If the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Cancun is luxury all-inclusive hotels, then you should know that’s not all what it’s all about. There are many things to do in Cancun apart from the staying at the hotels aligned on front of sick blue waters and white powdery beaches.
There’s even more to Cancun than spring breaks with family.
Oh Cancun, the pearl of the Mexican Caribbean, a world class destination for people from all over the world, seeking water sports, sea turtles, scuba diving, Mayan ruins, and most of all the Caribbean sea. Cancun attracts millions of people every year from luxury lovers to happy-go-lucky backpackers. With them in mind we listed all the things to do in Cancun for under $25; are you ready?
Accommodation in Cancun
A few miles away from the famous Hotel Zone and the beaches you’ll find Cancun’s downtown area, which is a colorful and vibrant city by itself with a variety of accommodations for every budget. A bed in a shared hostel room can vary from $9 bucks a day to $15 which, doesn’t leave much room to do other things, right? Wrong! The couchsurfing community keeps growing so it is basically up to you where you want to stay for the night. Nevertheless, if you decide to stay at a $10 dorm room, you still have some nice $15 to spend.
Transportation in Cancun
Cancun is a well communicated city overall and there are several buses that will take you to the pristine beaches of the Hotel Zone or provide Cancun Airport Transportation. A bus ride costs you 0,55 cents, in some cases these buses even have air conditioning which is very appreciated during the summer. But if you are visiting during the fall-winter months you can easily walk around downtown ore ven along Kukulkan Boulevard in the Hotel Zone and enjoy the sights of Nichupte Lagoon.
There are a few ways of getting around the nearby cities and we’ve written a more detailed guide on how to get from Cancun to Tulum, and back.
Food in Cancun
Mexican food was declared World Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010 and it is rightly so. For less than 3 bucks you can have a full order of delicious Tacos Al Pastor in the nearest street stand (just look around the corner) or the yucatecan delicacy known as Cochinita Pibil which you can have in tacos or in a torta (a good size bread bun) which won´t cost you more than $1. Another mouth watering option would be a “Comida Corrida” which is a full 3 course meal with soda or juice that can go from 3 bucks to 5 bucks. If you go with the “expensive” option you still have about 8 bucks to spend!
Things to Do in Cancun, Mexico
Cancun has 23 miles of beaches divided in 11 public beaches with 9 access from Kukulkan Boulevard; so enjoying the scenery, the warm water and sun are free, you just have to decided if you want to be at a calm quiet beach or enjoy bigger waves basically.
Take advantage of the location and visit the Museo Maya de Cancun, the entrance fee costs less than $4, it has a nice selection of artifacts found throughout different Mayan sites as well as its own archaeological remains. Another option is to visit El Rey Archaeological Site which is right on the lagoon, the 47 structures vary in size but it is the evidence of a small city and port that communicated with other Mayan towns like Tulum or Xcaret, the entrance fee is less than 3 bucks which makes it a pretty good deal if you later want to enjoy the nearby Delfines Beach. If you have some more budget and want to have a lot more freedom of movement you can consider to rent a car in Cancun.
After a beautiful day soaking up in the sun and visiting nearby archaeological sites you probably want and deserve a cold drink, am I right? Sodas and beers will cost you between $1 to $2 depending on where you decide to sit down to have a drink. There are places with live music downtown where you can have a nice cold beer for under 3 bucks or if you just want to chill at your hostel you can easily go to the next convenient store and by yourself some drinks and treats with the remaining 8 dollars.
Visit Cancun for less than $25 a day
There’s no shortage of activities to partake in in this part of Mexico, whether you travel alone, with your friends or require something family friendly. No matter what attracts you to traveling, Cancun has it all. From culturally rich experiences to ample opportunities for relaxation to a wild night life, you’re guaranteed to have an unforgettable time.
And just in case you decided to save money, now you know that you can make a full day in this Caribbean city for under 25 bucks ¡Salud!
