It’s only been a couple of days since I spent my days on the beach with a cocktail in my hand, listening to the sound of the waves. Now I’m back to reality: Exams, assignments – basically all the responsibilities I had forgotten paired with the moody weather of North Carolina. However, I can only summarize my ten days in Cancún by saying: I had the time of my life!
The first thing I learned after arriving at Cancún was that there is no such thing as Uber – there are only taxis! Luckily, my Spanish-speaking best friend who has been living in the city for a while picked me up at the airport. Otherwise, I guess I would have gotten completely lost with my Spanish skills that are limited to “Si, claro”, “Gracias” and “Yo no hablo espaniol”. So after a tough negotiation on Spanish with the driver, we finally got to her apartment. In the ten days I was in Mexico, it was always a surprise what to expect when you enter a taxi. Some had great decorations, others had a very unique taste of music, nevertheless it was always fun!
If you enjoy dressing up and are into interior design, I highly recommend Chambao, Taboo and Ilios. These are just a few of the many great restaurants/bars Cancún can offer. All these locations have an amazing atmosphere and the interior design as well as the menu and drinks are devoted to a specific topic. It’s magical! The service is great and the waiters are incredibly kind and helpful. Even though the food is tasty as hell, you shouldn’t plan your dinner there if you want to have deep conversations because there is always a party going on. The DJs are amazing, however, and it makes having dinner seem like a huge party. So, put on your hottest dress, your favorite heels and enjoy an unforgettable night in Cancún!
The ocean in Cancún is even more turquoise than I imagined and the beaches are white and clean. While at the beach directly next to the clubs club music is playing all day, la playa delfine is more quiet and, in my opinion, even more beautiful. So if you’re looking for a place to recover before the next nightout, I highly recommend la playa delfine! If you, however, want to combine beach-time and party-time, Cancún offers many beach clubs, for example Mandala Beach Club or Coco Bongo.
The great thing about Cancún is that you can easily visit other nearby cities or islands either by bus or by renting a car (what we did). We did a one day trip to Tulum to take a look at the city, visit some cenotes (which kind of was a big fail, though, because they were much smaller than expected) and to spend some time at the beach there. Tulum for sure is quite different to Cancún – but in a positive way that I find hard to describe. It is just a different vibe, I guess. We decided to spend the evening at Playa del Carmen, a smaller city in between Cancún and Tulum. Actually I think this was the city that appealed to me the most visually. It is like a typical city for vacation and stores and restaurants are much more centralized than in Cancún which makes it easy to reach everything by foot. Also, la isla mujeres is a great destination for a one day trip! It only takes about half an hour by ferry to get there and the ferries take of every 30 minutes. The island offers cute restaurants and bars, a beautiful beach and a very relaxing atmosphere.
As you can see, there are many great activities you can do in Cancún. No matter what you want to do – party, relaxing, or exploring the culture and history- you will find something you like for sure! If I could, I would go back there in the next minute!