Must-Do Activities on Your Cancun Vacation

Now that traveling is slowly making a comeback, time to make your travel plans! One of the places I want to visit soon is Cancun! It's popular among travelers because of its pristine beaches, beautiful resorts and bustling nightlife. Make sure to include these hot ticket items to create the Cancun vacation of your dreams!

Main image courtesy of Hotels.com

Are you curious to find out what people in the know do to make their Cancun vacations the stuff of legends? They explore everything this port city has to offer! And that means sometimes going off the beaten track. But if you’re looking to experience some serious fun in the sun at this popular Mexican spot on the Caribbean coast, you’ve got to plan ahead. Good thing we’ve done the heavy lifting for you there, and found the essential must-see sights and experiences to truly make your Cancun vacation unforgettable.

While we can’t possibly list all the amazing things to do and see in Cancun, we can offer you a place to start. The best part? Each activity or destination has been verified as a must-see by thousands of other travelers, so you only need to pick and choose which ones you’ll be able to fit in on your upcoming vacation. You’ll just have to visit Cancun again to knock the rest off your bucket list!

Visit the cenotes

You won’t want to take a Cancun vacation on the Yucatan peninsula without seeing these amazing structures!

Get lost in the stunning beauty of one of the many cenotes. Image courtesy of Viator.

Have you ever heard of a cenote? Chances are you’ve seen pictures of them, but just didn’t know what they were. Cenotes are basically sinkholes or caves that are full of underground water, since millions of years ago, the Yucatan peninsula was underwater. When the roof around them caves in, they are exposed to the outside and then can collect rainwater and drainage.

They are marvels to behold, and the area around Cancun is home to some of the best in the Yucatan. The cave and cenote system in this part of Mexico is the largest in the world, so you definitely want to take some time and visit this amazing natural wonder. Be prepared for a swim or a snorkel and the chance to see native wildlife!

See Chichen Itza

Take the opportunity on your Cancun vacation to visit this historical wonder!

Built centuries ago, these ruins should definitely be on your Cancun vacation bucket list. Image courtesy of Get Your Guide.

This ancient UNESCO site is an obvious must-see when you’re in Cancun. Created by the Mayan-Toltec cultures, this area contains ruins from the 5th through the 10th centuries including:

*The Nunnery

*The Church
*The Temple of the Panels
*The Caracol
*El Castillo (the temple pictured above)
*The Great Ballcourt
*The Jaguar Temple

There are many tours and guides that go out of Cancun and to this area, and the complex is open daily. You can get lost in the amazing amount of history that is located in this ancient spot, which in 2007 was designated as one of the 7 New Wonders of the World.

Go snorkeling at the underwater museum

This is a Cancun experience like any other!

Chances are high that you’ve never visited an underwater museum. In Cancun, you can! Image courtesy of Trip.com.

When you’re on vacation, you definitely need to try your hand at snorkeling. Whether you’ve done it many times, or this will be your first experience, there’s nothing like seeing what’s under the ocean waves first hand. Snorkeling can be done almost anywhere in Cancun (including at the cenotes!) but if there’s one place you should see with your goggles and tube, it’s the Underwater Museum.

This museum contains works of art from a variety of artists, all on the bottom of the ocean floor. You can see these amazing sculptures, along with lots of natural marine life that seems to sprout up around them. In addition to snorkeling, there are SCUBA diving tours as well as glass-bottom boat tours to truly get a feel for this unique attraction.

Soak up the sun at the beaches 😎

It is a Cancun vacation, so make sure to enjoy those beautiful beaches!

Cancun has some of the best beaches on earth, so take advantage! Image courtesy of Travel+Leisure.

One of the main reasons people choose to take a Cancun vacation is for the pristine white beaches. Take some time to sit in the sun and sip on a cool, refreshing drink while you gaze out into the blue waters of the Caribbean. Whether you want to play in the waves, try out some water sports, or just lay under the shade of an umbrella, there are beaches for all that and more in Cancun.

There are plenty of hotels to stay at right on the beach, as well as restaurants and nightclubs that are sure to be a fun day or night out on the town.

Cancun Scenic Tower

Enjoy sweeping vistas of the beaches and the sea from a bird’s eye view!

See what Cancun looks like from 300 feet in the air. Image courtesy of Travel Coffee Hot.

If you’d like to see the whole of Cancun from a different perspective, we recommend taking a trip over to the 300 ft. Cancun Scenic Tower (Torre Escenica). Think of it as a smaller version of Toronto’s CN Tower. This eye in the sky offers 360 degree views of the beautiful coast of the Yucatan peninsula and the sprawling blue Caribbean Sea.

The tower will slowly spin as you snap photos and learn about the history of Cancun. This is one of the best ways to see the port of Cancun and take some Insta-worthy pictures while you’re at it.

Isla Mujeres

Take a day trip to this popular island off the coast of Cancun!

For a change of pace, visit this relaxing island while you’re in Cancun. Image courtesy of Mexperience.

Located right across from bustling Cancun, this island has long been revered by locals. Originally it was a sacred place of the Mayan goddess of the moon and fertility, where people would come to pay their respects at her temple. Today it is revered for its natural beauty, slower pace of life, and friendly people. This is a must-visit destination while you’re on your Cancun vacation.

Once you’re there, you can visit the perfect, white sand beaches, see the sea turtle sanctuary, and explore the ruins of the Hacienda Mundaca, built by the famous pirate Fermin Mundaca.

Cancun is a wonderful place to visit, and we can’t include everything you need to see while you’re there on this list—but trust us, these are definitely the top activities you’ve got to experience on vacation!