Beach holiday Cancun

When is the best time to go?

December to April is the ideal Cancun season: dry, sunny and 27 to 31 degrees water temperature. July and August are warm and busy but also the peak hurricane season. Best value for money: November (warm, getting drier, outside school holidays) and May (lowest hotel prices, acceptable weather). Avoid September to mid-October due to the highest hurricane risk and sometimes days of rain.

Hotel Zone or Downtown Cancun?

• Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone) The narrow sandy strip with miles of beach and all the big all-inclusive resorts. Ideal if you do not want to leave the beach. Prices from about 135 euros per person per night all-inclusive. Internal transport via R-1 bus (12 MXN flat fare).
• Downtown Cancun (Ciudad Cancun) The real Mexican city behind the Hotel Zone. Hostels from 20 euros, hotels 35 to 70 euros per night. Local taco restaurants for 3 to 7 euros. Beach reachable by R-1 bus in 20 to 40 minutes. Better for budget travellers and longer stays.
• Puerto Morelos 30 km south: quiet fishing village with a coral reef protected as a national park. Great for snorkelling, away from the all-inclusive crowds.
• Playa del Carmen 60 km south on the Riviera Maya: more atmosphere, nightlife and less tourist overload than Cancun. ADO bus 75 minutes.

Top 5 things to do in and around Cancun

• Chichen Itza One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, 2 hours drive west. Entry 624 MXN (about 31 euros). Go early (opens 08:00) as it gets crowded fast. Day tours from about 60 euros including bus and guide.
• Tulum Maya ruins spectacularly perched on a cliff above the Caribbean Sea, 1.5 hours south. Smaller than Chichen Itza but scenically unmatched. Entry 95 MXN (about 5 euros).
• Isla Mujeres Small island opposite Cancun, 30 minutes by ferry (200 MXN return). Quieter, more colourful and more authentic than the Hotel Zone. Playa Norte is one of the finest beaches in the Caribbean.
• Snorkelling on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef The world's second-largest coral reef starts just off the coast near Puerto Morelos. Snorkel trips depart daily from the Hotel Zone (from about 40 euros including bus).
• Cenotes Underground freshwater lakes in limestone caves: Crystal Cenote and Cenote Azul are about 40 km from Cancun. Entry typically 200 to 350 MXN (10 to 18 euros). Combines well with a Chichen Itza day trip.

Flights + transport from the Netherlands to Cancun

TUI flies seasonally direct from Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) to Cancun (CUN) in about 11h15, usually as a package holiday or standalone ticket via TUI.nl. KLM also flies direct regularly. TUI charter return: from about 490 euros in low season; KLM scheduled from about 900 euros. From Eindhoven always via Schiphol (train about 1 hour, about 18 euros).

Airport transport: take the ADO bus (Line 2, about 100 MXN = 5 euros) to Downtown Cancun or the Hotel Zone. Within the Hotel Zone, the R-1 bus runs continuously (12 MXN flat fare, every 5 to 10 minutes during the day).

What does a week in Cancun cost?

All-inclusive resort Hotel Zone: from about 135 euros per person per night (7 nights = about 945 euros p.p.), including food, drinks and in-resort activities. Budget option downtown: hotel 35 to 50 euros per night, local food 5 to 12 euros per day. TUI return flight from about 490 euros. A week all-inclusive: realistically 1,500 to 2,200 euros per person. Budget week (downtown): 800 to 1,200 euros per person.