Your expert guide to awesome things to do in Cancun with kids
So you’re taking a family trip to Cancun and you’re looking for awesome things to do with the kids while you’re there. Smart. It’s a great idea to know what’s what and what your family will want to do while you’re in Cancun because quite honestly, Cancun can feel overwhelming if you’re not ready for it.
Whether you’re taking the whole family to Cancun or going alone, my most important piece of advice is the same: go armed with a plan of activities and pre-booked tours because Cancun can empty a bank account pretty quickly if you’re not on top of costs all the time. While Mexico generally is an affordable destination, Cancun is most definitely not cheap.
In this article we’ll take a look at some of the best things to do in Cancun with kids so you can figure out what the possibilities are for your amazing family vacation as well as discuss transport, where to stay and more.
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MexicoCassie tl/dr for Cancun with kids
If you don’t have time to read my whole article & just want to take my word for it, here are my top recommendations for your trip to Cancun with the kids:
🏨 Best hotel – Melia Casa Maya – excellent mid-range all inclusive with kids’ club, beach access, pools and water slides
🏝 Best beach – Playa Gaviota Azul
🤿 Best Cancun activity – swimming with whale sharks
🎢 Best adventure park – Río Secreto
👣 Best tour – Muyil ruins, Si’an Kaan nature reserve boat ride & cenote
🚗 Rent a car and explore with Discover Cars
Where to stay in Cancun with kids
🏨 MexicoCassie recommended budget option: Casa Caribe Cancun – if you’re looking for a self-catering family apartment with a pool and decent beach access, you won’t do better than the gorgeous Casa Caribe Cancun.
🏨 MexicoCassie recommended mid-range hotel: Melia Casa Maya – this recently renovated hotel is a great mid-range all inclusive hotel with wonderful rooms, gorgeous pools, lovely beach location on Playa Langosta and a perfectly sized water park for the kids
🏨 MexicoCassie recommended all inclusive: Fiesta Americana Condesa – if you love all-inclusive resorts with kids’ clubs, playgrounds, water slides, incredible dining options, good pools right on the beach then you can’t miss this choice.
🗺 Or, if these aren’t quite what you’re looking for, use the helpful MexicoCassie interactive hotel finder to select something that’s better for your family.
What’s the best time of year to visit Cancun?
🔆 The best time to visit Cancun is officially December – April. This is peak season.
🐋 If you want to swim with whale sharks, you need to visit when they’re around, during July – September.
🌦 Rainy season is June – September. Generally, there will only generally be a few hours of rain on a rainy day at this time of year unless you’re unlucky and meet a hurricane or a tropical storm.
🌪September – October is hurricane season and although hurricanes aren’t super common, tropical storms can also seriously disrupt your vacation as they can last a few days.
☠️ If you’re going to be in Cancun between October – December, check out the Día de los Muertos tour options in Cancun.
Is Cancun safe for families?
✅ YES as you aren’t doing anything stupid that you (probably) wouldn’t do at home then you’ll be fine.
❌ Don’t take drugs, don’t go into areas that locals tell you aren’t safe and don’t drink and drive (cops just love pulling over tourists for this).
👮🏾 Note that you may well see armed police or soldiers patrolling the beaches. This doesn’t mean something has happened, this is positive preventative patrolling and we are glad they’re there.
Getting around Cancun
Cancun is a large place that’s spread out into different areas. Most visitors will be staying in or around the hotel zone (zona hotelera). This is not the same as downtown Cancun. It’s important to be aware that not many places are easily walkable from the hotel zone although this is where the best beaches are.
Should you wish to explore the area, then at some point you’ll most likely have to consider transport options.
🚗 Renting a car in Cancun
This is perfectly doable and will give you the freedom to explore the area. For families this is often the most economical option. Most hotels have car parks.
→ Check rental options & prices
📲 If you do rent a car in Cancun, don’t bother renting a GPS. Instead, head to an Oxxo (Mexican 7/11) and grab yourself a TelCel or Oxxo brand sim card with unlimited data for very cheap. Bam! Now Google Maps is there for you and it works just great in Mexico.
🚕 Taxis in Cancun
Taxis aren’t cheap in Cancun, why would they be when there’s a captive audience? Uber doesn’t exist here either so you’re reliant on flagging down a cab or asking your hotel to book for you. Personally, I wouldn’t choose to use cabs to get around Cancun regularly.
🛬 Airport transfers in Cancun
When you book your hotel, you should ask about airport transfers as hotels to and from the airport are extremely expensive. I always book a hotel that has free transfers or book my transfer to the hotel in advance.
🚌 As of early 2025, there’s an ADO bus running to the Hotel Zone from the airport, this is huge news as it significantly changes your vacation costs.
→ Book airport transfers or check ADO bus schedules
🚍 Buses in Cancun
Mexico’s bus company, ADO, offers an excellent service between cities so if you want to go from Cancun to Mérida or Valladolid all you have to do is book your tickets and get yourself to the bus station on time. Remember to take sweaters if you’re using ADO as the AC can be ferocious.
→ Book bus tickets (I recommend using BusBud after a personal disaster booking direct with ADO)
🚐 Colectivos in Cancun
Collectivos are small white mini-buses. Find one going in the right direction and ask the driver to drop you near where you wish to be. Getting home you just stand on the road and flag down the colectivo. This is something I’m happy to do when travelling without kids but with my kids, I’m not such a fan.
🚆 The Tren Maya
The Maya Train is a great way to get around the Yucatán Peninsula and it has, of course, a station in Cancun.
→ Read more about using the Tren Maya to explore the Yucatán Peninsula.
👣 Tours in Cancun
Your hotel may well offer you tours but as I said, knowing what you want in advance is going to favour your wallet in a place like Cancun. Figure things out, decide how many day trips you want to take and then how you’re going to do them.
If you’re in Cancun for a week, I recommend arranging no more than three tours, an adventure park, a ruin, and a secret island, for example. Then use the other days as rest days and take advantage of the gorgeous beaches and facilities your hotel no doubt offers.
→ I use GetYourGuide & Viator to plan my own family’s trips and adventures.
Cancun water adventures
Swim with whale sharks
When: June – September – swimming with whale sharks in Cancun isn’t a year-round activity as it is dependent on the whale sharks actually being in the area. They come to feed in the plankton-rich waters off the shore of Cancun between June and September.
While the idea of swimming with such enormous creatures may seem terrifying, especially with little kids, actually, despite being the largest fish in the world, they are totally harmless to humans as they feed only on tiny plankton.
Did you know that whale shark tours are a fairly new phenomenon? Until recently people didn’t really know where to find these incredible fish!
What to know when booking a whale shark tour
👨🏾✈️ The boat captains work together to ensure that all tours get to see the whale sharks, which is great but do be aware that this means all the tour boats will be converging on the whale sharks at once
🌕 A full moon can be a better time to take this tour as this is when the plankton come to the surface. The whale sharks feed on plankton so also spend this time on the surface, making them easier to see
🐋 Each guide can take two people in the water at a time so you will have time on the boat while others from your tour are in the water
👧🏽 Children under five cannot swim with the whale sharks
🛟 Life vests are obligatory – this is both for your own safety and to prevent you from diving down to the whale sharks
❌ It is forbidden to touch the whale sharks – they may touch you but you do not touch them
🌪 If the weather doesn’t look good the tour will be rescheduled so don’t book for your final day in Cancun
🤿 All equipment is provided but you may wish to consider taking full-face masks for the kids as they’re very comfortable and easy to wear.
🤢 Take sea-sickness pills – the sea can be choppy and since you’ll be out all day it’s better to not feel sick
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended whale shark tour
The tours offered are all very similar. All include time swimming with the whale sharks, lunch & drinks on board, time on Isla Mujeres and transportation to/from your hotel.
→ Book your amazing whale shark adventure now
➕ Remember, Cancun isn’t the only place in Mexico where you can swim with whale sharks; it’s also possible to swim with whale sharks from La Paz in Baja California, which given that the area is so bio-diverse, must be incredible.
My kids’ verdict
This is one of those experiences no one in the family will ever forget (although apparently this isn’t true as my son recently did a project about whale sharks at school so I asked him if he told his classmates he’d swum with these gorgeous creatures. His response, “uh, oh no, I forgot”). My kids did absolutely love every second of it. Highly recommended.
🐬 What about swimming with dolphins in Cancun?
❌ My personal view is that this is a big no-no.
In late 2022 the Mexican Chamber of Deputies voted to amend the Mexican General Wildlife Law to “prohibit any specimen of marine mammal from being subject to extractive use, whether subsistence or commercial.”
Keeping dolphins in captivity causes them stress and they are often also subjected to water pollution thanks to the oils humans use on their bodies. As laws get stricter in Mexico it will be harder (we hope) for humans to interact with dolphins but until then, please let’s avoid causing these incredible animals unnecessary stress.
The Interactive Aquarium and Playa Garrafon both allow this so I’d recommend boycotting them entirely until they stop supporting this cruelty.
MUSA – Museo Subacuatico de Arte (Underwater Art Museum)
The MUSA museum is an under water sculpture garden is in the Cancun-Isla Mujeres Marine Park. It contains more than 500 life-size sculptures, all on the sea bed. This museum was founded to aid the recovery of the Great Mayan Reef, which has suffered greatly over the years due to over-tourism. Most of the sculptures were made by Jason Deciares Taylor. It is regularly cited as being one of the most interesting museum experiences in Mexico.
What to know when booking to visit MUSA
🛥 There are three options for seeing the museum and all require you to be on an official tour: diving tour (adults and older kids only), snorkelling tour (includes a boat ride through the ría), glass-bottom boat tour
You can even do what’s called an “assisted dive” to see the sculptures. This is for people who don’t have any diving certification but still want to dive. You can actually get your PADI certification for diving while in Cancun or Cozumel though if you want to!
👧🏽 If you’re going with kids, be sure to consider their swimming ability and if you’re not sure how they’ll cope, opt for the glass-bottom boat. I took my kids snorkelling here when they were seven and nine and while they did manage it was definitely hard going for them (harder than the whale shark tour).
🗺 There are 3 locations you can visit (each tour is to one area only)
Punta Nizuc – southern tip of Cancun’s Hotel Zone. 33 sculptures. 4m deep. Snorkelling or Glass Bottom Boat. Jungle Tour. The tours to Punta Nizuc leave from Aquaworld
Manchones – off the coast of Isla Mujeres. Over 500 sculptures. 8-10 m deep. Diving and snorkelling
Galeria Via Roda – dry land tour where you can see replicas of the sculptures in a dry garden
🤿 While flippers, snorkels, masks and life jackets are provided, you may feel more comfortable with your own. We had our own full-face masks and I absolutely had my Go-Pro with me for underwater photography.
⭐️ MexicoCassie’s MUSA tour recommendation
With really little kids I recommend taking a 2 hr submarine tour around the Punta Nizuc reef, the MUSA sculpture garden and the Nichupte Lagoon. With older kids (over 7) who want to snorkel, check out this lovely tour that includes snorkelling at the Manchones Sculpture garden as well as the Manchones reef.
→ Book your submarine or snorkel tour now
My kids’ verdict
We took a snorkelling tour. The kids loved the day and thought it was pretty cool to see the sculptures. They weren’t scared at any point but they did find the swimming for so long in open water really tiring. They absolutely loved being able to jump from the top deck of the boat into the water after we were done.
🔆 Can I wear suncream in Cancun and when on tours?
If you want to wear sun cream then consider finding an ethical suncream that does as little damage as possible to the cenotes, reefs & sea life. Remember that even reef-safe sunscreen isn’t ideal when swimming in cenotes, on reefs or with animals.
✅ The best option is a rash vest when at the beach or on a boat – you’ll see many Mexicans in rash vests as protection against the sun. My whole family wears them so we don’t burn.
Other great water based fun in Cancun
Water sports – Your hotel may well offer water sports and activities. Aquaworld is the water sports hot spot. You’ll find parasailing (for 5 yrs and above only), jet skis, flow-rider surfing experiences, water jungle tours and more.
Diving – kids over 10 may enjoy the chance to learn to dive on the Mesoamerican Reef and the MUSA sculpture garden.
Island trips
Isla Contoy
Isla Contoy is a small uninhabited island off the coast of Cancun, not too far from Isla Mujeres. For those in the know, Isla Contoy is considered to be both a gorgeous secret and also one of the very best of the Yucatán Peninsula’s islands.
There are over 150 tropical birds on the island and apparently four different types of sea turtles live here. Other than these animals you’ll only see scientists, tour leaders and your fellow visitors on the island.
What to consider when booking a tour to Isla Contoy
🏝 Only 200 people are permitted on Isla Contoy each day and only as part of an official tour
🏝 Tours can either be private or group tours but this only refers to your time on the boat since every boat docks at the same spot on the island
🏝 Because so few people are permitted on the island each day this tour needs to be booked in advance
🏝 Tours generally run 9-5 and include: lunch, soft drinks and beers on the boat, free time, official island tour, snorkelling on the Ixlache reef (weather permitting), short stop on Isla Mujeres
🏝 Biodegradable sunscreen only permitted on the island
🏝 Some tours will include the marine park tax, most do not, be sure to find out before you go so you’re not taken by surprise
🏝 No smoking is permitted on the island
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommend Isla Contoy tour
As noted above, all the tours are the same once you reach the island and most will include time to snorkel the nearby reef and to visit Isla Mujeres. There is 3 hr free time on Isla Contoy, lunch and a guided tour of the island that I highly recommend. This particular tour also includes hotel pick up.
My kids’ verdict
I didn’t take them. Hah! I was mean and went with a group of friends. Truthfully we didn’t see any kids on the island but I don’t think it would be a problem to take them. It’s a truly beautiful place that everyone will love.
Isla Mujeres
⛴ Taking the ferry to the pueblo magico of Isla Mujeres is really a fundamental part of any trip to Cancun so please make time for this day o’fun. There are three UltraMar ferry departure points in the Cancun Hotel Zone: Playa Tortugas, EL Embarcadero and Playa Caracol. Check the timetable here.
What to do on Isla Mujeres
🛺 Rent a golf cart – You can book your golf cart when you buy your ferry ticket just before leaving Cancun. Driving around the island in your golf car is super fun
🏝 Tortugranja – the turtle sanctuary. I hear they do good work but it isn’t at all obvious when you’re walking around. Although most of the turtles are in sad, empty little concrete tanks, I’ve read very positive reviews of the work done here and I know they do good work rescuing the eggs but it was hard to see much positivity in the living conditions. The kids enjoyed it.
🏝 Archaeological site, southern tip – the ruin itself isn’t much to look at but the walk around the area is magnificent. We very much enjoyed playing on the rocks here.
🏝 Beaches – Playa Norte is the most well-known beach and it is absolutely as gorgeous as people say it is with its white-sand beach and perfect blue water. Note that Playa Norte is lined with expensive beach bars and the water is full of yachts and boats, most with their stereos on full blast.
🏝 Explore the rocky beaches along Payo Obispo – we had an absolute blast here – much more kid-friendly than noisy booze laden Playa Norte but it’s not a calm sandy beach
Tip: If you do want to experience Playa Norte at its best, go first or last thing before the day-trippers or book to stay a night on Isla Mujeres.
My kids’ verdict
They really enjoyed riding around in the golf-buggy and even getting a chance to drive it themselves. They loved exploring the rocky beaches and although they liked Playa Norte for the quality of the beach they hated that their mean parents wouldn’t buy them an expensive drink there.
Akumal Bay and the sea turtles
Turtle in Akumal Photo by Cindy of freetworoam.com
Akumal is where you need to go when visiting Mexico’s Caribbean Coast if you want to swim with sea turtles. The turtles like this bay because of the proliferation of sea-grass, which, I’ve been told is kind of like marijuana for the turtles so you’re basically swimming with stoned turtles.
When: November – May
Getting to Akumal from Cancun
Akumal is ninety minutes drive from Cancun. If you haven’t booked a tour to Akumal and don’t have a rental car then you could take a bus, a colectivo or hire a taxi (although that definitely wouldn’t be cheap).
What to consider when planning a trip to Akumal
❌ It’s illegal to swim with the turtles without a guide so please don’t.
🐢 You can either book a tour in advance or find a guide on arrival. When you arrive in Akumal you’ll see a stand where you’ll have to pay to either enter the beach or to swim with the turtles (depending on your plan).
🐢 The turtles get stressed when they’re harassed. The Mexican government did put rules and regulations in place but they’re often ignored. If you can, try to ensure your guide has SEMARNAT certification.
✅ You can only swim in the ‘turtle zones’ if you have a guide. These are marked red on maps. There are green-marked areas that are for free swimming but it’s unlikely you’ll see turtles there as there is no sea grass.
🐢 There are boards with rules displayed. Please acquaint yourself and your family with them and try to follow them.
Can little kids swim with turtles in Akumal?
👧🏽 Yes, most definitely. We took our kids when they were two and four (both already swimming). We put them in life jackets we were comfortable with and in their own masks and snorkels. The guide gave us life rings for them to hold on to and we pulled them along with us. Because you’re never actually that far from shore and the water is calm it is a safe activity even with younger children.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended turtle tour
If you can get yourselves to Akumal, I recommend this tour because it includes a photography service, which is a great addition to your experience. If you need transport from Cancun, I recommend taking a full day tour to the Tulum ruins, a cenote and to swim with the turtles (includes lunch but not nature park taxes).
→ Book the photography tour or the full day tour
My kids’ verdict
The bigger one was unhappy at the time and now tells us they were scared as they felt we were far from shore (we weren’t). The little one was so excited by the whole experience.
Visit cenotes with kids
If you’re looking for something different to do or if the beaches are just too full of sargassum for you then perhaps a swim in a cenote will tickle your fancy. There are thought to be around 6000 cenotes across the Yucatán Peninsula although not all are suitable for swimming. Unlike Tulum, Valladolid or Mérida, Cancun is not surrounded by cenotes so unless you have a car, a cenote tour is probably your best option.
But what even is a cenote?
A cenote is a sinkhole caused by collapsing limestone bedrock that exposes the groundwater. Cenotes were used by the ancient Maya as freshwater sources since there are no above-ground rivers on the peninsula. The Maya considered them additionally to be entrances to the underworld and as such, revered them.
But today, we swim. The water is generally cool and refreshing and swimming in a cenote is an extremely popular pastime for locals as well as visitors. Some cenotes are deep and it’s even possible to go diving, while others are shallow and feel more like outdoor swimming pools.
There are four types of cenotes:
⭐️ Open – these look like lakes and ponds and are generally at ground level
⭐️ Deep open – no cave roof but requiring steps down to reach the water
⭐️ Semi-open – partially covered cave cenotes
⭐️ Closed – a full cave experience
How to visit cenotes near Cancun
🚗 If you have your own car, of course, this is easy. You drive. If you don’t then you’ll either be reliant on taxis/colectivos or you take a tour. Renting a car is easy and definitely makes life easier.
Best cenotes near Cancun
Cenote Azul – so named for its crystal blue waters. This ‘L’ shaped cenote has a maximum depth of 90-metres but also has areas that are delightfully shallow so the entire family can have fun will just love splashing and swimming together. There’s also a four-metre diving platform if anyone in your family loves adrenaline. It’s possible to dive at Cenote Azul.
Ruta de los Cenotes – this is kind of a multi-bag of cenotes in one. Around Puerto Morales (thirty minutes south of Cancun) there are ten cenotes along a thirtyish kilometre route. Note that many of these cenotes have been transformed into activity or adventure parks.
Cenote Popul-Vuh – (32 km from Puerto Morales) is pretty a laid-back and low-key large open cenote. It requires a 1.7km walk from the carpark into the jungle. $250 pesos per adult (includes unlimited zipline use and lifevests- There is a restaurant on site.
Río Secreto – this is an underground river and cenote system, all spectacularly beautiful and offer the opportunity to see stalagmites, stalactites while swimming in crystal-clear water as you follow your guide through caves, underground rivers and more.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie review of visiting Río Secreto with kids or book tickets immediately
⭐️ MexicoCassie cenote recommended tours
Mayan Adventure – lagoon swimming, zipline, cenote, cave swimming. Includes lunch and transfers. Perfect cenote introduction for kids.
Adrenaline Day – Cenotes, ATVs and Ziplines. If your kids are anything like mine this tour will blow their minds!
Cenote Free Diving – for the most adventurous teens a chance to learn how to free dive in a Mexican cenote will never be forgotten!
Beaches in Cancun
Every beach in Mexico is a public beach – access can not be refused. You may not be permitted to use a hotel’s beach facilities but the beach itself is ALWAYS for everyone. With its white sand beaches and beautiful turquoise water, there’s really nothing like a Cancun beach, however, in recent years, the Caribbean coast has suffered with sargassum problems.
➕ Mexico has over 10,000 km of coastline. A couple of Cancun’s beaches make it onto my list of most family friendly beaches in Mexico.
Sargassum notes
🏖 The beach clubs and hotels are working around the clock to keep the beaches clean for you. If you get up early enough you’ll see workers shovelling and removing the sargassum. This natural disaster is also an economic disaster for the Riviera Maya.
🗓 Sargassum season is more or less May – October.
🔆 Climate change and nutrient pollution are the main reasons for this increase in sargassum.
🧫 The seaweed itself isn’t dangerous or bad for you but it can harbour microbes and bacteria that your skin won’t like. I don’t recommend you let the children play in it.
🔬 Mexican scientists and engineers have become world leaders in figuring out what to do with this stuff.
🏖 The northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula rarely gets hit by sargassum and neither does Isla Mujeres or Cozumel.
🗺 There are websites and maps to follow to ensure your holiday in Cancun is as sargassum free as possible.
Playa Delfines
Playa Delfines is one of the most beautiful beaches in Cancun. Its perfect white sand stretches for kilometres and the water is a gorgeous azure colour. I’ve never seen much seaweed washed up here. It isn’t always super calm so it isn’t somewhere to let little kids play in the water on their own.
Playa Gaviota Azul and Playa Chacmool Beaches
Both of these beaches are nicely protected from the wind and retain the gorgeous azure blue colour water thanks to the huge concrete cubes forming a barrier at one end of Playa Gaviota. These blocks arer also fun to climb on but do remember they can be slippery when wet.
Playa Caracol
This is the beach by all the hotels that is recommended and enjoyed by many. It is a small, calm beach that can get very busy.
Isla Blanca
If you have a car this beach a the far end of the Cancun split makes for a great wild beach day.
Adventure parks and water parks
There are many adventure parks, water parks, and theme parks in and around Cancun. The most famous are Xcaret Park, Xel-Ha and Ventura Park. I haven’t personally been because they’re kind of expensive and both I’m poor and I always prefer nature to theme parks. That said, the parks do look amazing, and if anyone had offered to pay for me (us) to go, we’d have jumped at it. At these parks you’ll find zip lines, lazy rivers, and so much more.
Xcaret Parks include Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xplor, Xenses and more. It’s worth checking tours and official promotions to see what’s on offer. Don’t forget about transport!
Selvatica – a jungle adventure park with ATVs, ten zip lines, cenotes, bungee swing and more.
Río Secreto – explore underground rivers and caves, and check out the incredible rock formations here. Tours generally include lunch buffet and transport.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie review of Río Secreto to see why this is my favourite of the activity parks near Cancun
🏎 Many parks offer ATV adventures, figure out which one is right for you with this article here.
Cancun cultural activities
Visit a ruin/archaeological site
There are actually a surprising number of Mayan ruins you can reach from Cancun with relative ease including some in Cancun itself.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to ruins in Quintana Roo
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to ruins in Yucatán
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to cenotes near Chichén Itzá
→ Read the full MexicoCassie list of the top 10 ruins to visit on the Yucatán Peninsula
Chichén Itzá
Pisté, Yucatán (200km from Cancun)
Chichén Itzá is one of the seven modern wonders of the world as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The complex is enormous and honestly, you could easily spend two days exploring and still not see everything. Handily, the main pyramid (above), Kukulkan, and the ball courts are nicely close to the entrance.
It isn’t hard to drive yourself to Chichén Itzá if you have a rental car. Tours to Chichén Itzá generally include also visit to a cenote and lunch. Some include a stop in the gorgeous colonial town of Valladolid or a tequila-tasting experience.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended Chichén Itzá day trip
Take a full day tour that includes a tour of Chichén Itzá, lunch and a cenote swim, and free time in the gorgeous colonial city of Valladolid.
Ek Balam
EK Balam Village, Yucatán (175 km from Cancun)
Ek Balam means ‘Black Jaguar’ in Mayan. The site has a thirty-metre acropolis and a gorgeous jungle setting. Ek Balam is a far quieter experience than Chichén Itzá, there’s more freedom to climb than at Chichén Itzá.
if you decide to drive yourself, be sure to head to the Ek Balam archaeological site, not the village.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended Ek Balam day trip
Take a full day tour that includes a tour of Ek Balam, lunch and a swim in a cenote as well as time to explore the small and gorgeous village of Umaya.
Tulum
Just outside Tulum (130 km from Cancun)
The ruins of Tulum are particularly popular thanks to their incredible location on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Tulum, like Chichén Itzá, receives thousands of visitors a day, so the earlier you can visit the better both for the heat and crowds. There are many stores and cafes around the entrance to Tulum, there’s even a Starbucks here.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended Tulum day trip
I recommend taking a full day tour to the Tulum ruins, a cenote and to swim with the turtles in Akumal (includes lunch but not nature park taxes).
Coba
Quintaná Roo Jungle (180 km from Cancun)
Deep in the jungle, this Mayan ruin will blow your mind with its sprawling city ruin and enormous pyramid. Either walk around on foot, rent bikes or rent a bike taxi to take you from site to site. With little kids, the bike taxis are super recommended. The nearby cenotes are also worth a visit.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended Coba day trip
The tours available are quite heavy days for kids, do take this into account when deciding whether to visit Coba or not. The tours are full days that include time guided tours of the ruins of Tulum and Coba as well as lunch, a swim in a cenote and the chance to learn about Mayan traditions.
Muyil
Just outside Tulum, on the edge of the Sian Kaán biosphere (160 km from Cancun)
On the edge of the Sian Ka’an biosphere, this little-known ruin is one of my favourite to visit. Muyil is far older than Chichén Itzá, being one of the earliest settlements in the area. If you’re going to visit Muyil, be sure to combine it with a trip to the biosphere and Tulum ruins too. All three are easily doable in a day.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended Muyil day trip
This excellent full day tour includes 2 hours exploring the ruins at Muyil, a boat cruise through the mangroves of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, lunch and a swim in an incredible cenote. You may get to see dolphins, manatees, turtles and more.
El Rey
Near Playa Delfines, Cancun
El Rey was named after a statue found at the site. Settlement began here in about 200 AD and during the post-classical period it was an important trading centre. This small ruin is perfect if you don’t have the time, energy or inclination to leave Cancun. It’ll take you about an hour to explore thoroughly.
San Miguelito
Next to the El Rey ruins, part of the Museo Maya de Cancun complex
Your museum ticket gets you access to this ruin. San Miguelioto, along with El Rey, was part of the trading network of the post-classical period.
El Meco
North of Cancun, just before Punta Sam (18 km from Cancun)
The pyramid here is dedicated to the Mayan god of rain, Chaac. This site was a powerful port city and controlled access to the Ixchel site on Isla Mujeres. Its pyramid is also the largest in the Cancun area and since very few people visit this site, you’ll likely be here all alone. Climb the pyramid for awesome views.
Explore Cancun
🚌 Take a tour and see another side to the city. See where locals shop, eat and play or take a morning to enjoy the hop-on, hop-off Cancun bus.
🛝 Parque las Palapas for a little bit of low-price fun. Let the kids run and play with local kids and then enjoy the open-air food court with local families. Mexican street snacks are incredibly delicious and you’ll for sure find something for everyone to enjoy.
There is also a good playground in the hotel zone near the Hotel Malia Casa Maya
🛍 If your kids are into shopping then take some time for La Isla shopping village.
🏴☠️ Pirate ship – wow the kids with a cruise, Captain Hook dinner & sword show aboard the Jolly Roger!
Visit other cities on the peninsula
Valladolid
The gorgeous colonial city of Valladolid is often visited on a Chichén Itzá tour, it’s true but if you’re in the area for a while you may wish to spend a whole day getting to know Valladolid. Explore the old city, visit its museums, soak up the atmosphere on the plaza and eat extremely well in this foodie hub.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to exploring Valladolid with kids
🚌 It’s perfectly possible to take the train or the bus to Valladolid for the day if you don’t want to take a tour
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour to Valladolid
If you do feel like taking a tour, most of the tours will include a stop at Chichén Itzá and a cenote. Take a full day tour that includes a tour of Chichén Itzá, lunch and a cenote swim, and free time in the gorgeous colonial city of Valladolid.
→ Book now
Playa del Carmen
Just “down the road” from Cancun is the second most famous Riviera Maya city, Playa del Carmen. Playa, as it’s known by locals, is particularly well known for its shopping street: 5th Avenue, or Avenida Quinta.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Playa del Carmen with kids
Phew! There you go! This epic list of things to do with kids in Cancun should have given you some great ideas and I hope it’s helped you form a plan for your next (upcoming?) Cancun family vacation.
¡Buen viaje!
Visiting Mexico with kids – a directory
🧳 Packing for a trip to Mexico with kids
✈️ Spring break in Mexico with kids
🏖 Best family friendly beaches in Mexico
🏝 Family fun in Playa del Carmen
✅ Río Secreto with kids – a review
🏝 Chilling in Cozumel with kids
⭐️ 50+ things to do in Mérida with kids
⭐️ Exploring Valladolid with kids
💦 Best cenotes in Yucatán for kids
10 Comments
FredinMotul · 27/07/2021 at 4:42 pm
As per usual, a great article. Well balanced showing both good and not so good points!! Thanks. We lived on Isla Mujeres for almost 3 years in the late 80’s early 90’s, and we had a “Love / Hate” relationship with Cancun. Hated the crowds, and traffic after the idyllic life on the Island. Loved the Shopping. One of our big jokes was at the time, we had to go to Cancun to buy Sour Cream, dry cat food and good cheeses! Always an adventure, to say the least. Fast forward to 2008, when we returned for one of our last official acts for Work at an Annual Meeting held there that January, and we had our first all inclusive experience there. Quite the change from years gone by!! Thanks for the article and glad your experience, while mixed, was over all positive.
Cassie · 27/07/2021 at 4:45 pm
Gosh, I didnt know youd lived in Isla so long ago. Thank you, as ever, for reading and leaving a comment.
FredinMotul · 27/07/2021 at 4:58 pm
Gosh we are so old!! Our Son was only 4 years old when we first arrived in Mexico right before Hurricane Gilbert did a number on both Cancun and Merida. (He is 38 now!) We ended up living on the South End of the Island in Real Estate management, and loved it. One of our guests was the Archeologist responsible for the partial restoration of the Ruin at the Light house. He and Eric (our Son) hit it off really well, and he helped out with the restoration each time they came from Mexico City. It was incredibly quiet and not crowded back then. Retirement here has been amazing. Motul is nice because parts of it remind us of how Merida was 30 + years ago!!
Cassie · 27/07/2021 at 5:02 pm
You have some awesome stories that’s for sure. I’m envious that you were here so long ago and have seen so much change. I’d have loved to have been here then.
I’m just a few years older than your son. Teehee.
FredinMotul · 27/07/2021 at 6:18 pm
I told you we are OLD!! The changes are interesting to see, but the constant is the wonderful people of the Yucatan Peninsula!! Yes, I / We have stories to tell from then and now. One day, we will bump into one another in Merida and converse!!
Cassie · 27/07/2021 at 6:22 pm
I look forward to that day.
Will · 28/07/2021 at 9:40 am
Thanks for the thorough write-up. I have often wondered about Cancun. Don’t think I will go.
Cassie · 28/07/2021 at 9:41 am
It definitely isn’t for everyone. We went because I had a recommended whale shark tour operator from there.
Cordelia · 01/08/2023 at 6:59 pm
What a fabulous comprehensive article! We’ve just booked our little apt and whale tour thanks to your advice. You actually managed to make me want to go to Cancun, which I loath, but I am now stupidly excited to get there!
Cassie · 01/08/2023 at 11:15 am
Oh thank you! I’m so glad. There’s so much magic and wonder there if you know where to look. Have an amazing time.