Things to do in Cancun

2026 Global 100 - Family-friendly Attractions

Xcaret Park

8.8

4.8/5

125 reviews

Xcaret Park has more than 50 attractions. In the park, you can swim in underground rivers, explore mysterious caves, stroll along jungle trails, and observe the animals that inhabit the park. You can also discover new colors at the Butterfly Pavilion and uncover the mysteries of the ocean at the Coral Reef Aquarium. In Xcaret, Mexico, there are several attractions worth visiting, such as the Mayan ruins, the Mexican Folk Art Museum, the traditional Hacienda Henequenera, and the Chapel of Guadalupe. Additionally, visitors can watch pre-Hispanic dances, equestrian shows, and the "Xcaret México Espectacular" Mexican cultural performance grandly presented by 300 performers to experience Mexican culture. There are many restaurants in the park for visitors to choose from.

Playa del Carmen · 70.4 km from Cancun

No. 9 of Best Things to Do in Mexico

Dolphins Beach

7.2

4.6/5

22 reviews

Dolphins Beach is a public beach at the southern end of the Cancun Hotel Zone, named for the pods of dolphins that once frequented the area. Although dolphins are rarely seen today, you may still catch a glimpse of them from the observation deck in the early morning. Standing from a high vantage point, the view between the soft white sand and the turquoise Caribbean water is unobstructed, which sets it apart from other beaches in Cancun and makes it particularly popular with local residents and independent travelers. The El Mirador observation deck above the beach is the perfect spot to overlook the entire coastline. Next to it stands the giant Cancún sign, a popular photo spot. From here, you can enjoy the view of the turquoise water churning with large white waves. Strong waves are a key feature here, attracting local surfers to practice year-round.

Cancun · 13.5 km from downtown

No. 14 of Best Things to Do in Mexico

Xplor Park

6.5

Playa del Carmen · 69.3 km from Cancun

37 reviews

Cypro Maya Adventure Park is an adventure park in the heart of a beautiful natural environment. There are many adventures in the park, from ziplining, driving amphibious vehicles above and below ground, exploring caves and marvelling at the various stalactites and stalagmites in the underground river. There are also buffets and drink bars in the park, which is very convenient.

No. 17 of Best Things to Do in Mexico

MUSA

6.2

4.3/5

19 reviews

MUSAis an art museum with galleries located directly on the seabed, situated in the Caribbean Sea between Cancun, Mexico, and Isla Mujeres. Led by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, hundreds of life-sized human sculptures have been submerged on the seabed, scattered across underwater exhibition areas of varying depths. The masterpiece "The Silent Evolution" consists of hundreds of statues in various poses, resembling a silent crowd standing on the seabed. There are also interesting works such as a life-sized Volkswagen Beetle, which creates an intriguing contrast with the human statues. A unique feature of the museum is that the statues are made of materials that encourage coral growth. Over time, they have gradually grown coral and attracted schools of fish, effectively evolving into artificial reefs. One of its original purposes was to divert tourists from natural coral reefs, bringing art and marine conservation together. There are flexible ways to view the museum: you can scuba dive to get a close look at the statues, snorkel to overlook their outlines from the surface, or take a glass-bottom boat to view them through the hull, allowing you to see the underwater sculpture collection without even getting into the water. The shallow exhibition areas are suitable for snorkeling and glass-bottom boat viewing, while the deeper areas are the domain of scuba diving enthusiasts. Before you set off, you might want to decide how you would like to experience this underwater art.

Isla Mujeres · 13.6 km from Cancun

No. 18 of Best Things to Do in Mexico

Museo Maya de Cancun

6.1

Cancun · 12.5 km from downtown

10 reviews

Located in Cancun, Mexico, the Cancun Mayan Museum is a cultural Attraction dedicated to the display of ancient Mayan civilization. As a window to understand Mayan history and culture, the museum houses a large number of precious artifacts and archaeological discoveries, covering a wide range of content from daily life utensils to religious ritual supplies. The building itself combines modern design with traditional elements and is located in a lush natural environment, providing visitors with an immersive cultural experience. The museum has several exhibition halls that showcase different aspects of Mayan civilization, including architecture, art, science and social structure. Through carefully planned exhibitions and interactive displays, visitors can gain an in-depth understanding of the wisdom of the Mayans and their contributions to astronomy and mathematics. It is particularly worth mentioning that some stone carvings and murals from famous sites are also displayed here, vividly reproducing the religious beliefs and daily life of the Mayans. This is not only a cultural treasure house, but also a bridge connecting the past and the present.

No. 7 of Best Things to Do in Benito Juarez

Playa Tortugas

5.9

4.2/5

Cancun · 6.5 km from downtown

Playa Tortugasis located on the north side of the Cancun Hotel Zone. It is a crescent-shaped public beach with fine white sand stretching for hundreds of meters, featuring rugged rocks at one end and a wooden pier extending into the sea at the other. The waves here are gentle, making it suitable for swimming, walking, and sunbathing, and it is often included in family trips or half-day itineraries for downtown Cancun. The area around the beach is lined with restaurants, bars, and small shops, where visitors can dine by the sea, buy drinks, or enjoy water activities such as snorkeling, banana boating, and sailing. There is also a bungee jumping platform over 20m high on the beach, and the image of leaping from the air toward the sea has long become a landmark of this place.

No. 2 of Family-friendly Attractions in Mexico

Xel-Ha Park

5.5

4.3/5

31 reviews

Xelha Water Park is a snorkeling-themed nature park whose name means "Wherethewatersareborn". It is located at the place where the freshwater underground river flows into the sea, so it is known as the world's largest natural aquarium with a wide variety of fish. Besides snorkeling, there are other activities such as rafting, rope walking and dolphin swimming.

Mexico · Cozumel

No. 19 of Best Things to Do in Mexico

Isla Mujeres

6

4.7/5

70 reviews

Isla Mujeresis located in the Caribbean Sea northeast of Cancun and is easily accessible by boat from Cancun. Compared to the bustling Cancun, this small Mexican island has a laid-back pace and a quiet atmosphere, making it a popular choice for vacationers looking to escape the crowds. The island's North Beach is known for its fine white sand, rows of palm trees, and calm, clear shallow waters, and is often listed among the top beaches in the Caribbean, making it perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and watching the sunset. The surrounding waters have well-developed coral reefs, and snorkeling and scuba diving have long been the signature activities here. There is also an underwater sculpture museum nearby, where hundreds of statues are placed on the seabed, which you can visit alongside the coral and schools of fish. Visitors looking for a challenge can try deep-sea fishing, and in the summer, there are opportunities to take a boat out to swim with whale sharks.

Isla Mujeres · 14.6 km from Cancun

No. 9 of Best Things to Do in Benito Juarez

El Rey Archaeological Zone

5

4.3/5

7 reviews

El Rey Archaeological Zoneis a relatively large Mayan archaeological site on Cancun Island, consisting of over 40 architectural ruins. People settled here over 2,000 years ago, and the inhabitants long relied on fishing and salt production for their livelihood; by the Postclassic period, it had become a port and fishing town in the Mayan coastal trade network, echoing places like Tulum, until it gradually declined and was abandoned after the arrival of the Spanish. Most of the stone platforms, plazas, and pyramid-shaped bases visible today were built between approximately the 13th to 16th centuries, exhibiting the East Coast style that is consistent with Tulum. The name of the site comes from a statue: in the early 20th century, travelers discovered a statue resembling a Mayan king or nobleman at the site, and the name "El Rey" (meaning "the king") was derived from this. The head of the statue is now housed in the Museo Maya de Cancun. More prominent features in the park include a pyramid-shaped base that once supported a temple, as well as a columned temple with many stone pillars; archaeologists also discovered a high-status tomb beneath the temple, containing burial goods such as copper axes, bracelets, and ornaments made of shells and animal bones. This place is also a paradise for iguanas, which lie in groups on the stone platforms to bask in the sun, almost becoming the "second protagonists" of the site.

Cancun · 13.5 km from downtown

No. 8 of Night Attractions in Mexico

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4.5

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· 4 reviews

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Cancun Today's weatherMostly clear 25-32℃

Cancun weather for the next 2 days11/6: 24-32℃, 11/7: 24-31℃

Free things to do in Cancun

Dolphins Beach

7.2

4.6/5

22 reviews

Cancun · 13.5 km from downtown

Playa Tortugas

5.9

4.2/5

Cancun · 6.5 km from downtown

Isla Mujeres

6

4.7/5

70 reviews

Isla Mujeres · 14.6 km from Cancun

Avenida Kukulkan

4.5

Cancun · 11.4 km from downtown

Gulf of Mexico

4.5

5.0/5

5 reviews

Cancun · >100 km from downtown

Parque de las Palapas

4.2

Cancun · 2.5 km from downtown

Playa Langosta

4

4.0/5

5 reviews

Cancun · 7.6 km from downtown

Caracol Beach

3.9

4.8/5

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Cancun · 11 km from downtown

Playa Pez Volador

3.6