Cancun: Downtown and the Hotel Zone
Photo: Mauro I. Barea G., CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
In 1970 there was no Cancun to speak of: a long, mangrove-backed sandbar, a coconut plantation and a fishing village at Puerto Juarez. The Mexican government picked the spot for a new resort, drew up a master plan and built two places at once - a city on the mainland for the people who would work here, and a Hotel Zone along the sandbar. The first tourist hotel opened in 1974.
This tour follows that story from downtown to the far end of the Hotel Zone. You start in Parque de las Palapas, walk to Mercado 28, then ride out along Boulevard Kukulcan past bay beaches, Punta Cancun, Nichupte Lagoon, two Maya sites and a museum, finishing at Playa Delfines and the Cancun sign. Allow about five hours. The R1 and R2 city buses run along the boulevard and taxis are everywhere; check current routes, since local transit has been reorganizing. Bring sun protection and water, and watch the beach flags before you swim.
10 stops on this tour:
Parque de las Palapas - Where Locals Gather
Mercado 28 - The Market With a Number
Playa Langosta - The Calm Side of the Seven
Playa Tortugas - The Island of Women Across the Bay
Punta Cancun - Where the Seven Bends
Playa Chac Mool - Named for a Stone Figure
Nichupte Lagoon - The Other Water
Museo Maya and San Miguelito - Ruins Among the Towers
El Rey - The Maya Port and Its Iguanas
Playa Delfines and the Cancun Sign - The Big Finish
Plan your visit
- Route: 10 stops · about 16 miles · walking, plus a ride for the longer legs
- Time: about 5 hours at an easy pace, with stops
- Start: Parque de las Palapas (directions)
- Cost: free tour
- Audio: narrated - tap ▶ Listen at the top of any stop
Stops on this tour
- Parque de las Palapas - Where Locals Gather
- Mercado 28 - The Market With a Number
- Playa Langosta - The Calm Side of the Seven
- Playa Tortugas - The Island of Women Across the Bay
- Punta Cancun - Where the Seven Bends
- Playa Chac Mool - Named for a Stone Figure
- Nichupte Lagoon - The Other Water
- Museo Maya and San Miguelito - Ruins Among the Towers
- El Rey - The Maya Port and Its Iguanas
- Playa Delfines and the Cancun Sign - The Big Finish
More tours nearby
- Isla Mujeres: Town to Punta Sur (8 mi) - From the ferry dock and the little town to Playa Norte, a pirate's hacienda, turtle conservation and the cliffs where Mexico greets the sunrise.
- Cozumel: San Miguel and the Island (46 mi) - A day loop from the ferry plaza to Maya ruins, the wild east coast, the southern lighthouse and the reef-lined west shore.
- Chichen Itza Self-Guided Tour (117 mi) - Ball courts, sky-watching towers and a pyramid that plays with sunlight - a walking loop through the great Maya city at your own pace.