A Foretaste of Cancun

The big city has more than 10 kilometres of sandy beaches and luxurious hotels along them. Prices aren’t really friendly for backpackers, but luckily there is cheaper accommodation. Near the main bus station ADO I found one of the rare HI hostels in Mexico – Mundo Joven, which we could translate in world of the young. I liked the hostel immediately. Unfortunately I didn’t book a room, which I do recommend in this hostel. I had to find accommodation somewhere else for the first night. But I liked coming back to the hostel. It had an attractive terrace with a view on the streets. It is like a part of Caribbean coast, as it has palms, a bar and a jacuzzi with hammocks for relaxation. There are private rooms and dorms available. Each has its own bathroom. There’s also a restaurant where you can eat Mexican breakfast, lunch and dinner. And cheap! Receptionists also speak English so it’s very easy to communicate and you don’t have to break your tongue with Spanish. But I would also recommend that you speak a little Spanish. Locals don’t understand English and they are nicer if you know any Spanish words.

I stayed longer in Cancun than I intended to. The city is a little boring on the first sight. But between building blocks and chaotic streets, I found some interesting parts. There is a small market Mercado 23 near the hostel. You will find stalls, full of tropical fruit, and also everything else you might need in the kitchen. Some shops in the covered part also offer Mexican souvenirs. Little restaurants are more inviting, you can taste some local delicacies for a euro or two. One kilometre away you can also get full for the similar price. Close to the city avenue there is a place for events (Parque de las palapas), and restaurants around them that are joined by food stalls in the evening. This is some kind of open kitchen but with much friendlier prices than in Slovenia. Food from stalls is usually the cheapest in Mexico and Latin America, but very tasty. It was hard to decide between tortillas with different toppings, but what I liked the most were scamps with avocado. Polenta with meat – tamales wasn’t bad either. Usually they wrap it in banana leaf and it’s then steamed. And there’s a chili sauce with every dish. And for desert I was amazed by some kind of pancakes, named marquesitas. They are made from similar ingredients, but are baked in a special toaster and rolled in a tube that quickly hardens. Original deserts are filled with cheese and caramel, and they sell even sweeter versions. From nutella to jam with fruit, usually with bananas.

 

Prices in restaurants that are meant for tourists, are considerably higher and the same as in Europe. It is the same with shops, where only leather is cheaper. They have the biggest choice in the shopping centre Plaza las Americas. There is also cinema and a lot of restaurants that offer delicacies from all over the world.

Cancun is too big to see it by walking. The exception is the vicinity of the bus station. Luckily public transport is well organized, even though it may seem chaotic. There are big busses cruising on the streets that connect every city area for 50 cents. It is hard to find the timetable or a map of bus lines so it is better to just ask the driver where he’s going. The most known destinations are also written on the windscreen for easier orientation. One of the most popular destinations is hotel area, located near long sandy beach. R-1 and R-2 buses drive to the hotel area. Despite a lot of hotels, there are still many nice beaches. They are all without shade so sunshades will come useful. The sea is usually warm, but really wavy and not really kind to the bathers. Well, at least surfers like the waves... In this part of the city, you can find the most expensive stores and restaurants, bars and clubs are taking care of vivid nightlife.

 

Cancun can be explored with help of vans, named colectivo, which connect different city areas. The price is similar and they have one advantage – they drive to nearby towns.  

Colectivo also connects city centre with Puerto Juarez harbour. From island Isla Mujeres drives a ferry every hour. Island is much nicer than Cancun on the first sight. There are no big hotels, and the biggest town has only few streets, full of restaurants and shops that are surrounded by tropical beaches with palms. The island is ideal for a few day trip or only a one day trip. You can afford a lot of trips near Cancun. Of course it is worth seeing the inside of Yucatan peninsula. The half-opened caves are especially extraordinary. They are named cenote, and in them you can find lakes. Some are open for tourists. Because they are not easily accessed, the most comfortable option is with a tourist agency. I found the most attractive offer with Experiancias Xscaret agency. They organize tours of four caves that are full of adrenalin. You have to drop in the cave with zipline. That means that the drop ends with bathing in the lake so don’t forget your swimsuits. The water is refreshing and crystal clear, as there are no pollutants around. The guides also take care that there are only footprints left behind. I remember the drop in the cave that was almost fully closed the most. We reached it by zipline that is wired through a small whole in the ceiling and a magical world opened in front of us. We were charmed by a blue lake and tree roots that reached the ceiling. I thought we are in a different planet. We also treated ourselves and swam in the lake. And for the end of exploring, we went on a kayak trip on the nearby lake that is trapped between walls of former cave with collapsed ceiling.