Winter in Cancun, Mexico

Hello Mexico! Winter in Cancun. What a great experience! It was our first time visiting Mexico and Cancun was the destination. Daddy’s friend had destination wedding at Cancun, MX and we were honored to be invited as guests.

Cancun is a popular destination for tourist especially from U.S. to get away during Winter times. It is well known for its beautiful beaches and resorts. Average temperature during winter time (Nov-Feb) is around mid-70s Fahrenheit (mid-20s Celsius). Just perfect.

We flew with Southwest airline to Cancun. Yes, the awesome Southwest airline flies to Cancun! Southwest often has promotion with cheaper price / points. And it is no brainer when you have Southwest Companion pass!



The Westin Hotel Resort and Spa was our home for this short trip. We used SPG points and it came with Club access, where our room faces the Ocean. The hotel is located towards the end of the hotel zone, about 15 minutes from Cancun airport. The view is splendid despite the gloomy weather on our first day. The hotel has good selection for breakfast. One downside of the hotel is that the insulation is very poor. If you are a light sleeper, you may not be rested well due to the loud noise from the wave and wind. We literally thought the noise was from the storm, but waking up to beautiful view of the beach then realized it was just poor insulation.



Cancun could be pretty crowded during the holiday season that starts the weekend right before Christmas and all the way to New year. Our friend was smart to arrange the wedding right before the peak time. So, looks like we got the entire beach and we enjoyed it very much :)



Sand and wave. Heaven for kids!

Transportation

One thing to keep in mind when travelling to Cancun is transportation. Transporting from the airport to the hotel is expensive in our opinion. A short distance cost around $35 USD one way. As soon as you get off the airport, there are taxi services everywhere trying to sell you their service. Daddy knew how outrageous the fare could be, but he has to suck it up since he had to rush for a wedding rehearsal. Don’t be trapped like daddy did. We strongly suggest that you plan ahead for transportation. We saw a couple trying to find their shuttle since they booked in advance. But sometimes language barrier may not help. Renting a car may be a cheaper option if you plan to go beyond the resort.

Public bus is 12 pesos and don’t be alarmed when bus driver tries to scam you. On daddy’s first bus ride, the bus driver told him it cost 22 pesos per person just because he asked, how much. Kids 6 and under is free and the bus driver made us pay for the kids, but we argued and won the case. Mommy knows a little Spanish and man always lose arguing with a lady :) In general, taxi is expensive and you have to pump up your negotiating skills to save you few bucks.



R-1 and R-2 buses go along the hotel zone. These are the two buses you can take to any destinations, resorts and beaches along the hotel zone. They also heads to Cancun downtown but does branches out around town at some points. Overall there are many bus stops along the strip and is very convenient. Just make sure you have Pesos on you. We heard they may take dollar bill, but will not return any change. One more thing, the buses are not air conditioned, but it was fine for us.

Downtown



There are few places to go in Cancun downtown. Parque Las Palapas is a large plaza with many food carts, outdoor food court, local handicrafts and souvenirs. This is one of the popular hotspot for local families especially during weekend. You can take R-2 bus to get there.

Another popular place is Market 28. This is probably the market for colorful souvenir and jewelry shops. There are also some small restaurants in there. Since many tourists visit this place, English is more widely spoken for this place and that mean price could be higher. There are many solicitors and if you are interested on items, make sure you always negotiate. R-1 bus does stop by around this place.



We like to go to the local one (you can tell they usually are without those fancy decoration). Fresh coconut juice for 30-40 pesos and Taco for only 15 pesos.

Playa Langosta (Lagosta Beach)



Where to find crystal clear beach in Cancun? This is it! This is by far the best beach we have visited thus far. It is the place where we board the boat to experience the Dolphin Encounter. I can see my feet even up the shore. Water was crystal clear and turquoise color. It is so much nicer than the beach at the resorts. Just that the resort gives you convenience that the beach don't. Try to go in the morning. It is very crowded in the afternoon. It is locals' favorite!

Dolphin Discovery



So, daddy bought Dolphin Encounter with the Black Friday special. The Dolphin Encounter is located at Isla Mujeres which we took a 45 minutes ferry ride from Playa Langosta. The ferry provides complimentary drinks and have restrooms at the 1st level



Oh boy, Dolphin Encounter could be a great experience had we not have to carry the kids the whole time we were in the water. My hands were so sore afterwards. I think the person in charge for our group probably is new or inexperienced. One thing we did not know was that camera was not allowed so we did not have a picture with the dolphin. You can buy it from them, but it was extremely expensive so we passed.

Another important thing if you bought the Dolphin Discovery package. You will be given an entrance band for each person. The band is the pass for your entries to the Dolphin encounter, and also free meals on the island as well as city tour. So, do not remove the band while you are still at the island.



There are other activities on the island. We stayed pretty much at the Dolphin discovery center the whole time to rest and for kids to play a little. There are two ferries back to the mainland Cancun. One at 3:30pm and one at 5pm. The 5pm ferry also provides shuttle back to the hotel at 6pm.



This concluded our 2017 trip and it was a great short trip given that we were not feeling well.