Cancun 2013

FAQ (Frecuently Asked Questions)
How far is the Cancun International Airport from the hotel zone and from downtown?
Cancun International Airport is located 7.5 miles (12km) from downtown Cancun and 12.5 miles (20 km) southwest from the heart of the hotel zone.
What transportation services are offered from the Cancun International Airport?
From the airport, frequent “shared vans” transfers to your hotel are available from $8 - $10 dollars per person. Private taxis also operate from the airport but the rates go from $50 - $60 dollars per vehicle.
To use the shared vans transfers it is better to pre arrange your transportation via your tour operator or directly with a company in Cancun. You can find more information about these companies in the section Mayan Culture
How far is Cancun from the most important Archeological Sites and attractions?
Cancún – Tulúm …………..130 km
Cancún – Cobá …………….167 km
Cancún – Chichén Itza ……193 km
Cancún – Puerto Morelos …32 km
Cancún – Xcaret ……………72 km
Cancún – Xel-Há …………..124 km
How is the public transportation service in Cancun?
Cancun is very easy for tourist to navigate. The bus system is reliable and inexpensive; one ride costs about 6.5 pesos. There are many buses serving the Cancun area, they stop only at bus stops every 5 minutes. Buses only accept pesos, they don’t accept dollars so be prepared with some Mexican pesos. Buses generally operate between 6:00 am and midnight.
How much does a Taxi charge to go to other hotels or shopping malls in the Hotel Zone?
Taxi fares within the hotel zone can sun anywhere from 50 to 80 pesos depending the distance traveled. Every hotel has the taxi fares displayed in their lobbies. We recommend you consult your hotel concierge before taking a cab, they can tell you what the specific rate is.
What hotels have a calm ocean and what hotels have bigger waves?
Cancun has two different areas with different ocean conditions.
The first are is the top part of the seven, starting from down town Cancun and ending at Punta Cancun where the Dreams resort is located. All the hotels in this are have a calmer and tranquil ocean conditions with no surf.
The hotels on the long strip of the hotel zone, from the Hyatt Regency to the Westin have the liveliest surf.
How far is Isla Mujeres from Cancun and how do I get there?
Isla Mujeres is located 6 km off the coast to the northwest of Cancun. It is very easy to go and visit on your own or to plan a full day tour to enjoy the island.
You can purchase water transportation departing from Ultramar (at Puerto Juarez) or from el Embarcadero or Playa Tortugas.
Also several marinas offer full service tours to Isla Mujeres. You can find more information of the marinas at the: Water Sports section.

Top 5 Tulum Restaurants

2. El Tabano
El Tabano serves up creative Mexican food with a Mediterranean twist. The jungle-side beach road restaurant sets itself apart from the crowd with menu favorites that include inspired plates of albondigas el tamarindo and fresh fish cooked in a red pumpkin seed sauce. Order a tasty cucumber margarita and trust the waitstaff’s recommendations. Charmingly disjointed grounds add to the laid back, enchanting atmosphere.

3. Hartwood
This good-looking open-air dining room also on the jungle side of Tulum’s beach road opened in 2010 to a flurry of buzz; its proud owners, Brooklyn couple Eric Werner (who cooked at Vinegar Hill House in Brooklyn and Peasant in Manhattan) and Mya Henry. Picnic style seating is arranged to showcase the wood burning oven and open grill where all of the cooking happens – offering the feeling that the entire restaurant has just scored a seat at the Chef’s table. The daily-changing menu is written in white chalk on a blackboard, items scribbled out when the day’s ingredients are done. Everything on it is flavorful and fresh. Crispy charred octopus, spicy red snapper, juicy ribeye, mayan shrimp – it’s obvious after your first bite that Werner and Henry only source the very best fresh fish, meats and vegetables. A white thatched bar is stocked with fresh squeezed fruit juices in vibrant colors and habanero infused tequila that when combined, create some delicious concoctions.

4. Las Ranitas
A sudden downpour sent us running for cover under the giant veranda that hangs over Las Ranitas restaurant, at the hotel with the same name. The menu is unique; Mayan black ceviche is an unexpected and impressive hit. Some of the best food we ate all week — and its location right on the beach makes everything taste even better.

5. El Camello Jr.
The always packed El Camello draws a crowd of mostly locals — and a few confused looking tourists– with its huge plates of ceviche and fish tacos at relatively dirt cheap prices.

Owned by fisherman, many of the local restaurants come here to buy their still-wiggling seafood in the morning. Red plastic tables and an ice cold michelada round out the experience.

Taxis

Taxis in Cancun are easy to obtain no matter where you are. They are lined up anywhere a tourist may be.

Taxi prices are standard - there is no bartering necessary nor is it welcomed.

The best thing to do is to ask the concierge or front desk in your hotel what the standard taxi rates are.

Many times hotels even post the rates because they are standard througout.

For example, at the Moon Palace, there is a standard rate to anywhere in the hotel zone - it doesn’t matter if you are going somewhere south in the zone or at the top of the zone, or how long it takes to get there - the rate is the same.

Taxis take both types of currency, but it is best to pay in local currency so you don’t have to worry whether you are getting correct change.

Often if you pay in American dollars, your change will be in pesos.

If you are good at math in your head, you could figure it out, but if you don’t care, you can always pay in pesos.