Night falls quickly in the tropics, and with the hotel so close to the great beach, it was common to extend the pleasure of a late swim into the dark of the night, with the lights of the pools and the hotel allowing us to stay.

And how good they were, those baths, with the beach only for us.

Cancun shares with Luanda the top of my preferences concerning beaches – warm water, strong but safe surf… a water paradise.

A mandatory day trip
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It´s a couple of hours by car from Cancun, but I think that it’s impossible to skip its visit.

Chichen-Itza it’s popular worldwide, and it would be silly not to visit it, being so close. So, have a swim in the early morning (great!) visit Chichen-Itza, and have another late swim to receive the night (even better).

Fun, Nature and History
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About one hour by bus from the hotels area, Xcaret is something not to be missed.

Only with a little help from men, a place with natural beauty and signs of history became a park where children and adults may spend a full day, with many and different attractions.

Nice park 
Rivalling with its neighbour Xcaret, this park is an absolute “must see”. It doesn’t have so many attractions as an amusement park, but it is gorgeous as a natural park. It is a breeding area for fish, and bathing in such a natural environment a fabulous experience. Only a few dozens kilometers far from town, it is easily reached by bus, and usually seen together with Tulum ruins.

Fernanda didn’t swim, preferring to sit by the water, with a small bag to feed the fish. A big one jumped out of the water and grabbed the entire bag, with her shouting and laughing.

Website: Xel-Ha

Ruins and beach

A mandatory day trip from Cancun takes us to Xcaret or Xel-Ha, both close to the ruins of Tulum.

​The ruins are not so impressive as in some other areas, but it is a very interesting visit, and the bath by the ruins a special experience, even with a rough sea that didn’t frighten the kids.

Diving and fun
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​Isla Mujeres allowed two programs – one by day, mainly consisting in snorkeling or diving -, and the one that we made.

We had to choose, snorkel was something that only some of us would do, and we had already done somewhere else, and that’s why we choose the nightly program. However, I was told that the island is great for fish, so the program for the day would also be very interesting.

Not far from Cancun, passing through Valladolid, the contact with nature in Rio Lagartos, provides us with the dazzling spectacle of the flight of flocks of flamingos.

A different day, which can be combined with a visit to the cenotes of Valladolid, or if you rush a bit, with a quick visit of Chichen-Itza.

We saw folk dancing… everywhere.

Good!

To be honest, I must confess that the best show was at our hotel – a large group, immense variety of dances from pre-Colombian times to Spanish influences, Mariachi, of course, and we ended dancing with them.

​Well… at least trying to, but no matter how we succeeded, surely having fun!