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Cancun Information

The average temperature in Cancun is 80°F with more than 240 days of sunshine. Rain is rare, with late August through November being the rainy season.

Peak season:
The best time to take a flight to Cancun is between December to April.

Shoulder season:
Late April and May are good times to snap up a bargain. Temperatures are in the upper 80s and Cancun gets humid, but the breezes off the Caribbean should keep it manageable.

Off season:
Between June and November the weather in Cancun is hot and humid, while the fall is hurricane season.

Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Distance: 9 miles southwest of downtown Cancun
Drive time: 20 minutes

Getting Around Cancun

Cancun is easily walkable, and if you don't want to hire a car, you could get around town by taxi. Prices are set by zone, but be warned that locals pay about half of what tourists pay and prices for guests at more expensive hotels are approximately double those for guests of budget hotels. Taxis can be rented for $20 per hour for travel around the city and hotel zone.

Bus travel is popular within Cancun. Ruta 1 and 2 city buses travel frequently from the mainland to the beaches along Avenida Tulum (the main street) and all the way to Punta Nizuc at the far end of the hotel zone on Isla Cancun. Ruta 8 buses go to Puerto Juarez/Punta Sam for ferries to Isla Mujeres. They stop on the east side of Avenida Tulum. City buses operate between 6am and 10pm daily. Beware of private buses along the same route; they charge more than the public ones - about 6 pesos (60¢). An alternative is to rent a moped from about $30 for a day. Don't forget your crash helmet.

US dollars are accepted everywhere in the main hotel zone of Cancun, but exchange rates vary widely. Also, as you venture further into Mexico, using dollars becomes more difficult. Exchange your currency for local tender and pay for everything in pesos.

In Cancun you’ll find many familiar shops, restaurants, and services, and you don’t need to be unusually concerned about contracting tropical illnesses. However, outside Cancun, be careful with food and water. Read up on avoiding Montezuma’s Revenge.

Be prepared to haggle, but do some price comparison first. Unless you are certain that the item is exclusive to a particular vendor, shop around and find the vendor with the best initial quote, and then haggle.

The biggest event is Carnaval, held in February just before Lent. In keeping with Mexico's strong religous tradition, Inmaculada Concepcion is held on Isla Mujeres in December. For lovers of physical exercise, Cancun's International Marathon takes place just before the Christmas tourist rush.

Reasons to go to Cancun

Cancun attracts more visitors than any other region in Mexico. More than three million people visit annually for the fantastic climate and amenities.

In the 1960s, the Mexican government saw the potential for the mother of all resort regions on the white-sand beaches off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula. Now Cancun is synonymous with Spring Break, but it is much more than a party town. The main beach at Cancun is really a barrier island shaped like a number 7. Running down the east side of this magnificent beach are shops, restaurants, malls, clubs, and huge Maya-inspired hotels.

For a quieter holiday, try the Mexican Riviera, which extends south of Cancun to more traditional, historical, and natural areas like Isla Mujeres, the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, and the island of Cozumel.

Just about every kind of water sport is available in Cancun - parasailing, water skiing, scuba diving and snorkeling. Or make like Ernest Hemingway and go sportfishing in the outer Caribbean for sailfish, marlin, dorado, wahoo, grouper and bluefin tuna.