Cancún
OVERVIEW
Gonna sound a bit preachy here...... when you say you went to "Cancún", did you actually stay in Cancún? I have to admit that until recently, I didn't realize that there are multiple different destinations one could go to when flying into the airport in Cancún. There's Cancún "proper" (the city, and more likely, the strip of hotels and resorts that are separated from the main city by a huge lagoon); there's Riviera Maya (about a 30-mile stretch along the coastline south of Cancún, and is populated by lots of sprawling timeshare properties); and there's Playa del Carmen, a smallish resort and beach town at the south end of Riviera Maya. From Playa del Carmen, you can take a ferry over to Cozumel (popular island) to hang out for a day, or you can go a little further south to explore the ruins at Tulum. At any of the 3 areas, you'll have beaches and great Mexican food.
Shelley and I have been to the Cancún area three times (so far): in June 2011, we visited Riviera Maya with Chuck's family. Unfortunately, we spend most of our time at the resort, except for a couple of excursions, and our memories aren't "crisp". However, we did visit Cancún "proper" in May 2017 and November 2018, and while we were only there for a few days each time (and largely stayed by the pool at our resort during the days, rather than venturing out), we do have some recommendations which are noted below.
As mentioned above, most, if not all, of the resorts in Cancún run along a very narrow finger of land that starts about 10 minutes north of the airport and runs for about 6-8 miles. Bordering the stretch of land is a lagoon on the west (which separates the land from the main city of Cancún), and the clear blue waters of the Caribbean on the east. Aside from a trip to Isla Mujeres, which is just slightly north of Cancún and reachable by regularly-running ferry tours, during our first two trips to Cancún in 2017 and 2018, we stayed in the "resort zone".
Dining:
Fancy / Expensive:
Benazuza - located in the Oasis Sens resort. One of our top-5 favorite meals, anywhere in the world we have eaten. Billed as a dining experience, utilizing molecular gastronomy, this is a combination of drinks, eating, and service which is truly memorable, as they take you through a unique tasting menu which they regularly update. Try this restaurant. Trust us on this. (2018)
Note: nobody under 18 is allowed in, so this location is not appropriate for full families.
Porfirio's - Containing a broad menu of authentic Mexican dishes, we enjoyed a great dinner here, highlighted by the elote (Mexican corn on the cob appetizer) and arrachera (grilled flank steak). Preparation, timing, and service were done to perfection, and the flavors were excellent. (2018)
Tips: Porfirio's is located on the west side of the road, and overlooks the lagoon. They have a deck, so if you have a reservation at the right time, you will be able to see a beautiful sunset right from your seat. Also, they have a specialty drink called a Martini de Mazapan which is truly amazing..... including Frangelico, rum, horchata, and half-and-half. Both Shelley and I took 1 sip and fell in love with it.
Tempo - located at the Paradisus Cancún resort, this is a restaurant conceived and run by award-winning chef Martin Berasategui. While it was good, it did not meet our expectations, and we would absolutely return to Benazuza and Porfirio's before we would return to Tempo. (2017)
Casual / Inexpensive:
Surfin' Burrito - a tiny little stand which gained notoriety by being on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-in's, and Dives, the burritos lived up to the hype once we found this place. (2018)
Fish Fritanga - located a couple of blocks away from La Isla Shopping Mall, this is similarly a little deceptive from the street front - it appears to just be a tiny counter right next to a Domino's pizza shop. However, when you walk next to the bar, you'll come to steps that lead down to a good-sized deck, which is where the restaurant really is located. It's not fancy, and it's very inexpensive, but the food is pretty good. Particularly recommended are the shrimp tacos - we could subsist on those. (2018)
La Destileria - not too casual, but not real fancy, this fun restaurant, located within walking distance of La Isla Shopping Mall, specializes in tequila and local specialties. With a roving mariachi band, it’s not the quietest place, but the food and drinks are excellent and not terribly expensive. (2018)
Lorenzillo’s - similar to La Destileria on the “casual / fancy” scale, Lorenzillo’s is known for their lobster dishes….. but Shelley and I enjoyed everything we ate there except the lobster, which seemed dry and lacking in flavor. If you dine here, ask for a table along the water - the restaurant sits on a pier a few feet above the lagoon, and if you’re lucky (as we were), you might see a 7-8 foot crocodile swim right below you. (2018)
Activities:
Isla Mujeres
Many, many folks recommended that we go to the beautiful island of Isla Mujeres, which one can get to via a ferry which runs hourly from a port about 15 minutes from our hotel. The ferry ride was about 20 minutes..... and deposits you in a typical tourist / souvenir "alley" (about 6 blocks long) in the downtown area of the island. Like most people, we rented a golf cart for the days and tooled around for a couple of hours before eventually settling down on Playa Norte, the most famous (and thus, very crowded) beach on the island. I have to admit, we must have missed something, because the island didn't live up to our expectations, with nothing that particularly stood out in comparison to just staying at our own beach (at the resort) and not having to deal with crowds or Mexican souvenir shops.