Best places to stay:
There are two Marriotts in Cancun, situated right next to each other in the plushest part of the hotel zone, and sharing amenities. The JW is the smarter of the two with a superior spa, larger rooms and a long, sinuous infinity pool right behind the beach.
Rooms sit in a single, large hotel block sitting over the plushest section of Cancun’s 24 mile-long Zona Hotelera beach. Decor feels a little chain-hotel anonymous – contemporary light palettes – off-whites and taupes, functional fitted wardrobes and workstations, but it’s really all about the view – all rooms have balconies overlooking the ocean.
The hotel has a suite of excellent restaurants including the award-winning Italian-Mexican Gustino, an additional adults-only pool with swim-up bar and one of Cancun’s best spas.
The ocean turquoises and blues in front of the JWM are the best in Cancun, the beach is long and white and washed by body-surfable waves’ restaurants and bars sit on the doorstep (and the resort shares those of the neighbouring Marriott Cancun).
The main shopping centres and nightlife block are a 10-minute cab (or bus) ride.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico[19.4 miles]
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snorkel or dive with these harmless, 12-metre long, filter-feeding fish. Humbling and unforgettable.
Best for ages: 13+ | £40 | 4-5 hours
Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
A stunning cenote with spectacular cave formations and glassy water, passing through caverns encrusted with stalactites. Mind-bogglingly beautiful for both snorkellers and PADI divers.
Best for ages: 8+ | £12
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
An adrenaline-pumping close encounter with this top of the food chain predator, in glassy-clear water.
Best for ages: 16+ | £150 | 6-8 hours
Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Lily-covered, glassy-clear and filled with terrapins and tropical fish, this cenote near Tulum is easy to reach and fabulous to swim in. Big caverns make for spectacular cave diving.
Best for ages: 6+ | £7
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico[1.7 miles]
British artist Jason Decaires Taylor’s underwater art gallery feels like a latter-day Atlantis – with statues covered with wispy sea weeds and baby coral, fish swimming all around sitting on the sand in vodka-clear water off Isla Mujeres.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Designed by Greg Norman, the course weaves its way through dense jungle, beautiful stretches of white sand and mangrove forests, with cenotes – natural sink holes – providing natural hazards.
Best for ages: 13+ | £125
Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
A simple nature-based theme park with a safari-park zoo, a cenote for swimming, a spectacular cave and a rainforest canopy zip-line adventure.
Best for ages: 4+ | £30
Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Small, touristy and mediocre aquatic theme park offering swims with dolphins, sea lions and manatees. Fun for kids.
Best for ages: 4+ | £21
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Mexico
Talc-white beaches, reefs teeming with life, ruined temples in misty rainforests – the Riviera Maya offers a family or romantic beach holiday with a dash of Indian Jones adventure.
![Cenote Dos Ojos [swimming, snorkelling & scuba diving]](https://familyhotelfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/Yucatan-Cancun-and-Tulum-Cenotes-Dos-Ojos3-SH.jpg)
