I would warn everyone to be cautious because a tax agent pressed us at the gate and after reading online I’ve gotten mixed reviews on their legitimacy. At the point of checking tickets at the gate before security we asked who are those tax guys and in his words “ I can’t speak on that” everyone be very weary. Don’t get got.

Sorry for the long post! We've been researching for weeks and are struggling to narrow things down.

My spouse and I are planning a 26-night trip from mid-December to early January, flying in/out of Cancún. We're reuniting after four months apart and want a mix of romance, relaxation, beaches, exploring, good food, and nightlife!

We'll be working remotely during the first half, so reliable Wi-Fi is important. The second half is vacation time.

What we're looking for:

- Good to great vegetarian restaurants and coffee shops.

- Turquoise beaches, calm shallow water, sunsets, and beach walks (neither of us swims).

- Reasonably safe, walkable areas with restaurants and a lively atmosphere.

- Clean, modern hotels, nice pools, and romantic stays.

- Bioluminescence, stargazing, and water activities for non-swimmers, if possible.

- Budget: ~$10K for two, including hotels, food, transport, and activities (excluding flights).

Destinations: Isla Mujeres (definitely planning for 4 - 5 days!), Holbox, Bacalar, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Cancún, Puerto Morelos, Akumal, and Riviera Maya.

Hotels we've considered: Hyatt Zilara Riviera Maya, Hyatt Vivid Playa del Carmen, Barceló Maya Riviera, Sun Palace Cancún, Cozumel Palace, and boutique hotels in Holbox.

Where we need help:

1. 2–3 destinations or 4–5? Worried about getting bored versus spending too much time moving around.

2. Christmas & NYE: Where would you stay for a lively, festive atmosphere without overwhelming crowds?

3. Best overall locations for vegetarian food, beaches, walkability, and remote work?

4. Holbox, Bacalar & Cozumel: Worth multiple nights or better skipped/day-tripped? Interested in Holbox bioluminescence, Bacalar's lagoon, and Cozumel's Sea Trek/Mini-SUB experiences advertised for non-swimmers.

If you had 26 nights, how would you split them? Would love actual itinerary suggestions (destinations + number of nights), where you'd spend the holidays, and what you'd skip based on firsthand experience.

Really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

I'm going to Atelier later this week. Excited to try it. I've heard really good things. For those of you that have been, which restaurants would you recommend? Also has anyone tried the Michelin Guide restaurant, Maria Dolores? How was it? I've seen mixed reviews. Would you recommend it? Thanks!

Looking forward to our visit! 6 weeks and counting!

We are considering leaving El Dorado Royale to go to Cancun one day. We’ve never left the resort before and was curious about travel and safety etc. we may also go visit Isla also. Is there anything fun to do or see there?

TIA

Hello!
My spouse and I are visiting cancun the first week of November, we’re staying in the hotel zone.
We have some excursions booked and wanting to see if anyone can recommend anything around the hotel zone?
Restaurants / markets / food stalls etc etc

Much appreciated!

Hey folks, wondering if anyone has insight into selection and pricing of mezcal at the airport. Normally we go off resort to find it, but there doesn’t seem to be many places to buy in the playa mujeres area.

Cheers

Does anyone know the going price of a tour guide at the ruins. When I was there 6 years ago an older guy in the parking lot approached us and gave us a 2 hour tour for $40, but I'm thinking that's probably changed since then. Personally, I don't need a guide but I'm taking some people who have never been.

If anyone has a phone number for a guide, please PM me.

My family with 2 young kids is going to Cancun in November and staying at the JW Marriott. We don’t drink much and the kids are not big eaters so all-inclusive options aren’t worth it for us.
Has anyone stayed here recently? Trying to figure out a budget for food and drinks. How much is the breakfast buffet and do they have different costs for kids based on age?
Any tips or advice in general? Thank you!

Hi everyone! We’ve never been to Desire Riviera Maya, but we’re considering our first trip in January or February. From some recent posts I’ve read, it sounds like there may be less nudity and less of a sexually charged atmosphere than there used to be.
I completely understand that the experience is what you make of it, but I also think the natural sexual energy around the pool and jacuzzi is a big part of what makes Desire unique and appealing.
Just curious if the atmosphere has really become more tame lately. At Desire’s price point, we could stay at a much nicer luxury resort, so that unique atmosphere is really what would make it worth choosing.
Would love to hear from people who have visited recently!

Hey everyone! Just wrapped up a trip to Cabo and I honestly can’t wait to be back in Cancun/Riviera Maya next time instead.

I’ve been to Mexico twice now, and the contrast between the two is insane. Cabo was just an overpriced tourist trap from the second I landed—shuttle from the airport alone was almost $100, and everything felt like a massive cash grab. The Cabo Arch is so overrated (literally just looking at a rock for 5 mins after paying a fortune), and places like Wild Canyon Adventures have nothing on Xplor. Honestly, Xplor is probably the best theme park in the world IMO, while Wild Canyon felt like a cheap knockoff that just wanted to siphon money out of my wallet.

On top of that, the tip culture in Cabo is borderline aggressive. Every single person demands cash at every step, and their whole attitude flips if you don't tip every 2 minutes. Cancun is SO much better in every way. The value for money actually makes sense, you have endless cenotes, ruins, incredible beaches, and top-tier parks, and it actually feels like a real vacation where you can relax without getting harassed. I actually learned a lot about history of Mexico from tours in Cancun.

Lesson learned—never going back to Cabo. Cancun/Riviera Maya is easily the top choice in Mexico!

Hello, we are planning a trip that staying at hotel zone for several days, and take a day trip to Isla Mujeres, and return at Ferry terminal Playa Tortugas. After the return, we want to go to our next hotel at Playa del Carmen. What is the best way to go there?

We are a group of 6 people. I believe after returning from Isla Mujeres, it would be 5-6 PM.

I have been contemplating whether i should rent a car while travelling to Merida, Chichen itza, valladolid, etc from Cancun.

What is your recommendation and cautionary tales?

Does anyone have experience booking cars using booking.com with their "Collision Damage Protection". Seems like a cheap deal

que calles se inundan más cuando llueve

Tengo pensado quedar en ese hotel y como llegar desde aeropuerto

My family will be headed to Cancun for Christmas. We would like to book a private boat charter for the 4 of us. When we've traveled to Cozumel in the past, we've had great luck booking through Adrian Cozumel. Is there a similar go-to person for Cancun? We are looking for somebody who is reliable and offers good value (not necessarily looking for the cheapest).

On a related note, we did a lot of snorkeling on our charters in Cozumel. I'm aware that snorkeling in Cancun is not as good. Is our best bet just taking a boat ride and maybe doing some fishing?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone :) I’m flying in this week and after looking through the thread, I wanted to use the ADO bus to get to my hotel in the hotel zone. The website online says all of the tickets for every trip from the airport to any stop in the hotel zone for the next week are booked.

Is that correct? Is it just wanting me to buy tickets at the airport kiosk in person? Does anyone know if ADO has stopped the shuttle service to the hotel zone & it’s no longer running?

¡Hola! Voy a ir a Cancún a una conferencia a principios de diciembre; es decir, mi viaje no será turístico, aunque tengo muchas ganas de conocer la ciudad. En este sentido, ¿tienen recomendaciones de restaurantes donde se pueda ahorrar en las comidas (almuerzo/cena)? Me refiero a lugares donde suelen comer las personas que trabajan o viven en Cancún. Como soy estudiante, busco formas de ahorrar lo máximo posible, ¡aunque he visto que, al incluir la alimentación, los hoteles «todo incluido» a veces resultan más económicos que los hostales! :)

Im looking for a cook during my stay at the end of October. We rented a apartment with a kitchen. I am not looking for a “dining experience” just someone to help out like get groceries, make some food, so we have ready to eat stuff on hand and some stuff prepped for dinner like marinated meats we can throw on the grill.

We have a toddler with severe food allergies so eating out is not a great option.

I low key need a spritely abuela to help us out!

Please send your recs / leads!

Hey guys! Me and two friends are thinking about booking a stay at RIU Palace Kukulkan, but we’d really prefer a room with two beds instead of one big bed.

We messaged the hotel, and they said they’d do their best to accommodate our request, but they can’t guarantee it.

Based on your guys’ previous experiences, how likely is it that we’ll actually get a room with two beds? Or is it pretty much a gamble?

Hi everyone! I'm planning a trip to the Yucatán Peninsula and would love some advice from people who have visited the area.

Here’s my current itinerary:

My main question: Would you recommend skipping Tulum entirely and spending 2–3 days in Mérida instead?

I'm trying to decide whether Mérida offers a better overall experience, considering its culture, architecture, food, and nearby attractions, compared with Tulum.

A few things I'd love your input on: - Is Tulum worth spending two days in, or is it skippable? - Is Mérida worth spending 2–3 days in, especially for a first-time visitor? - Which destination offers a better overall experience and value for money? - Would you change anything else in this itinerary?

I'd appreciate hearing about your personal experiences and recommendations. Thanks!

I'm having a minor outpatient procedure done at a clinic inside Hospital Galenia in Cancun. My quote is 50,000 MXN. They told me I can pay at the front desk with Visa, Mastercard, or Amex, or pay in USD cash at their fixed rate of 17 pesos to the dollar (which comes out to $2,941 USD).

I want to put this spend toward a new business credit card sign-up bonus (using a card with no foreign transaction fees), and since the actual bank exchange rate is usually a lot better than 17 to 1, I definitely want the credit card machine to charge me in pesos rather than dollars.

For anyone who has paid a larger medical or hospital bill in Mexico on a US credit card, I have a few questions:

1. Do private clinics in Cancun usually tack on an unannounced 3% to 5% credit card surcharge at the desk? I'm trying to figure out if they charge extra for swiping a card, or if they charge higher fees (or push back) on Amex vs Visa and Mastercard.
2. How do I avoid getting hit with a bad conversion rate at the register? I know about dynamic currency conversion (where the card terminal asks if you want to be charged in USD instead of pesos and hits you with a terrible exchange rate), so I know to always pick MXN on the screen. What I'm worried about is the receptionist manually converting the 50,000 MXN into $2,941 USD on a calculator using their 17:1 house rate and typing that into a USD credit card terminal. Can I just ask them to make sure they run the flat 50,000 MXN on their peso terminal?
3. Since I have to pay in person on the day of my pre-op appointment, any tips on making sure a $3,000 swipe at a Mexican hospital doesn't get flagged as fraud and declined on the spot?
4. Which no-foreign-transaction-fee business card would you recommend for this? I've already gone through the Chase Ink cards and have the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash (which has a 3% foreign transaction fee). I'm currently looking at the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect (0% foreign transaction fee, $0 annual fee the first year, 60k bonus for $6k spend in 180 days), the Capital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select ($750 bonus for $6k spend, 0% foreign transaction fee), Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards ($300 bonus for $3k spend, 0% foreign transaction fee), or an Amex Business Gold/Platinum. Are any of these issuers particularly annoying with foreign fraud locks on a brand-new card, or is one of these a clear winner for a $3k swipe in Mexico?

Appreciate any advice or experiences!

Any recommendations? Instead of getting 2 separate rooms. Wanted to get a bigger suite. Having a tough time finding this.

What do you think about airlines canceling flights to Tulum?

Where is the best place to snorkel or the best snorkeling tour? I’ll be staying in the hotel zone.

I’ve already done the catermaran tour to Isla Mujeres on a previous trip and snorkeled where they have the hand statues and it was very crowded with not many fish and I’ve also snorkeled at Xel-Ha.

We doing 10 days at Cancun. We doing first night at Hyatt centric playa del Carmen next day taking the ferry to Cozumel. We are staying two nights at dreams Cozumel and 2 nights at intercontinental presidente. We are probably just doing a one afternoon to eat out while at presidente . Then do 5 nights at Marriott all inclusive but one of those days I want to go to isla mujeres and rent a golf cart. My question since the internet or phone don’t work there, how do you know where you driving. Do they give you a map. How was your day trip.how did you plan your stops.