Beaches of Cancun, Cancún

I was really nervous to go topless for the first time, but hey everyone else was doing it. I almost looked silly wearing a top. It was really weird at first but after the intial shock it was wonderful and refreshing. Well all except for the nasty old amercian guy walking up and down the beach asking if he could takes pictures. Everyone should try it at least once

All of the spectacular white sand beaches in Cancun are public so feel free to explore. Cancun is so over-developed that you'll be hard pressed to find one that doesn't press up to a mega-resort, hotel or condo. In my opinion, the best beaches are up near the Hotel Presidente Intercontinential (Blvd. Kukulkan 7.5 km) where the sandbar extends out into the ocean and the waters are calm and warm. We found several starfish washing up near our hotel. The sand is so white and the water is so clear that the shades of blue in the water are unreal. Pictures don't do justice to the beauty of the waters in Cancun.

The beaches here are great! They are supposedly public, but many of the big hotels do the best they can to keep others out off their area. There are many "official" beaches squeezed in between the hotels, and there are signs that show the way from the street. Head to the south of the hotel zone if you want to be a bit more alone. This part is still not as (over)developed as the north.

The beaches in Cancun were incredible. They looked as though they were out of a movie. I spent a lot of time on the beaches of Cancun. Obviously anyone who goes to Cancun will, but untill you go, you will not appriciate them for what this picture provides.

GO AND SEE THEM !!! I might see you there!

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With our room we were assigned a beach cabana for our personal use. The Cabanas are a great way to spend time on the beach without getting too much sun exposure. The cabanas were made from plastic believe it or not but they were made to look like rough hewn timbers. On this frame were muslin curtains that you could draw together for privacy while you relaxed on the thick pad and bolsters which were big enough for two people to share. We were ocean front and had a cabana attendant who brought us cold towels, cool drinks books and sunscreen if you needed it.

Not all rooms were assigned a cabana, but the resort was not terribly busy so guests were able to take advantage of the beach cabanas with out having to pay for the use of it.

The beaches are open to all people not just the guests. Many of the hotels try to discourage people who are not paying guests from using the beach. During the low season this does not seem to be a problem but I bet during the peak season this is a problem. The hotels must provided beach access to non paying guests.

Still using up those free vouchers, we spent one of our 'relaxing' days a short walk away from our condo - at the Sun Palace Resort. We did the whole 9 yards of breakfast, ocean swimming, pool tanning, lunch, evening meal and nightly show (I even managed to get roped in as a contestant)! We were very impressed with the Palace Resort chain on all of our tours in the Cancun area.

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Now, how could the beaches of Cancun be both hot and not hot at the same time? Very simple. You know one of the hottest things to do in Cancun is going to the beach. To swim, play in the surf, or just catch some rays. Where Cancun's beachs are not hot, is on your feet. You know how, when you walk on many beaches, you have to take baby steps while muttering "hot, hot, hot". You'll never do that in Cancun. Even under the hot Mexican sun, your tootsies stay nice and cool in the sand.

Cancun, and the entire Mayan Riviera, has plenty of good beaches. Most hotels on the "strip" have their own beaches right behind them, and they'll have plenty of beach chairs for you. The water's always nice and comfortable, though the undertow was kinda nasty when I was there (maybe because there was a tropical depression in Texas at the time). Watch the flags on the beach - if they're red or black, be careful out there.

If you're a beach person, get out there and enjoy - I'm sure you'll find a beach you'll love.

If you're in Cancun, there are two things you need to do: check out the night life and check out the beaches. Mexican law states that all beaches are public property, so even if a section is attached to a hotel or resort, you have every right to stroll over to it and soak up the sun. If walking through hotel lobbies isn't your thing, there are a few stretches that are accessable from the road.

Once you're there, do whatever you do at the beach! Swim, sunbake, read, build a sand castle, whatever... go nuts!

OK, so even though I'm really not a fan of Cancun's hotel Zone and what it's been turned into, I'm forced to admit that the spot chosen to build this artificial city is beautiful..

So even if like me, the mere mention of Cancun makes you shudder, get up early, while all the AI are having breakfast, walk through a hotel lobby as if you were one of their guests and go down to the beach before the crowds.. and don't forget your swim suit.. I thought. just have a look, but when the crystal blue water laps up your legs, you really just want to dive in!

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the hotel strip is the single most visited place like tourists in Cancun. it is therefore, unsurprisingly, rather the overdeveloped with hotels and American-style malls and bars.

The beaches here are good for surfing because the leaves are strong. Although it is difficult to access features by the hotels, there is a public beach at the far end of hotel strip. You may need to take the bus (the red R1) down because it is a 5K and walk otherwise.

this is the same stop you would get tough act if you were visiting one of the Mayan ruins in this area (which, by the by, is very poorly preserved and it's not worth the admission price because far better ruins can be found in Palenque, Teotihucan, and Chichen Itza.)