mexican spices.
08:30pm – Tequila Has Been Waiting For You All Day
If you’ve made this far into the day sober (which I seriously doubt), there’s no way on earth you can be sober now.
Cancun is known for two things, the beaches, and the nightlife. As you’ve been to the beach, eaten the street food, and observed the rich history of the area, the next reasonable thing to do is to get drunk.
First things first, be safe. Here are some tips on that.
- Do not go out alone, especially if you have to go through dark allies.
- Use maps and do not wander into unknown areas.
- If you are alone at night and want to go somewhere with a risky path, it is the better option to book a cab.
- Booking a cab via ride-hailing services like Uber is safer than the local cabs.
- When in a club, be cautious about who you accept the drinks from, especially if you are a woman.
With that out of the way, here are some of the top night clubs of Cancun. You need to visit at least two of them to officially complete your visit to Cancun.
- The City NightClub.
- La Vaquita Cancun.
- Coco Bongo.
- Dady’O.
- Cuncrawl.
- Ginza Night Club.
Rules for Visiting the Night Clubs in Cancun
If you don’t already know, these rules apply to all nightclubs.
- No mixing soda, just chug neat tequila as best you can.
- Anyone trying to make do with just club soda is a loser.
- Take a drink, chug it down, go dance. Try to make friends.
Some time in the Morning
When there’s enough tequila in your system to kill a bison, it is time to get back to the hotel. Try not to sleep on a bench on your way back. You might end up losing your money, phone, and passport, it’s Mexico after all.
Author’s Advice: In Mexico, you are guilty unless proven innocent. So keep away from any other source of trouble. If someone offers you to do something illegal, run and do not look back.