Downtown Cancun, Cancún

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It is not dangerous to visit the downtown Cancun, at the beginning of the strip. For families with kids, there is so much to do, they have small cars for $2 for 10 min for kids to ride in the park and many shops and restaurants. On weekend nights, they have good sales and the food there is good, at the stalls, I ate there even when I was pregnant and it was okay.

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For the more adventurous, go downtown Cancun where the locals go. There are really two downtown Cancuns--the tourists' section, and the locals section. When we went in 2000, we were determined to see the locals section and did this by riding the bus at night to the end of Cancun. During the day, we found the locals market (Market 23). There the people had better prices, but some couldn't speak English. The tourists' market was fun too. The venders love to bargin and there is plenty of competition, so you can find some great buys. Hair braiding was really fast and cheap. Even the children will hustle you by coming from behind, slinding a woven braclet on your arm and saying "dollar." This became annoying though. Downtown is a nice break from the beach for at least one day.

An interesting culutural experience but not for the animal lover!
Every Wednesday at 3:30pm (15:30) at the Plaza De Toros in Cancun.
Admission is $400 pesos (approximately $40USD) for a 2 hour show.
Show includes cermonies, dancing, audience participation and of course the bull fight. Guys, if you are brave you can play matador with a real, albeit smaller bull!
Animal lovers be warned, the star bull is killed in this show and not discreetly either.
A little shocking but part of the cultural experience, nontheless.

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They have different things going on throughout the week. I went to their GRAVITY performance that is shown earlier in the evening before the place becomes a nightclub. IT was an interesting experience. Dinner and then a show. Lots of audience participation. Pretty cool and worth checking out. Addmission runs about $65 USD per person.

On Wednesdays they hold a bullfight at the Plaza de Toros. There are dancers, fancy horse riding, fancy lassoing (charreria), and comical games for brave aspiring matador volunteers also before to the bullfight.

It's very easy to get to the city itself (called Cancún Downtown). There is a frequent and cheap bus service from the Hotel Zone.
Beside shopping which is definitely a better deal here than in the Hotel Zone, there are some funny colorful houses worth looking at.

This show was actually very good and unexpected. We came for the bullfight but found out that the show was included, it was very entertaining, with a lot of costume changes, great dancers and even a rodeo! The show ends with audience participation with a baby bull! VERY FUNNY! Great Deal for the price.

Every Wednesday at 3:30 the Plaza de Toros (Bullring) Cancún presents a Mexican folkloric show and bullfight. Enjoy the traditional pageantry and contest between man and beast. Tickets can be purchased at the Plaza ticket counter on the day of the event, or if you're at the Hotel Zone go to the Plaza Kukulcan and purchase your tickets there at the 2nd floor. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Either the matador or the Bull has to die at the end of the fight. The folkshow is very entertaining and they play a really fun soccer game with the audience and a bull before the fight.

Take the bus into the heart of Cancun and explore down there. You'll find plenty of restaurants and maybe even a festival. The restaurants are good and cheap almost all around. Sometimes guitar players will wander in off the street and play personalized songs for you, but be ready to cough up some pesos for it.

Also, if you plan on sitting on the beach and just drinking a bunch, the supermarket is the best place to buy cheap Coronas or XX.

There are loads of these places around Cancun. This happens to be near the ADO bus station in Cancun. I just thought the name was a laugh. Although you can get two for one drinks.