City Cancun – Great Option for Budget Travelers

What pictures are flooded in consciousness when you hear the word «Cancun»? Surely a stringy begins to spin the images of expensive chic hotels, magnificent beaches with magic blue water, cool clubs. Undoubtedly, this is all on the most popular Mexican resort, but it is only one part of Cancun and is called she Zona Hoterara (Zona Hotera). However, except for the tourist oasis there is «another» Cancun – ordinary city or how it is called, Downtown (Downtown).

Cancun City (CANCUN CITY) Ideal for those who want to visit Cancune, see the Caribbean Sea, but not go beyond the budget travel.

What is Cancun City (Cancun City)

This is a completely ordinary city, and far from the most remarkable. In terms of external beauty cancun – NOT CAMPEC, not Valladolid, not even Merida, and certainly not San Miguel de Allende. Looking at him, it becomes absolutely clear that the Spaniards with colonial architecture were not reached here.

Gray streets, very primitive buildings, sad sleeping areas – so looks like most of the city. Even in the center, the situation is practically not changed. I must say that in Cancun and the center there is no in the usual understanding. Remember that in all the colonial towns of Mexico it is very easy to find it? Large square with a gazebo and a huge cathedral – Here you and the heart of the city. In Cancun this is not. Where is the center, you ask? In the area of ​​the ADO bus station, where all life is concentrated.

But we are with you to this city, not colorful houses to seek, and admire the beautiful beaches in the neighborhood, so I will leave the appearance of Cancuna alone.

How to get to Cancun

Variants great set. It all depends on where you need to get to this resort city.

Option number 1 – in Cancun from Russia

As you have already guessed, overcome the path will have to be plane. In Cancun, there is an Aeropuerto Nacional de Cancun International Airport, which is located 15 kilometers from the city center. The flight can be direct Moscow-Cancun, with a transfer in New York (then you will need a US visa) or with a transfer in one of the European countries (perhaps it will be necessary to have a Schengen visa).

About flight options, ticket prices, time in the way, read in my article Moscow-Cancun – Flights to Mexico or Look for options directly on Aviasieles or Look at this map.

Cancun Airport

Option number 2 – In Cancun from the neighboring city

How to get to Cancun from Valladolid (our option)

In order to get from Valladolid to Cancun We used the class of the 2nd class of ORIENTE. Tickets bought at 8:47 am for 102 pesos. As long as the departure time was chosen, at the checkout, they would have to spend 4 hours on the way, I saw that 3 hours (perhaps an employee simply tried to scare, as I immediately insistently offered to buy tickets to the company ADO on 176 peso, which is supposedly in the way for only 2 hours). We stayed with our opinion and eventually drove 3:15.

Discount coupons when buying tickets for buses of the 2nd class are not accepted. Yes, by the way, what they differ from the 1st class buses? The fact that there are no toilets, televisions and buses themselves a little older and less neat.

At the end of the article about Valladolid the map shows the location of the bus station with which buses go to Cancun. The bus on which we drove, and the ADO buses arrive in Cancun on the TERMINAL DE AUTOBUSES – First class bus station (see the map at the end of the notes).

How to get to Cancun from Merida (196 km)

To get from Merida to Cancun you can use first-class buses. Ticket for the ADO bus costs 356 peso, on the way 3:55 or 4:40 (clarify). Ticket to the coolest ADO Gold bus costs 428 pesos, at an even coolest ADO Platinum – 574 Peso. On the way 3:55.

About the second class buses, learn at the box office, very often nothing is written about them on the site, nor into the panel at the station, but they are. Prices for them will be significantly cheaper (about 200 pesos).

At the end of the article about Merida the map shows the location of the bus station with which buses go to Cancun. They arrive at the ADO auto station (Terminal de Autobuses) – First class bus station (see the map at the end of the notes).

How to get to Cancun from Chichen Izsy (111 km)

To travel from Chichen Iza to Cancun you can also use the bus of the first or second class. Ticket for the 1st class bus will cost 244 peso (on the way 3:05), 2nd class – 127 Peso (on the way 3:55).

How to get to Cancun from Playa del Carmen (42 km)

Of the places in Cancun travels a lot of different buses that are sent literally every 20 minutes, or even more. Ride a little more than an hour. First class ticket will cost from 58 to 112 Pesos, a second-class bus ticket – from 30 to 48 peso.

The distance is small, so you can use a taxi if you want to overcome it quite quickly and comfortably. How much it will cost, I will not tell me, but clearly not cheap. For example, in Cancun for 15 kilometers of the airport, taxi drivers are asked for 200-250 Pesos.

How to get to Cancun from Tuluma (82 km)

All the same options. Tickets are from 90 to 168 Pesos (depending on class and carrier companies). On the way will have to spend about two and a half hours.

Discounts! Friends, do not forget about coupons for a discount of 10% For the next trip, if you use ADO and OCC buses. Coupons are printed right on the landing pass, so do not throw them away after the trip.

Bus schedule of first class and prices for them can be found here.

Attention! Reminder to capture warm things into the bus, especially if the night crossing is foreseen. Air conditioning is indispensable, so it is very cold (+ 16-18 degrees, plus blowing ice air). Local, which are informed, go with blankets.

Distances between cities

Where to look for budget housing in Cancun City

If you come to Bus station ADO, then right around him and search if you did not booked anything in advance. If you do not like surprises and search for the roof over your head in mode «Here and now», You can find something in advance, for example, on the website of the site airbnb.

Here are suitable sections:

Going on the last link, you will be taken to the section where all the accommodations offered at Airbnb will be collected in Mexico. There you can enter the title of the city in the upper left corner, which is interested, and get a sample of housing based on it, plus there is an opportunity "Play" With other parameters to choose the options as suitable for personal requests (the picture is increasing):

Details on the operation of the Airbb service and order of booking, as well as $ 20 bonus on the first booking (for unregistered users), look for in my article article. There are reviews and links to specific rooms and apartments that we rented Andrews.

If you are accustomed to book Rooms in hotels, Sites like Hotellook will help.RU (for this link you will find directly options for hotels in Cancun, you just need to substitute your dates) and, of course, Booking.COM (by the way, the likelug separates the search and on bucking including). Also on Booking You can now booked not only a separate room, but also whole apartments.

Want everything to be even easier? Read my note about budget housing options in Cancun. In it, I write about specific inexpensive options that are not on Bukin.

In addition, there is our General Article – How to find housing in a journey that can also come in handy.

Where we lived?

We rented apartments in advance on already mentioned above site airbnb. Paid for a full-fledged apartment 13,000 rubles in two weeks of living (300 pesos per day). By the way, the initially final price was 14,000 rubles, but it was possible to lose 1,000 rubles (this is me to the fact that the bargaining is appropriate). Please note that prices in rubles are shown at the rate at the time of our stay in Mexico, when 1 peso was approximately 3 rubles. Actual peso course can be viewed on this site.

What we got: Apartment with a bedroom with a large double bed, a wardrobe and a mirror, with a kitchen with everything you need (refrigerator, gas stove, microwave, dishes, coffee maker, toaster), with a private bathroom with hot water, with a living room with a large table, a TV, a coffee table and a sofa on which there are still a couple of people. In general, it is stated that the apartment is designed for 3 people. For cooling – Ceiling fans.

Location: Regarding the beaches and even the center of the city is distant, but the R-2 buses are completely stopped, which are going to the hotler zone. In walking distance there are large supermarkets (Soriana, Chadraui), which in the presence of self-equipped kitchen is very important.

In 2 kilometers there is a big park. Nearby market 28.

Nuances: There were small problems with the gas boiler and the inclusion of a boiler, but the owner came quickly and decided all the problems. In addition, the place turned out to be quite noisy, although the ad was the exact opposite. Perhaps we were in the wrong place, in the wrong time, but almost all of two weeks we have repaired roads, dog gavings, noisy companies and T.D. Once due to repair work for the whole day turned off water.

Address: Bocapila Supermanzana 32, Cancun, Kintana Roo 77508, Mexico

→

• If this apartment for some reason is not available for booking, you can always pick up other accommodation options from Eirbnb in Cancun→

How to get from the city of Cancun to beaches and nearby islands

Buses to beaches

Between the city and beaches are constantly running buses. We know exactly about buses R1 and R2 (huge letters on the windshield). You can view the main routes on the official website.

The driver can land you anywhere (at the right beach) on demand, you just need to press the button or ask to stop.

Please note that there are buses with the same numbers, but in different directions. If you doubt, it is better to ask about the zone by the like.

To the far beach go around 40 minutes. Fare 9.5 Pesos.

Steam on the island of women

On the island of women from cancun you can get on the ferry. Departure or with beaches 1-9 km, or from Puerto Juarez port or Gran Puerto (Gran Puerto) – This is the same.

Departure points for Isla Mujeres:

• Puerto Juarez (Ultraramar Maritime Terminal) – from Cancun from 5:00 to 23:30, with Isle Mucheres from 5:30 to 24:00 (146 Pesoe)
• El Embarcadero (Hotel area 4 km) – From Cancun from 9:15 to 16:30, with Isle Mucheres from 9:45 to 17:15 (19 dollars)
• Playa Tortugas (hotel area 6.5 km) – from Cancun from 9:00 to 17:00, with Isle Mucheres from 9:30 to 17:30 (19 dollars)
• Playa Caracol (hotels area 9.5 km) – from Cancun from 9:00 to 16:45, with Isle Mucheres from 9:45 to 17:15 (19 dollars)

Swatch 20-25 minutes.

Kozumel Island

To get to this miracle island, you will have to get to Playa del Carmen, and from there to surrender to Cozumel on the ferry of the same company Ultramar for 326 peso back-back. Ferry schedule must be clarified, since two options are possible:

• from Plaine del Carmen from 7:00 to 20:00, from Cozumel from 6:00 to 19:00
• from Plaine del Carmen from 8:00 to 22:00, from Cozumel from 7:00 to 21:00

Swatch 35 minutes.

Prices for a taxi and other little things can learn in the article about prices in Cancun.

Are there any sights in Cancun City?

home Sightseeing Cancuna, Of course, the beaches, but they are in the zone of hotler, I’m leading a story about the downtown.

Oh, no, I can not resist, for Beaches Cancuna really great. They are so beautiful, such different: there are very calm without waves, there are playful and daring with the waves. But back to the city.

What to look in the city? In Cancun City you will not find museums, exhibition halls, galleries and other attributes of cultural recreation, which Mexico City, Oaxaca, Guanajuato and other Mexican cities.

You can just stroll through the central streets, look at Malecon (Lagoon Naberezhnost), choose souvenirs on the market, arrange relaxes in the park or please yourself with shopping in numerous Cancun shopping centers.

If the city is not interesting, and local beaches were bored, you can go to Islo-Mucheres (Women Island), the island of Conte, Cozumel or Holbox (it is also called Olbosh, and Holbosh).

No one bothers to visit Chichen-ICU and look at the famous pyramids or make a trip to Satotan Yucatana.

In addition, in the center of the city literally at every step offered all sorts of tours and excursions, only pay.