The Top 13 Attractions in Cancun, Mexico

The largest city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Cancún ranks among some of the most popular resort destinations on the planet. Set on the Yucatán Peninsula’s Caribbean coast, Cancún serves up a tropical getaway with high-end resort amenities, thumping nightclubs and alluring white-sand beaches.

Cancún’s appeal goes beyond poolside refreshments, sunbathing and nightlife as it’s also a springboard for appreciating the Yucatán’s striking natural beauty and genuinely astonishing archaeological sites. Here’s a roundup of the top 13 attractions in Cancún, covering the full spectrum of experiences.

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Among the greatest of Maya (or Maya-Toltec) cities during its nearly thousand-year run, Chichén Itzá is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in Yucatán state, and is one of the globe’s premier archaeological sites. Founded in the 400s A.D. during the Classic Period of Maya civilization, its crown jewel is El Castillo (the Temple of Kukulcán), with other defining features including the Great Ball Court, the Jaguar Temple, the Tomb of the High Priest and Tzompantli (the Skull Wall).

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This magical little isle along the watery border of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico is but a 20-minute ferry ride from Cancún. Many visitors prefer a golf cart to explore the sights of Isla Mujeres ("Island of the Women"), which range from the colorful downtown of El Centro and primo beaches such as Playa Norte to Punta Sur at the southern tip, where you’ll find a statue of the Maya goddess Ixchel—with whom the island has long been linked—and the Cliff of the Dawn. In summer months, meanwhile, more than a thousand whale sharks congregate off the coast and draw snorkelers looking to share waters with the world’s biggest fish.

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The Nichupté Lagoon (Laguna Nichupté), a system of lagoons and lakes a stone’s throw from the Hotel Zone, is a precious natural sanctuary along Cancún’s Caribbean seaboard. Guided cruises and kayaking tours introduce you to the beauty of this estuarine waterway’s mangrove jungle and its inhabitants, a decent population of crocodiles (American and Morelet’s) among them.

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Usually clear of sargassum (which can be a seasonal issue along Cancún beaches), Playa Tortugas is a public beach popular among locals and tourists alike for its invitingly clean waters. It’s also just a seashell’s toss from the ferry terminal servicing Isla Mujeres.

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Positioned right in the city's Hotel Zone, the Mayan Museum of Cancún is unquestionably one of the Cancún must-see attractions: a reminder that the city and its Yucatán Peninsula surrounds are about much more than beachgoing and club-hopping, with an amazing cultural heritage stretching back thousands of years.

The permanent collection, better than 3,500 artifacts strong, includes objects from Chichén Itzá and other archaeological sites and the enigmatic “Woman of the Palms” (La Mujer de las Palmas), a 12,500-year-old skeleton retrieved from a Tulum-area cenote in 2005 that represents the oldest human remains documented on the Yucatán Peninsula.

A short footpath leads from the museum to the ruins of San Miguelito. Designed by Alberto García Lascurain, the building is a stylish attraction in and of itself, with fine views out to the surrounding greenery and the Nichupté Lagoon.

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Among the best-known beaches in Cancún, Playa Delfines offers expansive sands and a backdrop refreshingly free from resort highrises. Lifeguarded and offering public restrooms and free palapa shelters, the beach features the iconic “Cancún” sign you’ll probably recognize from tourism literature and advertisements. Playa Delfines is also within arm’s reach of the El Rey Ruins, setting the stage for a fantastic Cancún double-header.

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Coco Bongo is a highlight of Cancún nightlife. While you can dance here, it offers much more than a typical nightclub experience. Enjoy circus-style acrobatics, live music, singalongs, light shows, soap bubbles, and other spectacular entertainment both onstage and onscreen.

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Set right in the Hotel Zone, the El Rey Archaeological Zone constitutes the most significant Maya ruins within Cancún proper, marking as it does the site of a trading port and burial ground that appeared to reach its zenith during the Post-Classic Period. Stone platforms and columns distinguish the site, named El Rey (“The King”) upon its discovery in the 1920s for a sculpture that can now be viewed in the nearby Museo Maya de Cancún.

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Quiet Playa Langoste offers powdery white sands and sparkling, shallow waters, making it one of the most ideal beaches in Cancún for families and for snorkeling. You’re also in easy reach of restaurants, cafés and bars when you need refreshments.

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Easily accessible off lively Avenida Tulum, this public square in downtown Cancún is beloved for its street food vendors as well as regular live music and a family-friendly vibe. It serves as a great place to sample marquesitas, empanadas, churros, esquites and other Mexican delicacies.

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Another can’t-miss daytrip out of Cancun is seeing the Maya ruins of Tulum. These are unique for their spectacular coastal setting, perched as they are atop cliffs overlooking the Caribbean. The ancient walled-in city, active from the 13th through the 16th centuries and another of the most-visited archaeological landmarks in Mexico, is known for such impressive surviving structures as El Castillo and the Temple of the Frescoes.

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About a dozen miles from downtown Cancún, Xoximilco is a singular theme park and entertainment destination offering a “Mexican floating fiesta” dining cruise through canals. Expect live music, dancing, games and toasts onboard the merry trajinera boat, a ride on which sits comfortably on any "Cancún best things to do" list.

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When it comes to leading attractions to see in Cancún, the Museo Subaquático de Arte (MUSA), aka the Cancún Underwater Museum, stands alone. Set offshore within the Cancún-Isla Mujeres National Marine Park, this remarkable snorkeling and diving destination doubles as artificial reef and submarine art installation, featuring as it does more than 500 sunken sculptures on the doorstep of the Great Mayan Reef (among the biggest barrier reefs on Earth). Diving and glass-bottom boat/snorkeling tours offer direct access, while an associated small onshore gallery in Cancún offers a landlubber’s taste.

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