by Maya Girimaji, features editor
A must for most people during the summer is visiting the beach and getting at least 2 shades darker. I was lucky enough to accomplish this feat during the last week of June in Cancún.
Cancún is a beautiful Mexican city that borders the Caribbean Sea. It’s a perfect tourist spot because of its numerous resorts and beautiful beaches, and it’s only about a 2 hour flight from Houston, so you won’t feel jet-lagged because we’re in the same time zone. The city is always sunny and the temperature ranges somewhere in the 80’s.
While staying in Cancún, it’s safer to be in the Zona Hotelera rather than the downtown area, El Centro. I personally did not enjoy El Centro because, as you’re walking down the streets, many “hawkers” swarm around you as they try to sell everything from souvenirs to food in their restaurant. It’s also known for its bars and night clubs, such as Señor Frogs. That’s probably why college students love traveling to Cancún for spring break. We stuck to Zona Hotelera, a long strip of hotels with the bay on one side and a turquoise ocean on the other.
It’s my personal philosophy that spending every day of your trip on the beach can get boring. Luckily, Cancún offers various tourist activities, such as visiting the beautiful Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza and Tulum (only if you’re down for long walks in the hot sun while mosquitoes feast on your blood) or scuba diving and snorkeling, which is also how I almost drowned in an ocean in XCaret.
Before I tell you my tragic story, let me inform you about the 3 most amazing parks in Cancún: XCaret, Xel-Ha and XPlor. Each park is specifically designed to bring out your inner Indiana Jones. XCaret is a lovely place where you can swim in a relaxing, natural underground river. You can also go snorkeling for free, admire various animal species and walk through a jungle. If you enjoy the ocean’s wildlife and don’t have sucky lungs that can’t withstand the pressure of swimming 21-feet underwater (unlike me), XCaret offers a Seatrek and Snuba. Seatrek is a great experience for people who can’t swim because all you have to know how to do is breathe and walk. With several guides with you, you walk down a slope underwater wearing a giant helmet as many colorful fish surround you. If you get lucky, you might even see giant sea turtles and maybe have an occasional sting ray brush against your legs. On the other hand, if you’re a good swimmer, then choose the Snuba route. It’s like scuba diving, except your breathing apparatus is connected to a long tube that feeds you oxygen instead of having to carry the heavy burden of an oxygen tank. But, this was also the part where my lungs failed me because it couldn’t handle the pressure of being 21 feet underwater. Yet, if your lungs are in great shape, then go for it, because it was an amazing experience and I would definitely do it again (and try not to drown the next time). The other two parks I didn’t go to because one admission ticket costs $100. But if you like aquatic adventures, then go to Xel-Ha, and if you like swinging through the trees like Tarzan, go to XPlor.
Maybe growing up in Texas ruined my appreciation for Mexican food, but the food wasn’t that great, and I find that I definitely prefer Tex-Mex over the “authentic” stuff I ate in Cancún. Before you yell at me for being an uncultured swine (maybe I am), I don’t eat a lot of meat, so that narrowed down my choices to barely anything. But if you’re a meat lover, then Mexican food might take your taste buds on a joy ride, although I ended up eating a lot of pizza and Thai food and an occasional churro.
Despite the several mosquito bites you can get and turning a good 3-4 shades darker, Cancún is a great vacation spot where you can be extremely active yet also spend a relaxing day on the beach—probably the perfect way to spend your summer.
