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!

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!

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?

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?

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!

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.

I just booked At Riu peninsula I know it’s newly renovated has anyone stayed here recently? Can yall lmk if it’s worth it also can I book excursions directly with the hotel? And is there any stores restaurants close near by to walk to and from.

Mainly booked this hotel because i think it’s close to a lot of night life or downtown Cancun I’d like to explore a bit

Food is another factor are the buffets and restaurants good if not I don’t have a problem leaving the resort and buying local food

Hola! Estoy planeando viajar a México por primera vez sola a fines de noviembre, durante aproximadamente 12 noches.
Mi vuelo sería de Buenos Aires a Cancún.
Hace un tiempo se hicieron virales experiencias de argentinos que tuvieron problemas en migraciones, con malos tratos y muchas veces incluso los hicieron volver. Sé que siempre están pidiendo que muestres el vuelo de vuelta, comprobante de los hospedajes y en muchos casos dinero en cuenta + de qué trabajás.
Mi duda es: normalmente no me gusta viajar con todos los hospedajes pagos desde Argentina, sino que prefiero elegir la tarifa con pago en el destino y cancelación gratuita. esto es por un tema de flexibilidad, prefiero ver cómo me siento en el destino, el clima, en este caso también el sargazo etc.
puede ser un problema esto? Me conviene irme a otro destino? No quiero pasar un pésimo momento ni mucho menos perderme el viaje.
Gracias!

Hi everyone!
I’m planning my first trip to Mexico in late November. I’ll be traveling solo for around 12 nights, flying from Buenos Aires to Cancún.
A while ago, several stories went viral about Argentinians having issues with Mexican immigration, including being mistreated and, in some cases, even being denied entry and sent back home.
I know immigration officers often ask for proof of a return flight, accommodation bookings, and sometimes even proof of sufficient funds and employment details.
My main concern is that I usually prefer not to pay for all my accommodation in advance. Instead, I tend to book places with free cancellation and the option to pay at the property. I like having some flexibility to change my plans depending on how I’m feeling, the weather, and, in this case, even the sargassum situation.
Could this be an issue at immigration? Would having confirmed reservations that haven’t been paid for yet be a problem?
I’m honestly starting to wonder if I should just choose a different destination. I really don’t want to go through a stressful experience at immigration, let alone risk being denied entry and losing my entire trip.
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially if you’re Argentine or have traveled to Mexico recently.
Thanks so much!

estoy planeando un viaje a cancun en enero, con la idea de hospedarme en akumal al final de mi estadia, y mi vuelo de regreso sale a las 7 de la mañana desde el aeropuerto de cancun.

cuál seria la forma más rápida y economica de llegar? hay opciones por debajo de los 300MXN aparte del colectivo (solo porque demoraria demasiado, y mi vuelo es muy temprano)?

When the sargassum/seaweed gets bad on the Hotel Zone beaches, what’s your favorite Plan B that isn't just staying at the hotel pool?

What is the unwritten rule that every tourist should know before taking the R1 or R2 routes in the hotel zone?

Anyone know of any AA meetings in or near the hotel zone?

Holbox for 3 nights recommendations? 🌴
Hi everyone! My partner and I are planning to spend 3 nights in Holbox and are considering staying at Nômade Holbox.
I’d love your recommendations!
Is Nômade worth it, or would you recommend another hotel?
Are the Three Islands Tour, Isla Pasión, Isla Pájaros and Yalahau worth visiting?
Is Punta Mosquito worth it, and can you visit independently?
How’s the weather in October? Is it still a good time to visit, or should we expect lots of rain and wind?
Any must-do activities, hidden gems or restaurants you’d recommend?
We’ll be driving from Cancún, so any tips about parking in Chiquilá and getting to Holbox would also be appreciated.
Thanks! ❤️