Cancún travel guide

Getting around

Ruta 1 and Ruta 2 buses go from the centre to the Hotel Zone, US$0.50; Ruta 1 runs 24 hours and goes via Avenida Tulum; Ruta 2 runs 0500-0330 and goes via Avenida Cobá to the bus terminal. Buses to the Hotel Zone can be caught from many stops along Avenida Tulum. Buses to Puerto Juárez for the boat to Isla Mujeres leave from outside Cinema Royal, across Avenida Tulum from the bus terminal, US$0.70. To get around in the centre, board a bus at Plaza 2000 and ask the driver if he’s going to Mercado 28; those buses go along Avenida Yaxchilán; all others go to the Hotel Zone. Taxis are cheap and abundant in Cancún. The flat rate for anywhere within the centre is US$1.50 and the Hotel Zone from the centre US$10-20. Many taxis stop at El Crucero, the junction of Avenida Tulum and Avenida López Portillo outside Plaza 2000, but there are often queues.

Getting there

Cancún airport (http://www.cancun-airport.com) is 16 km south of the city. A fixed price colectivo taxi to the Hotel Zone or the centre costs US$9; pay at the kiosk outside airport. Drivers go via the Hotel Zone, but must take you to whichever part of the city centre you want. If going to the centre, make sure you know the name and address of your hotel before you get in the taxi, or the driver will offer to take you to a budget hotel of his own choice. ADO shuttle buses go to the centre via Avenida Tulum every 30 minutes from the airport. There is a tourist information kiosk in the airport, and a casa de cambio.

Air

Cancún airport (CUN) has expensive shops and restaurant, exchange facilities, double check your money, especially at busy times, poor rates too, 2 hotel reservation agencies (no rooms under US$45). 2 terminals: Main and South (or ‘FBO’ building), white shuttle minibuses between them. From Cancún there are domestic flights and connections throughout the country. For airline websites .

Airline offices

Aerocosta, Tulum 29, T998-884 0383; Aeromar, airport, T998-886 1100; AeroMexico, Cobá 80, T998-287 1868; Aviasca, Cobá 39, T01800-284 2272; Click Mexicana, Tulum 269, T998-886 0042; Continental Airlines, airport, T998-886 0069; Delta airlines, airport, T998-886 0668, Mexicana de Aviación, Tulum 269, T998-991 9090.

Bus

For ferries to Isla Mujeres, several buses to the terminals at Gran Puerto and Puerto Juárez run from Av Tulum – try R-13, or R-1 marked ‘Pto Juárez’, US$0.80. Taxi to Puerto Juárez US$2.50.

Long distance

Cancún bus terminal, at the junction of Av Tulum and Uxmal, is small, well organized and handy for the cheaper hostels. The bus station is the hub for routes west to Mérida and south to Tulum and Chetumal, open 24 hrs, left luggage from US$0.30 per small bag, per hr, prices rising depending on size of bag, open 0600-2200. To Cancún Airport, every 30 mins, 30 mins, US$3.50. To Chetumal, ADO, frequent departures, 6 hrs, US$17.50. To Chichén Itzá; all 2nd-class buses to Mérida stop here, fewer 1st-class buses, 4 hrs, US$7.50-11.50. To Mérida, ADO, frequent departures, 4½ hrs, US$15. To Palenque, 1st class (ADO and OCC), 1415, 1545, 1930, 2030, 12½ hrs, US$40; and an ADO GL, 1745, 13 hrs, US$48. To Playa del Carmen ADO shuttle, every 10 mins, 1 hr, US$3. To Puerto Morelos, ADO, frequent departures, 30 mins, US$1. To San Cristóbal, OCC, 1415, 1545, 2030 18 hrs, US$49, ADOGL, 1745, US$58. To Tulum, ADO, frequent departures, 2½ hrs, US$5, and many cheaper 2nd-class buses. To Valladolid, frequent departures, 2½ hrs, US$9. To Villahermosa, 1st class, many departures, 13 hrs, US$52.50-73.50. To Xcaret, frequent departures, 1¾ hrs, US$3. To Xel-Há, frequent departures, 2 hrs, US$4. Expreso de Oriente also has services to the more obscure destinations of Tizimín (3 hrs, US$8), Izamal, Cenotillo and Chiquil (for Isla Holbox ferries).

Car hire

There are many car hire agencies, with offices on Av Tulum, in the hotel zone and at the airport; look out for special deals, but check vehicles carefully. They include: Budget, Cancún airport, T998-884 6955; Alamo, Cancún Airport, T998-886 0179; Mastercar Autorental, T998-887 3929; Top Rent a Car, Blv Kukulcán, Km 14.5, T998-885 0094.

Car parking

Do not leave cars parked in side streets; there is a high risk of theft. Use the car park on Av Uxmal.

Ferry

Ferries to Isla Mujeres depart from terminals at Gran Puerto and nearby Puerto Juárez, north of Av Tulum, every 30 mins between 0600-2300, 20 mins by fast ferry, US$2.50, US$5 return (doesn’t need to be on the same day). The car ferry departs from Punta Sam, US$13 for the vehicle and US$2 per passenger. The ferry leaves 5 times a day from 0800, the last one leaving Isla Mujeres 1915.

Orientation

Downtown Cancún is a world apart from the resort area. It evolved from temporary shacks housing the thousands of builders working on the Hotel Zone, and is now a massive city with very little character. The main avenue is Tulum, formerly the highway running through the city when it was first conceived. It is now the location of the handicraft market, the main shops, banks and the municipal tourist office. There are also restaurants, but the better ones are along Avenida Yaxchilán, which is also the main centre for nightlife.

The cheaper end of the city, and a good area for budget travellers to base themselves, is around El Crucero . The rest of the city is fairly expensive, but not as much as the Hotel Zone. The city is laid out in supermanzanas (SM), the blocks of streets between avenues, with smaller manzanas (M), or blocks, within them. Often the address you are given is, for example, SM24, M6, L3. L stands for lote, and is the precise number of the building within its manzana. This can lead to confusion when walking about, as the streets also have names, often not mentioned in the addresses. Look closely at street signs and you will see the SM and the M numbers. Taxi drivers generally respond better to addresses based on the manzana system. Also confusingly, there are several one-way streets with the same name, running parallel to each other, in opposite directions – this applies to all the

streets with names of flowers in the centre; Margaritas, Tulipanes, etc. If you can’t find a street number, chances are the place you’re looking for is in the next street.

Post office

At the end of Av Sunyaxchén, near Mercado 28, Mon-Fri 0800-1900, Sat 0900-1300.

Banks

There are 11 Mexican banks along Av Tulum, all in SM4 and SM5. American Express, for changing their own TCs at better rates than anywhere else, is on Av Tulum, just south of Av Cobá. Many casas de cambio in the centre, mainly around the bus terminal and along Av Tulum. Casas de cambio in the hotel zone give slightly lower rates for TCs than those in the centre.

Cultural centres

Casa Tabasco, Av Tulum 230, displays and handicrafts for sale from the state of Tabasco, a good place to go if bored of the same old souvenirs in Cancún.

Embassies and consulates

Austria, Pecarí 37 corner Av Tulum, SM20, Centro, T998-881 5900. Canada, Plaza Caracol, 3rd floor, hotel zone, T998-883 3360. France, Pargo St Lt 24C, T998-883 9816. Germany, Punta Conoco 36, SM24, Centro, T998-884 1598; Italy, Alcatraces 39, SM22, Centro, T998-884 1261. Netherlands, International Airport, Cancún terminal 2, T998-886 0070. Spain, Blv Kukulcán corner Calle Cenzotle, hotel zone, T998-848 9989. Sweden, Nichupté Av, SM19, T998-884 9435. Switzerland, Av Cobá 12, T998-884 8446. UK, Hotel Royal Sands, hotel zone, T998-881 0100. US, Plaza Caracol 2, 3rd floor, hotel zone, T998-883 0272.

Immigration office

Corner of Av Náder and Av Uxmal. There is also an office in the airport, T998-886 0492, where the staff are better trained and speak English.

Internet

Numerous cafés charging US$1-1.50 per hr. Generally good servers and open until around 2300.

Laundry

Alborada, Av Nader 5, behind tourist information building on Av Tulum. Cox-boh, Av Tankah 26, SM24.

Medical services

American Hospital (24-hr), Viento 15, Centro, T998-884 6133. Total Assist (24-hr) Claveles 5, Centro, T998-884 1058. American Medical Centre, Plaza Quetzal, hotel zone Km 8, T998-883 0113.

Telephone

Many public phones and call shops everywhere, phone cards available from general stores and pharmacies. Collect calls can be made without a card. Also many public phones designed for international calls, which take coins and credit cards. Fax at post office, Mon-Sat, and at San Francisco de Asís shopping mall, Mon-Sat until 2200.