Top-rated Day Trips from Cancun

There’s no doubt that Cancun is one of the best places in Mexico to experience the polite hospitality of an all-inclusive hotel or the extravagant pleasures of a five-star retreat.  Even when your family is on a two-week vacation along Mexico’s Caribbean shoreline, it is always great to rent a car and escape the resort for a day journey or even two! Don’t panic, because Cancun’s Zona Hotelera is not only close to white-sand beaches and vast snorkeling localities but also within easy access to aged Mayan ruins (including the iconic Chichen Itza), crystal-clear cenotes, and adventuresome nature reservations. Keep scrolling while we include the best day voyages from Cancun.  

Xel-Há

The Xel-Há is an astonishing original aquarium park near the ocean. This is a really bizarre tourist magnet that shows a cenote, a mangrove forest, waterslides, zip lines, etc. Both a theme park for ecotourism and ecological protection project, Xel-Há is a wonderful idea to fill a day. You can follow the shimmering shoals as they dance around the mild waves and snorkel with the tropic seafood. What is exceptional about Xel-Há is that visitors can do as they want. They can rest in a hammock and soak up the sunlight with a swim threw in for good time or they can dive in activities from dawn until dusk. It is easy to get there using Cancun car rental and drive for about 2 hours to the south.

Chichen Itza

If you are the first time visiting Cancun, then Chichen Itza historical spot has to be your number one on the day-trip bucket list. This sprawling archeological locality was once one of the most influential Mayan cities on the Yucatan Peninsula. And nowadays it is also one of the most sought-after tourist places in Mexico. Home to the high Temple of Kukulcan (also known as El Castillo), Chichen Itza is probably the best-preserved Mayan spot in the country– but it is also the most crowded. Nevertheless, it is well-deserving to brave the crowds to observe the restored stepped pyramids, the sacred cenotes, and the ancient ball court as well as the countless homes, markets, and temples that have all been painstakingly shoveled from the nearby jungles. Observe particularly the Temple of the Warriors and the Wall of Skills. It will take you about 3 hours to get there if you plan renting a car in Cancun.

Isla Contoy

You cannot get there in your rental car, as it is an island near Cancun. Isla Contoy is located in a 40-minute ride on a speedboat from Cancun and is known as one of Mexico’s best snorkeling points. Locating in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the next biggest barrier reef nature ecosystem. With so much gloom and doom hitting the titles about our world dying before our eyes, Isla Contoy provides you the chance to observe the planet’s true nautical charm at its best. This small island is slightly eight km in length and is picture-perfect behind belief. Cancun’s popularity grows bigger, so grows Isla Contoy, so come as soon as you can to avoid the people crowds. The other islands that you can visit are:

• Isla Mujeres;
• Isla Blanca;
• Cozumel.

Akumal Bay

Turtle fans would like to join one of the best side trips from Cancun: a day out at the beach in Akumal. All dreams may come true in Mexico. Akumal is a seaside settlement midway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, and it is reclined in a tone that Cancun never can turn. There is a small community here. Akumal literally means the “Place of the Turtle”, and you can walk off the beach, put on a mask and snorkel, and quickly be swimming amongst these majestic ocean animals. The shore and the maritime world off the coast are defended because Akumal is a shelter to a large group of sea turtles throughout most of the year. Tourists can also enjoy stunning coral atolls and awe-inspiring sinkholes, grottoes, and caves. It will take you about 2 hours to get to Akumal from Cancun.

Valladolid

Culture vultures will admire Valladolid. It has historic buildings and pretty churches, as well as exciting secret cenotes filled with crystal clear water underground. Some of them are located right in the center of the town. Valladolid is a really unique city, proudly protecting its Spanish heritage and further developing it within contemporary life. The Convent of San Bernardino of Siena, created in the 16th century is a stunning pattern of colonial architecture. The retreat highlights a pretentious wooden altar which is a scene to observe. The convent group also houses the San Gervasio Cathedral. It is a little more modern and was built in baroque style. If you are short on time, it is likely to pair a visit to Valladolid. For beginners, Valladolid still holds a small-town character that is impossible to feel in the hotel zone! There are local markets, bars, and taquerias. Here you can gain true Mayan-inspired dishes. For example: sopa de lima (lime soup) and cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork) and more than Tex-Mex fajitas and burritos.

Cenote Zacil-ha

If you like to scour social media for journey inspiration and to flick through travel magazines, there are chances that you have noticed tons of pictures of your friend travelers twirling from rocks into mystical sinkholes, also acknowledged as cenotes. One of the most effective cenotes is near Cancun known as Cenote Zacil-ha, close to Tulum. It will take you about 3 hours to get there by rental car. This is a family-friendly place that requires just 50 pesos to enter. There are no stall vendors bothering you and the place is not too overcrowded. You can rent snorkeling equipment or take your own. Tourists can unite a visit to Cenote Zacil-ha with an afternoon at Gran Cenote to explore more of these geo miracles.