Cancún Travel Forum

We are looking for a place with clear warm water for snorkling, white sand beaches and not expensive. Never been to Cancun and I hear it is a great place to go. Can anyone comment on some of these questions.....

Hurricanes. Are they typicaly gone by Christmas-time?
Hows the water? I like to scuba and my wife will go snorkling with me. Is the water still nice near Christmas?
Any recommendations for a decent hotel for under a hundred bucks?
Any other advice?

I really appreciate any advice given!
Thanks alot,
Rich.

Hurricane season ends in November, we always go in early December and have never had a problem with weather, the water is always warm enough to swim in and it's plenty hot without being overly hot. Understand that if you book between Christmas and New Year that you will pay a premium, probably even in the current economy.

You might find that booking a air/hotel package is cheaper than booking them separate, we look at Expedia, Orbitz, Apple and Fun Jet, recently Expedia has had the best deals and those are for all inclusives (food, drink, non motorized water sports).

Personally, I like the area to the south of Cancun, we stay in either Playa del Carmen or Playacar as Cancun got a little too commercial for us. Some would say the same about Playa del Carmen, it certainly isn't the quaint fishing village that existed when we 1st started going there. I loved the Riu Tequila that we stayed at last time we went, it was right across the street from the beach so it wasn't as expensive as beachfront and they had great food.

Cancun might be slightly cheaper than PDC for AI hotels but I don't recall seeing a lot of non AI hotels, they are probably downtown if they exist which would require a bus ride to the beach. Or some of the AIs may have European plans which means that you just get the room, no food or beverage.

If you stay down towards PDC, it's easier to get to Cozumel which is supposed to be the best diving in the area. But I think you can also get there from Cancun, check to see if the UltraMar ferry goes over there from Cancun now.

If you want to stay in a non all inclusive in Playa, check the reviews on Trip Advisor for Playa Maya, right on the beach and great reviews

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150812-d284657-Reviews-Playa_Maya-Playa_del_Carmen_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

totally agree - Cancunis a tourist trap and too crowded

we prefer the Playa de Carmen area - beaches are nice - the Riu chain has many good hotels - all-inclusive - at different price points

and you can get to the ruins and adventures pretty easily

avoid the Christmas and Spring Break times when all the wild high school and college kids go there to get drunk and __________

Don't want to make your decision more difficult, but IF budget is a big part of your trip, you could come to BAJA SUR, where you have the choice of a more developed type of resort (such as Cancun)being Cabo San Lucas, OR going north of the airport instead of south, come to the Los Barriles/East Cape area, where you also have some pretty good snorkling at CABO PULMO, where there is the only living coral reef in the northern Pacific; or Los Barriles, which still has some decent snorkling and a much more laid back area, but with a choice of good hotels, either large or small, all locally owned.
Of course, the weather is not as hot as Cancun area (could be a plus...) and not all of our beaches are 'white' sand, but some are.
While Christmas is still high season of course, the air fares would be cheaper, as well as the food. Even in Los Barriles, if you want all meals incusive, that is not a problem.
If you want a special out of the way romantic place, WITH reasonable snorkling, there is the Punta Pescadero Hotel, north of Los Barriles; see my new tip today under OFF THE BEATEN PATH, on my Los Barriles page.

Not real busy just before. Water in pool is usually to cold for me, ocean is ok but very choppy. It's a great time anyway, lots to see and do.The Flamingo. check my VT hotels and other things for Cancun. I would get the all inclusive, you will save alot of money as apposed to eating on the strip.

Akumal which is south of Cancun and Playa Del Carmen offers Diving and snorkeling. It's my favorite place to snorkel and I always see several turtles, sting rays, barracuda, eagle rays, and squid. Theres even an eel hanging around. The main beach in Akumal is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. There are plenty of dive shops to go diving. There is only one AI there ..the Akumal Beach resort but there are plent of smaller hotels and condos.
Yal-ku lagoon and Half moon bay are also excellant for snorkleing. There are also several resturants and bars to enjoy.

Be aware that Cancun has become a holiday destination for many Mexicans for the Christmas times, thus the premium prices and the air travel congestion. This might be of particular concern if you wish to travel on to other Mexican destinations outside the Yucatan peninsula.

Hurricanes are not a problem, but you could be hit by a northern cold front.