Best things to do in Cancun

Part 6: Explore

Continuing with the series of Things to do in Cancun in 2019, Today we want to bring you some beautiful options nearby Club Solaris Cancun, that you might like to Explore, all the people that are willing to have an adventure, connect with nature, and learn a bit more about the local flora and fauna will be thrilled by these recommendations.

Beware, all the things we recommend are between 20 minutes to 7 hours away for the Solaris Resorts, so take your time, and it's not necessarily an obligation to visit them all, on this list we will have Cenotes and protected areas, if you need more information about one in particular, just browse through our blog list I'm pretty sure we have detailed one of our trips.

North

Holbox - as we mentioned before, this small island, is just 2 hours away, but the ride to get there is what makes it worth it, as you can see the splendor of the nature along the way, once in the Chiquila port, you'll board a ferry, and live first hand all the wonders the island has, like the hammocks in the middle of the ocean, the whale shark experience, or the bioluminescence at night.

West

Valladolid - a not so small town in Yucatan, that is less than 2 hours away, this magical town will capture your attention because of the colors of its street, the architecture and the overall feeling of festivity that the place has to offer, apart from walking the streets with an ice cream cone, there are several cenotes nearby where you could take a dive, you could also visit the Cathedral, a beautiful structure that lights up at night and a must for pictures of this picture-perfect destination.

Merida - the white city !, this town located 3 hours away from Cancun, offers you a peaceful environment, the central plaza is the gathering point in the afternoon, either to eat some corn of the cob, or just to listen to some Marimba music playing ( it's like a piano, but played with drumsticks ), in the cultural part, here you can find the biggest Mayan museum of the zone, with over 800 pieces recollected through the years.

Rio lagartos - A natural protected area, because of the mangroves and the pink flamingos colony, only 3 hours away from our resort, is truly a fantastic experience, but that's not all as we could witness in this estuary several other bird species, and of course the alligators as it honors the name of the place.

Las Coloradas - less than 20 minutes from Rio lagartos, you can find this incredible lagoon, that has a characteristic pink color, because of the high levels of salts and the sulfur in the zone. Just a beautiful place to relax and take great pictures.

Celestun- the farthest west we will ever be ( on a drive ) as its 4.5 hours away from Cancun, here you can also see flamingos at the Ria, but another part of the tour took us to some freshwater springs with clear water where we could swim in. Don't forget to visit a real lighthouse located there.

South

Cenotes- all the Mayan Riviera has an underground river system, and the entrance or exits to this highways are the Cenotes, hundreds of them are available to visit and take a swim on it, we have talked several times about them , and we continue to recommend the Cenotes route as the best ones to try, but is your adventurous side still wants to go, to places not many people go, we recommend you to do your research on those hidden gems.

Puerto Aventuras - an hour away south of our resorts, this private community is the home of thousands of American and Canadian retirees, the town has the maritime museum, as well as activities we could do where swimming with dolphins, do some kayaking or board a bot at its harbor to go deep-sea fishing.

Akumal- also on the Quintana Roo coastline, this city is brightened by the white sand beach, and the coral reef in this part of the sea, allows turtles to rest near the shore, the prime activity here is to snorkel and swim with them, there are several sinkholes there, to go exploring also .

Sian Kaan - we talked about our experience visiting this site a few weeks back, this is a beautiful place to connect with nature, many activities we did here, that included swimming, kayaking, and walking the trails embracing the flora of the region. Also, best of all, only a 2-hour ride.

Punta Allen- part of the biosphere reserve of Sian Kaan, at this fisher village, you can eat the catch of the day, also take a tour to the sea in one of the boats available at shore, they will take you snorkeling to the great mesoamerican reef, if you're lucky enough as we where you could see dolphins and sea turtles swimming freely.

Mahahual, you better get up early, if you want to visit this splendid place, as its 4 and a half hours away from Cancun, along the things to do is visit the Mayan ruins of chacchoben, a rather unknown archeological site, but nevertheless impressive , take a ride in a bike all over the boardwalk. Or do some more snorkel. From here you can travel to Banco chinchorro.

Banco chinchorro - is the diver's paradise, as it has several sunken ships, and a vast marine life that has their ecosystem around the coral reef, several areas to do it so, each one with a higher level of difficulty. For the inexperienced ones, there are also some parts where you can train, or do some snorkel.

Bacalar - our favorite place to visit, the seven color lagoon merely is stunning, the cultural visit to the Mayan ruins and the fort complemented this trip, be able to travel along the canal, where ancient pirates raid the commerce between Mexico and Belize, transports you back in time.

Calakmul- the longest ride ever, as its 7 hours away from the Resort in Cancun, this is another natural protected area because of the archeological findings here ( still more ruins to be discovered ) several buildings in mint condition are in the area, such as the Acropolis and a museum, a must to visit.

We are truly blessed to have all these enriching activities cultural and adventurous near Cancun; we hope that in your next visit plan to do at least one of the ones mentioned, as will provide a road trip for you and your family, that will be cherished for years to come.

We will make sure to remind you the next time you're at your home away from home to explore some nearby places, even if it's only the marina and the mangroves on the back of the hotel. See you soon in Cancun.