Yes, Cancun has spent years fighting off its reputation as a spring-break party town, and it's true that Corona flows freely at budget-friendly prices in the all-inclusive hotels. But there is more to Mexico's Caribbean capital than wet T-shirts and shots.
As the most profitable beach destination in Mexico, Cancun draws sophisticated international travelers for both work and play. Top chefs bring regional Mexican flavor to cuisines from across the Pacific Rim.
Visitors who have already done every classic party now take a more refined approach to the obligatory tequila, preferring to sip rather than slam their shots. The new Maya Museum adds cultural depth to the sun-and-fun scene. But let's be honest: in the end, it is that stunning aquamarine water, that talcum-soft sand and that dazzling sunshine that will always define Cancun.
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Hotels
Ritz-Carlton
Glittering chandeliers and Old World portraits may not be the norm in Cancun, but the Ritz pulls off its signature elegance while adding local touches such as tequila and regional wine tastings, Mexican cooking classes in the stylish Culinary Center, and volunteer opportunities in Maya communities.
Guests wear cargo shorts and baseball caps as they head out on excursions, then transform handsomely into refined summer dresses and linen trousers to enjoy some of Cancun's best bars and restaurants without ever leaving the property. For extra romance, you can book a beachfront casita for a barefoot candlelit dinner.
Le Blanc Spa Resort
With its pristine white decor, zen atmosphere and minimalist style, Le Blanc could pass for a retreat for cloistered nuns, if it weren't for that persistent sensual undertone that invites hedonistic adult escapes.
Setting the standard for luxury all-inclusive hotels, the resort offers a butler on every floor who will draw a bubble bath, pop the champagne and fulfill romantic fantasies (within reason). The minimalist white-and-cream rooms come with double Jacuzzis, double Swiss showers and ocean-view balconies (only some open directly onto the ocean).
Five restaurants cover everything from fine French cuisine to sushi, offering both formal and casual options. Bamboo gardens surround the spa, where couples' treatment rooms and massage tables for two encourage intimacy. Solo travelers: look elsewhere.
Live Aqua
Even though other "trendy" hotels have opened in Cancun, Aqua's many perks keep it in the lead.
In-room electronic gadgets and elaborate entertainment systems delight the tech crowd, while whirlpool tubs and ocean views from the plush beds soothe the relaxation seekers. Scarlet macaws soar over the shimmering pools. Aromatherapy scents linger in the elevators. Indigenous drums echo through the spa.
One of the seven on-site restaurants shows off tiled portraits of Frida Kahlo and other icons; another specializes in ceviche made with tropical fish, fruit and chili.
All this pampering is included in the all-inclusive room rate. Extras include spa treatments, top-shelf liquor and certain gourmet dishes.
Inter-Continental Presidente
When Cancun was just a gleam in the eyes of investors, the Mexican government picked a handful of prime beaches for the city's first luxury hotels. The Presidente was one of the originals, and even though it has been around for three decades, it has not lost its elite standing.
Bellhops greet returning guests like old friends, and Mexican hospitality reigns from the front desk to the restaurants and pools. A recent $8 million renovation modernized the minimalist rooms, adding deep soaking tubs to some and window seats to others.
The old-timers' foresight is most obvious at sunset. Unlike most Cancun resorts, the Presidente faces northwest, capturing brilliant sunset views best enjoyed at the Deck Bar with a mango margarita in hand.
Dining
The Club Grill
Exquisite cuisine, an outstanding wine list, impeccable service and glamorous decor keep the Grill at the top of every best-of list.
Chef Juan Pablo de la Sota keeps the menu fresh, seasoning his duck with chipotle sweet potato puree and expanding the souffle selection to include sweet coconut, though the Grand Marnier version is hard to beat. Sommeliers decant fine French, Spanish and South American wines, plus a few Mexican vintages you won't find anywhere else.
Guests in Cancun's most formal attire (no ties required) begin their evenings in the Grill's martini bar, linger over dinner and finish with a spin or two on the adjacent dance floor as the jazz band picks up the tempo.
Le Chique
Running longer than the latest blockbuster, the 14-course dinner at Le Chique is absolutely worth the 15-minute drive south to Puerto Morelos.
Chef Jonatan Gomez Luna draws on his training at the celebrated Spanish restaurants El Bulli and El Celler de Can Roca to tempt guests with Campari-soaked cherries, black-truffle "marshmallow," foie gras creme brulee and a seemingly endless procession of waiters bearing sensual delights.
Burgundy drapes, leather furniture and countless flickering lights form a dramatic backdrop for the adults-only culinary show priced at $150 per person, including 14 courses and 7 wine pairings. Guests of the Azul Sensatori resort, home to Le Chique, pay just 320 pesos ($25 USD) for the same experience.
Puerto Madero
When it's time for a full-on beef overload, Puerto Madero is Cancun's little corner of porteno style.
Candles flicker, crystal sparkles and lively voices raise the energy in the spacious dining room, while the open-air tables beside the lagoon, with the downtown lights across the water, are better suited to intimate conversation. Either way, you're sure to spot impossibly sleek models cheek-kissing their way through the crowd.
Juicy cuts of beef call for classic sides such as thick slices of tomato and onion, fluffy potato souffle and grilled asparagus.
A sturdy Mendoza Malbec makes sense, though the wine list has plenty of other options from Mexico, Chile and Spain. It would be a shame to skip the crepas con cajeta or alfajores for a final flourish.
La Habichuela Sunset
A downtown favorite for more than two decades, La Habichuela has opened a dreamy Maya-style retreat in the bustling hotel zone.
White wrought-iron chairs gather around candlelit tables beneath illuminated replicas of Maya deities and stelae in a garden that recalls a Yucatecan hacienda.
That influence extends to the menu of shrimp with huitlacoche (a corn fungus similar to truffle), cream of habichuela (bean) soup, and the aphrodisiac honey cocktail Xtabentun Coculnich. Flames flare up as the waiters prepare the classic crepas con cajeta.
Although Mexicans typically dine after 8 or 9 p.m., La Habichuela Sunset lives up to its name with gorgeous golden skies at dusk, leaving time afterward to grab a prime booth at one of the nearby clubs.
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Nightlife
Lobby Lounge
A one-stop shop for after-dinner entertainment, the Lobby Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton tempts guests with its crimson glow and plush sofas.
In one area, a tequilero pours tequila for tasting while a mixologist stirs flawless Manhattans at the bar. Chic young things gather beneath the golden onyx wall in the Clau Lounge, while cigar lovers savor hand-rolled Cuban and Mexican cigars on the lounge terrace under a midnight-blue sky.
As the hours pass, the Latin band picks up the tempo, encouraging drinkers to shed their jackets, leave their corners and mingle on the dance floor.
CoCoBongo
Yes, it's tacky and touristy. But the near-capacity crowd (up to 1,800) fills this Cancun landmark most nights. Maybe it's the high-energy, Las Vegas-style shows that make CoCoBongo unbeatable, or the dancing style that keeps the multi-level dance floors packed until dawn.
No music icon is safe from CoCoBongo's choreographers. The shows cover hits from KISS to Sinatra.
Bungee cords and ropes are part of the scene as acrobats swoop and dive overhead. Every conceivable legal stimulant appears as music videos play on massive screens beneath pulsing, flashing lights. Bubbles, balloons and confetti shower the dancers, and fog rises from the floors in a phantasmagoria all but guaranteed to intensify the dreams, once sleep finally arrives.
El Rincon del Vino
Cancun feels far away when flamenco plays, a glass of rioja sits in hand, fondue simmers on the tables and polyglot chatter fills the background.
European travelers gravitate to El Rincon as if on autopilot, drawn by the aromas of melted cheese, Iberian ham, octopus and olive oil.
Guests wander through the wine cellar, checking price tags before choosing the bottle of the night, returning again and again as the music shifts from jazz to rock and conversation reaches its peak. Black suits the casually elegant crowd best; there are no tacky T-shirts here.
Rose Bar
With "aura managers" overseeing the resort's anything-goes ethos, you can be sure management does everything possible to make the Rose Bar a place to find international DJs and celebrities among the stylish locals.
Channeling the vibe of South Beach and Ibiza, the mood is loungey and sensual, especially during Friday Ladies' Nights. While mixes play inside, cigar lovers gather on the Rose Bar Deck. Cancunenses slip into their most figure-hugging summer dresses and long trousers for a night out here; shorts are frowned upon.
Shopping
Ah Cacao
In a world of global mediocrity, this little chocolate shop and cafe stands out for its signature product: intense and rare criollo cacao, the Maya "food of the gods," in bars, powder or roasted beans.
The small cafe, with a few tables outdoors and indoors and free Wi-Fi, serves rich, addictive brownies and frothy hot chocolate whipped with a traditional molinillo (wooden whisk). Chocolate bars, cocoa, whisks and other accessories make wonderful souvenirs.
Sabores de Mexico
When it comes to the flavors of Mexico, this sweets shop is the real deal.
Owner Erandeni Abundis travels the country gathering mole, mezcal and chapulines (fried grasshoppers) in Oaxaca, chihuahua cheese, nata cookies (like thick clotted cream) from Queretaro, and homemade mermeladas and salsa that bring a taste of home to Mexican transplants working in Cancun.
Abundis also works with Indigenous cooperatives, selling their silky woven rebozos (shawls), embroidered huipiles (blouses from Chiapas) and regional pottery.
Local Maya communities supply homemade soaps, shampoos, creams and even an effective cough syrup made from bougainvillea, onion, honey and cinnamon. Pack your purchases into a woven beach bag and you're ready to go.
Sabores de Mexico, Avenida Cancun (also known as Las Torres), SM 510 Mza. 54 Lote 2, El Centro; +52 998 251 3841
Nierika
Named after the Indigenous Huichol term for the passage and barrier between the physical and spiritual worlds, this shop near the crowded Mercado 28 is packed with high-quality folk art.
It has a particularly striking collection of beaded masks, figurines and wall decorations made by the Huichol, who live high in the Sierra mountains and use peyote as a religious sacrament. A wide selection of whimsical painted alebrijes (wooden creatures) from Oaxaca, handmade silver jewelry, hand-blown glass and art books make it a paradise for collectors.
Pineda Covalin
Cancun's hotel zone has so many malls that it feels like an American suburb. Luxury Avenue is the most glamorous, packed with baubles and shiny things.
Among the international brands sits the Pineda Covalin boutique, carrying the designer's silk masterpieces. Intricate Indigenous patterns swirl across silk scarves, handbags, ties, even shoes. Like kaleidoscopic mandalas, the vivid designs are almost too beautiful to wear, but they are certain to be noticed at your next evening out.
Pineda Covalin, Boulevard Kukulkan, Kilometer 13, Zona Hotelera; +52 998 840 6100
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Attractions
Museo Maya de Cancun
Just in time for the widely hyped and often misunderstood Maya revival, Cancun has finally acquired a serious cultural institution.
Designed by Alberto Garcia Lascurain for the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the new Maya Museum puts the history of the Yucatan Peninsula into perspective with an entrance exhibit featuring 14,000-year-old skeletal remains discovered in Tulum in the early 21st century.
Carvings, statues, jewelry and household tools from many Maya sites near Cancun fill display cases in mockups of pyramids and temples, alongside the recently uncovered San Miguelito archaeological site in the middle of the hotel zone.
Isla Mujeres
Just eight miles offshore, this laid-back island is the antithesis of busy Cancun. Locals and visitors zip around on electric golf carts and scooters, crossing the five-mile island at speeds that would drive the average New York cabbie crazy.
The island's main beach, Playa Norte, is one of the finest in the Caribbean, with shallow, clear water, sugar-white sand and plenty of room for everyone to spread out.
Snorkeling, swimming and relaxing in hammocks are the favored activities at Garrafon Natural Reef Resort, an eco-park with a pool, zip line, changing rooms and a restaurant. A sculpture garden on the island's southern tip leads to the Cliff of the Dawn, said to be the first place in Mexico where the sun rises.
The pedestrian streets in the center of the island are dotted with quirky cafes and shops selling everything from Guatemalan textiles to Balinese sarongs. It may have evolved a bit from its hippie, anything-goes days, but Isla Mujeres is still Mexico's most unusual Caribbean retreat.
Isla Mujeres, ferries depart from Puerto Juarez and El Embarcadero in the hotel zone; 190 pesos ($15) round-trip per person
Parque de las Palapas
At less than 40 years old, Cancun's central square lacks the Old World charm of the picturesque plazas in colonial cities such as Merida and Oaxaca, but it is still the main gathering place in El Centro, or downtown Cancun.
On weekend afternoons and evenings, families gather here just as they do all across the country. Vendors sell steamed corn on the cob slathered in mayonnaise (try it!), french fries drizzled with hot sauce, and tacos with far more flavor than you'll find in the tourist restaurants.
Live bands usually perform on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, and there's a good chance you'll stumble upon a craft fair or a civic event.
Underwater Cancun
On the Beach
Massive hotels claim most of the beachfront property along Cancun's hotel zone, but all beaches in Mexico are public, and you are free to wander wherever you like.
Timid swimmers are happiest splashing in the calm waters on the north side of the zone, facing the Bahia de Mujeres. Playa Tortugas and Playa Linda are popular with local families and especially lively on weekend afternoons.
Past Punta Cancun, the hotel-zone beaches face the open sea.
Playa Gaviota and Chac Mool, behind several of Cancun's most popular clubs, are the heart of the party scene, with beach bars, beach volleyball games and excellent people-watching. The scene varies along the next stretch of hotels, with parasailing, banana boats and jet skis in some spots and quiet, private cabanas in others.
Beyond the hotel chain, Playa Delfines, at the southern end of Boulevard Kukulkan, is a popular public spot with beautiful views and plenty of room to sunbathe. Locals flock here when the surf rises, since Cancun has few places to surf.
Cancun's dazzlingly white, cool, soft sand was washed away during Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The major beach-restoration projects that followed brought in creamy sand and rebuilt the long, wide hotel-zone beaches, which, set against the brilliant aquamarine Caribbean, are nothing short of spectacular.
Museo Subacuatico de Arte (MUSA)
It sounds eerie at first, this garden of life-size sculptures rising from the seabed in the national marine park between Cancun and Isla Mujeres. But British artist Jason deCaires Taylor's underwater sculpture garden has brought new life to reefs that were nearly loved to death by thousands of divers.
Coral formations now grow on the first statues, submerged in 2010, and lobsters, which had all but vanished from these waters, now gather inside a mockup of a VW car. Because some of the 400 statues sit just 10 feet underwater, they are visible from the surface.
Snorkeling among the swaying purple sea fans and angelfish is easy, and divers need only descend 28 feet underwater to see the entire exhibit.
Interactive Aquarium
In this air-conditioned indoor water world, divers with underwater microphones point out seahorses, eels, clownfish and jellyfish in a floor-to-ceiling tank. Those who love a hands-on experience can stroke rays and starfish in open tanks, and the truly brave feed sharks while submerged in an acrylic cage.
