Chances are if you're heading to Cancun you're coming in through the airport as Cancun is not accessible by cruise ship. So upon arriving at the Cancun airport get ready to shell out some hefty cash for a ride into the Hotel Zone. When I first heard the taxi rates I was baffled, I thought perhaps I was on a hidden camera TV show. A taxi from the airport to the Hotel Zone was $55 USD!! Because this was my first trip to Mexico I was still under the impression that Mexico was much cheaper than the US, and it can be, but not at the airport. The taxi's at the airport are run by a single company, Green Line. Green Line is similar to our Super Shuttle, the only problem is they have a monopoly on the airport, there are no outside vendors which could drive down the price. Now that I've scared you a bit I do have some good news, I managed to find a shared shuttle for $14/USD to the Hotel Zone. This is also run by Green Line so make sure you ask for it upon arrival, there are many booths setup near the airport exit, you cannot miss it.
If this is your first time in Cancun you may be asking yourself, what is the Hotel Zone? It's simply the touristy area with hundreds of hotels and far too many Americans. While the Hotel Zone is nice, safe and very pretty it's not "real" Mexico. Most tourists stick to their resort and don't head out to visit downtown Cancun, far past the touristy area's which I think is a huge mistake, but we'll get into that shortly.
The Hotel Zone is quite far from the airport, you must first cover several miles of marsh land before getting to the coast, and even then the Hotel Zone is very long, I'd say 8 miles until you begin to hit the city of Cancun. As I said before, there are hundreds of hotels on the strip. Choosing one can be daunting, so I stuck with my good ol' pal Priceline. I decided to shoot for the resort category and managed to swing a 4-Star Marriott Resort (The Magna Carta) for a sweet $125/night. This was $200/night off the listed rate of $325. I must say the hotel was indeed amazing, with a swim up bar, restaurant on the beach and two very large pools it was certainly worth the money. But alas, I am a traveler and I couldn't sit still in the resort for the duration of my stay I knew I had to get out - but how?
The Hotel Zone is one long road lined with hotels, and it's not until the very end of the zone before you begin to see any restaurants, bars, etc. When you first begin to exit the zone it's as touristy as they come. American businesses everywhere, like Outback, Hooters, Subway, etc. There is a Margaritaville right before you get to town which *yawn* was no good. I'm somewhat of a Margaritaville connoisseur, and I was not impressed. No pools, no outside seating or bars...it reminded me of the not so great one in Key West. Moving along you'll find more touristy things but less American like Carlos N' Charlies, Slices, Corona's. Of course, you have the staples like HardRock and another Hooters, but my point is the more you travel into downtown, the less American it gets.
So now that I've told my long winded story let me get some tips out of the way!
*To get out of the Hotel Zone you have 2 options, taxi or bus. Taxi's are expensive in the Hotel Zone as they expect you to be American and therefor you're paying more.
*The bus is an awesome time! For only 6 pesos (about $0.50 USD) you can ride one way as long as you'd like. There are several bus routes but ALL go to the Hotel Zone.
*Be prepared to JUMP off the bus. This is not an over-exaggeration. The drivers rarely come to a complete stop, and when they do it's for a second or two at most.
*Unlike buses in the USA these do not have the stop ropes which notifies the driver you need to get off. Instead there are red buttons, some do not work! Worst case scenario say "Conductor! Alto el autobus por favor" meaning "Driver, stop the bus please".
*If you're feeling adventurous head to the Wal Mart in Centro Cancun. It's a 20 minute bus ride from the Hotel Zone but totally worth it! It's like the epicenter of the city, the Wal Mart is so large they sell appliances! I highly recommend it, and you'll get to be one of the only gringo's walking around.
On a final note I'd like to say I had an awesome time in Cancun. I recommend the open bar deals that most bars have including Slices, Corona's and Bulldogs. I ask if you venture to Mexico you do a few simple things:
1 - Learn the exchange rate! I know you're probably surprised but not everyone takes USD. The rate changes everyday but usually falls between 13-15 pesos per US dollar.
2 - Even if you do not speak Spanish, try. Again, I know you're surprised to hear it but not everyone in Cancun speaks English, in fact I'd say 50%. Try your best and they will be extra nice to you.
3 - You've heard the saying "when in Rome", apply it to your vacation. Get outside of the Mexican version of America (i.e the Hotel Zone) and explore. Meet, mingle and see how Mexicans live.
I rate Cancun, Mexico
Brandon & Jenny - Caribbean experts on information you SHOULD know but nobody tells you!
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