A First-Time Guide to Cancun

1. Arrange airport transportation ahead of time

I’m so used to just calling for an Uber once I’ve landed but the taxi scene in Cancun is no joke! When you exit the airport there are literally hundreds of drivers and companies all shouting at you trying to get you to choose their company for a ride. They will advertise deals but you will likely end up paying way more than you should. It will make for a much less stressful start to your vacation if you’ve already scheduled and paid for your taxi/shuttle ahead of time. I recommend contacting your hotel to set this up as they may have a complimentary shuttle or at least you can compare prices ahead of time. Without telling you how much we got ripped off, I will say we paid over six times as much for our ride to the resort as we did going back to the airport. Yikes!

2. Bring cash

Once again, this may seem obvious but for millennials like me who almost never carry cash, it’s a good reminder. You’ll need cash to pay taxi and shuttle drivers, for tips, and for some stores/restaurants. However, you probably don’t need to exchange your dollars for pesos. Everywhere we went, they were more than happy to take our dollars (although you might get your change in pesos!) And yes, tons of places still take cards so no worries there!

3. Get out of the resort

I know you’ve paid a lot of money to stay at your fabulous all-inclusive resort but there is a lot to do outside of your resort as well. Our hotel happened to be near the La Isla shopping mall. It was great to stretch our legs and do some shopping. Not only do they have classic stores like American Eagle, Adidas and H&M, but they also have unique finds like Miniso where I bought an adorable plushie. There is also an aquarium where you can swim with dolphins and a sky wheel to take in the view of the hotel zone and lagoon.

4. Go out to eat

If you are staying for a week or so, chances are you might get tired of the food at your resort and want to try a local restaurant. If so, I highly recommend Sonora Grill. We went here twice during our stay and it was phenomenal. The service, the unique drinks, and food presentation were all top notch. All the staff were super friendly and accommodating and the Wellington Burger has got to be one of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life.

5. Plan an excursion

Echoing back to number three, there are so many great experiences and excursions to have while staying in Cancun, it would be a shame not to book at least one! There are historical tours, adventure parks, snorkeling, sailing, shopping - you name it - there is a tour for it. The one we went on was a local shopping and tequila tasting trip. The tour even included transportation from our hotel and back. We got to eat at a local Mexican restaurant, browse at some shops, and taste tequila of course! My only advice is be careful when booking these trips so you know where you are really going. There are companies that will gladly take you on an eight-hour excursion to the Mayan ruins without you realizing that six hours of that time will be on a bus as the ruins are three hours away!