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Cancún
City in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Cancún

Cancún is the most populous city in the state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico, on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Plan a trip to Cancún→From Cozumel

It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez. The city is situated on the Caribbean Sea and is one of Mexico's easternmost points. Cancún is located just north of Mexico's Caribbean coast resort area known as the Riviera Maya. It encompasses the Hotel Zone, which is the main area for tourism.

Get in

Getting to Cancún

Cancún International Airport (CUN IATA) is the large international airport serving Cancun and the Caribbean coast. The airport is located on federal highway MEX 307 at the southern end of Cancun, about 10 km from the hotel zone and about 15 km from downtown Cancun. See the airport article for more information. Customs- Be sure to familiarize yourself with Mexico's Customs policies.

Do

Things to do

Cancún is best known for its beautiful turquoise waters and powdery white beaches. To get from the center to a beach quickly, go to

Eat

Where to eat

For a big variety of local food, the Mercado 28 and the Parque de las Palapas are the right address. These US fast food (and casual dining) chains are less common worldwide, but have restaurants in Cancun: • in the city center: Carl's Jr and Church’s Chicken • near the city center: Little Caesars (pizza) and Dairy Queen (ice cream and cakes) • in the Hotel Zone: Johnny Rockets and Hooters • in the Plaza Las Americas…

How locals move

Getting around Cancún the local way

  • Get inThey are in free standing buildings and within the malls for travelers planning to take a day trip, shopping for tours and activities or for booking an onward journey to the next destination.
  • Get inThe following bus lines offer services into and out of the Central Bus Terminal: Second class buses with AU, Oriente, Mayab and Noroeste (subsidiaries of Grupo ADO) are available for more localized travel to Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Polponah, Kantunilkin, Chiquila (location for Holbox ferry) and other nearby towns and villages in Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Campeche states.
  • Get aroundR1 buses will go to the ADO bus station and some go to Puerto Juarez (where you can catch the ferry to Isla Mujeres.
  • Get aroundA taxi from the Puerto Juarez ferry terminal to the Mercado 28 area at night will be quoted at roughly M$200, and may have a driver willing to accept M$150 if you say that you need to find a taxi for that amount (Feb 2024).
  • Go nextThe largest Maya archaeological site in Yucatan, Chichen Itza is often visited on a day trip from Cancún, but is rather distant and only a small portion of the site and attractions can be seen this way.
  • Go nextThis small island is a 20-minute ferry ride from the hotel zone or from Terminal Maritima Puerto Juárez, located 5 minutes from downtown Cancún.
  • Go nextYou can only go there with a tour operator, not on your own.

From Wikivoyage: Cancún, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.