While walking along the shores of the Caribbean Sea, there are no bad views. | Photo by Susan R. Vincil

Surrounded by water and filled with beautiful, white-sand beaches, Cancun’s hotel zone has no shortage of romantic views. Many hotels have rooms with and ocean view or rooms that are oceanfront. From those accommodations, you are guaranteed to have stunning views of the Caribbean Sea (or Mujeres Bay, if your hotel is on the northern strip of the hotel zone). Some hotels even set up the furniture in their rooms so guests can gaze out at the turquoise sea, while laying in bed.

Guest rooms at Iberostar Cancun have spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. | Photo provided by Iberostar Cancun

Exceptional views can also be found from restaurants and lounges, inside area hotels.

Outdoor lounge at Le Meridien | Photo provided by Le Meridien Cancun

The terrace at The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun's beach club | Photo provided by The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun

While Cancun has roughly 14 miles of incredible beaches, the beach at Presidente Inter-Continental is arguably the city’s best beach. Filled with palm trees, this wide, flat beach has white sand that is fine and soft, like baby powder, and the crystal-clear water is very calm. One of Cancun’s most romantic views can be seen while laying in a beach chair on this perfect beach, under the palm trees, with Isla Mujeres visible off in the distance.

The beach at Presidente Inter-Continental Cancun is arguably the best beach in Cancun. Photo by Susan R. Vincil

There aren’t many things that are more romantic than watching a sunset with your sweetheart. To watch the sunset, in Cancun, visit one of the many restaurants that are located on Nichupte Lagoon. The sun sets over the lagoon and the outdoor terraces of the lagoon-front restaurants are fantastic places for having a meal, or cocktails, while enjoying a beautiful sunset.

Sunset over Nichupte Lagoon | Photo by Susan R. Vincil

Guest rooms at Park Royal Cancun are decorated with vibrant the colors of the Caribbean Sea.

In recent years, Cancun has transformed from a budget-friendly resort town to a city filled with pricey, luxury resorts. While the luxury resorts are absolutely phenomenal, they aren’t exactly easy on the wallet. And, even if you can afford to splurge on a vacation at five-star property, it doesn’t mean you always want to go that route. For a vacation on a tight budget, here are some affordable beach hotel, in Cancun:

Aquamarina Beach Hotel Cancun: A small, family-friendly resort on the northern portion of Cancun’s hotel zone, facing Mujeres Bay. This resort has an all-inclusive option, if you’d like to have all meals included in the price of your room. There is a marina at this hotel, but the beach and view are still nice. The hotel is right on the bus route, which makes it easy to get to the nightclubs, restaurants, or shopping malls.

Bellevue Beach Paradise: This high-rise hotel is located at the southern end of Cancun’s hotel zone, only about 15 minutes from the airport. Bellevue Beach Paradise is beachfront, all-inclusive resort that faces the Caribbean Sea.

Flamingo Cancun Resort: An older resort in the heart of Cancun’s hotel zone. This all-inclusive resort is located right across the street from Flamingo Mall, where several popular restaurants, like Outback Steakhouse and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, are located. Flamingo Cancun is right on the beach, facing the Caribbean Sea.

Ocean Spa Hotel: Located right next door to Aquamarina Beach Hotel Cancun. This small hotel was recently remodeled and now has lovely room as well as a very nice spa, for a moderately priced hotel. The resort offers an all-inclusive option, for guests that wish to have meals and drinks included in the cost of their room.

Park Royal Cancun: This all-inclusive resort is a short walk from La Isla Shopping Village and there is a small site of Mayan ruins on the hotel grounds. For many years, the Park Royal Cancun has had one of Cancun’s best beaches. That is still the case, today. The hotel has two towers, whose shapes were inspired by Mayan pyramids. From each guest room, there is a view of the Caribbean Sea and Nichupte Lagoon.  There are suites on either end of each tower and those rooms have either a view of the sea or the lagoon.

The incredibly popular Jungle Tour is offered by a number of Cancun tour operators, including Aquatours. | Photo provided by Aquatours

Cancun has more to offer than just miles of white-sand beaches. There are ancient Mayan ruins to see, eco-parks to visit, and an entire undersea world for scuba divers and snorkelers to explore. Once you begin doing research on the variety of sightseeing tours that are offered in Cancun, you’ll find that there are an overwhelming number of tour operators.  Trying to figure out which company is the best for you and your needs can be a daunting task.

Of course, you’ll want to select a reliable tour operator, that has an excellent reputation. Some of Cancun’s most reputable tour operators are Aquaworld Cancun, Dolphin Discovery and their sister company, Aquatours, Delphinus, and Entertainment-Plus.net. It should come as no surprise that these companies have also become some of the most popular tour operators in Cancun.

Check the cancellation policy of each tour operator, prior to making a reservation. Some companies, like Entertainment-Plus, have very liberal change/cancellation policies, while others may be more restrictive. It’s good to know the company’s policy, in case you get sick and have to cancel your tour, or re-book it for another day.

When selecting a tour operator, you should determine whether they offer private tours or group tours (bus tours) to the attraction you wish to visit. Private tours can be more expensive, but they offer you more flexibility in your itinerary. However, taking a group tour is not a bad option, by any means.

In Cancun, there are many time-share properties and they each have sales staff all over town, trying to entice tourists to visit their property and sit through a time-share sales presentation. They often lure people to their resorts by offering free tours or even cold, hard cash, in some cases.

The time-share sales presentations are supposed to last only about 90 minutes, according to the sales people you speak with on the street. If you do end up going to a sales presentation, but are not interested in purchasing a time-share, or vacation club membership, then high-pressure sales tactics come into play. This will essentially end with you either spending your hard-earned money on a time-share, or wasting hours of your valuable vacation time. (It’s not uncommon for a “90-minute sales presentation” to turn into a 5-hour ordeal.) So, when choosing a tour operator in Cancun, it’s best to pay full price for a tour with a reputable operator than to fall prey to the dreaded time-share sales people. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Sea Adventure Resort & Waterpark is a seaside resort that also has its own waterpark and miniature golf course on the premises. | Photo provided by Sea Adventure Resort & Waterpark

Club Med Cancun Yucatan: Located at the southern tip of Cancun’s hotel zone, this upscale resort allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of the hotel zone, while still being close to shopping, restaurants, and nightlife. Club Med offers an array of services and activities for families traveling with children of all ages. The Baby Corner, in the main restaurant, has special food and utensils for babies and the hotel provides strollers, changing tables, baby beds, bottle warmers, and high chairs, for guests traveling with infants up to 23 months old. Not only is there a kids club, for keeping children entertained during the day, but there is also a “Pajama Club”, which offers supervised activities in the evening, so parents can go out on the town, or simply enjoy the hotel’s facilities without the kids. There are special cooking classes, Zumba classes & other fitness classes, as well as tennis lessons, especially for small children. There is even a Teen Spa, for older kids. Most guest rooms hold only two adults and two children, but there are some Family Suites available, which can accommodate up to seven people.

Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa: Even though this is one of the oldest properties in Cancun’s, it is still one of nicest family-oriented resorts in town. There are two sections of the hotel; the Club Tower and the Pyramid Tower. Some rooms in the Club Tower have bathtubs, which is often a big concern for parents with small children. The main feature of the Pyramid Tower are its Dolphin View rooms. The Dolphin View rooms have unobstructed views of the hotel’s dolphinarium, a “natural saltwater lagoon”, where dolphins are kept, and guests staying in those rooms  can watch dolphins jump and do tricks while people participate in “Swim with Dolphins” programs at the hotel. The resort has an excellent kids club, called Explorer’s Club, which has activities throughout the day for children ages three to twelve. In addition to the daily activities at the Explorer’s Club, there is also an overnight “camping trip”, once a week, where children camp out on the beach. Room service is included in the hotel’s all-inclusive plan and it is available 24 hours a day. This is perfect for times when the family is too tired to go to one of the resort’s restaurants for a meal, or when you want a late-night snack, but the restaurants are closed.

Great Parnassus : This resort has a pirate-themed water park, a Mayan-inspired, 18-hole miniature golf course, a kids club, and a baby club, for children that are between 18 months and three years of age. A variety of room types are offered at this resort, but only the Family Rooms can accommodate up to two adults and three children. The Family Rooms have either one king bed, or two double beds, plus three bunk beds. These rooms are a wonderful feature for families with more than two children, since most hotel rooms can only hold two adults and two children. This hotel sometimes has specials where kids under the age of twelve stay free and eat free.

Sea Adventure Resort & Waterpark (formerly Blue Bay Club):  Located on the beach in Puerto Juarez, just north of downtown Cancun, this small resort (only 160 rooms and junior suites) has its own waterpark, a 13-hole miniature golf course, a playground, and a kids club, for ages 4-12. The waterpark has an area called “Little Adventure”, for children under the age of six, and another section that is known as “The Treehouse”, for ages six and up. The Treehouse section has four water slides, as well as waterfalls, while the Little Adventure area has small slides, in very shallow water, as well as structures that resemble mushrooms, which have water pouring off of them, creating a waterfall effect. The waterpark and mini-golf course are both open daily, from 9:00am until 5:00pm. The kids club has scheduled activities throughout the day. In the evenings, there are themed shows, in the dinner theater, which are suitable for families. Guest rooms have either one king bed or two double beds and can accommodate up to two adults and three children. Babysitting is available, at an additional cost, if mom and dad would like to go out in the evening, without the children.

The traditional holiday flower, the poinsettia (known as noche buena, in Mexico) is from Mexico. It was introduced to the US in 1825. | Photo by Laura Padgett

On Christmas Eve, known as Noche Buena, in Mexico, families gather together and have a big meal around midnight, and then they open gifts. Children get some gifts on Christmas but they get most of their gifts in January, on Three Kings Day. The celebration often goes on until the wee hours of the night, or even later. Some of the traditional foods served at the holiday dinners are romeritos, bacalao, tamales, turkey, and pork dishes. Christmas Day is a quiet day, spent with family, but the big celebrations are over until New Year’s Eve, when families get together again, to ring in the new year.

A couple enjoying the outstanding facilities at The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun. | Photo courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun

Here are Cancun’s most romantic hotels, listed in no particular order:

Le Blanc Resort & Spa: A small, luxury resort, in a great location; near nightlife, restaurants, and shopping. This all-inclusive resort is exclusively for adults. Each room has a 2-person jacuzzi tub and views of either the Caribbean Sea or Nichupte Lagoon. The food & service are outstanding and the hotel’s spa is one of Cancun’s finest. After spending just a few minutes at this resort, you’ll quickly see why they earned the AAA Five Diamond award in 2011.

The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun: Each room at this spectacular, luxury resort has a view of the Caribbean Sea. This AAA Five Diamond resort caters to families and couples but, while there may be children around, it is still a very romantic place. Casitas, the hotel’s steakhouse, has tables in private cabanas that are right on the beach. The cabanas are ideal for a marriage proposal or just a wonderful, romantic meal on Valentine’s Day. There are also two AAA Five Diamond restaurant on-site; Fantino and The Club Grill.

Sun Palace: This resort is the less expensive, but only slightly less luxurious, version of Le Blanc, which is also owned by Palace Resorts. Sun Palace is a small all-inclusive, adults-only resort with a very nice spa. The food quality and high level of service that Palace Resorts are known for can definitely be found at this property. A 2-person jacuzzi tub is in each guest room and nothing says “romance” like a candlelit bubble bath and champagne.

The Royal Cancun: This adults-only resort is top-notch, all the way. Its elegant decor makes you feel like royalty from the moment you enter the front door. Each of the 288 guest suites has an ocean view and 2-person jacuzzi tub. Swim-out suites are available, which allow you to go directly from your suite’s balcony to the main swimming pool.

Live Aqua Cancun: One of Cancun’s most beautiful hotels, this resort is yet another luxury, all-inclusive resort that is only for adults. Spa Aqua, the resort’s award-winning spa, offers couples massages. The hotel’s large pool area, consisting of 8 pools that mimic the shades of blue found in the Caribbean Sea, is arguably the best pool in Cancun. The pool area has an abundance of lounge chairs, as well as many beach beds. Some guest rooms have 2-person tubs with a view of the sea.

The incredible pool area at Live Aqua Cancun | Photo courtesy of Live Aqua Cancun

One of the beaches at Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa | Photo by Susan R. Vincil

The start of a brand new year is right around the corner and people are starting to think about their new year’s resolutions for 2012. We thought we’d mix things up a bit and make a list of travel resolutions for the coming year (now, that’s much more fun that vowing to get in shape, isn’t it?).

When traveling to Cancun, in 2012, resolve to:

Save Money. You can do this by traveling at off-peak times of year. From late-April to mid-May and just after Thanksgiving (US Thanksgiving, that is) until mid-December are inexpensive times to travel to Cancun and you’ll also avoid crowds during those times. Another way to save money while on vacation is to take the bus instead of taxis. The city buses are safe, convenient, and cheap (around 60 cents per person, for each ride). You can also save money by eating Mexican food at places where locals regularly dine. The food will be inexpensive and it’s usually great at small “mom & pop” restaurants or even at taco stands on the street. (Check out a previous blog post, Cheap Eats: The Best Inexpensive Food in Cancun, for a list of several notable places to dine on the cheap, in Cancun.)

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. For some people, doing something as simple as venturing into downtown Cancun, rather than spending their entire vacation in the hotel zone, may be considered “stepping out of their comfort zone”. Seasoned travelers, or the more adventurous type, might find zip-lining through the jungle, swimming with whale sharks in the open sea, or climbing to the top of the pyramid at Coba to be outside their comfort zone, however. Even if you just manage to muster the courage to sing a song during karaoke night at your resort, do it. Doing things outside your comfort zone not only breaks up the monotony that our lives can easily fall into from time to time, but doing new things also gives your brain a little workout, which keeps it sharp.

Spend More Time with Your Family. Cancun is a family-friendly area and many resorts cater to families. Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa and Club Med Cancun Yucatan are two excellent resorts for families traveling with small children or teens. Both hotels have lovely beaches with calm water so little ones can safely play at the water’s edge. They also have kid’s clubs, where children can spend the day playing games or participating in various activities. Babysitting is available too, in case mom and dad want to go out for the evening. Club Med even has a playground, cooking classes for children, and a Teen Spa, which offers beauty treatments for teenage guests. Dreams Cancun has a dolphinarium on-site so guests can swim with dolphins without having to leave the resort.

The interior of Peter's Restaurant, in downtown Cancun. | Photo by Susan R. Vincil

Cancun is separated into two very different areas, the hotel zone, where most tourists stay during their vacations, and the downtown area, known as El Centro. In the hotel zone,  foodies will delight in all the culinary offerings found in nearby gourmet restaurants. Harry’s Prime Steakhouse & Raw Bar, Paloma Bonita, and Puerto Madero continually get rave reviews for their upscale fare.  Harry’s offers some of the best steaks around, in both quality and flavor (dry-aged beef is offered, as well as Kobe beef and USDA Prime cuts of meat), and their seafood is incredibly fresh and delicious, too. Puerto Madero also offers amazing steak and seafood dishes, but with an Argentinean twist, since the restaurant is named after a famous port in Argentina. Paloma Bonita serves gourmet Mexican cuisine in a beautiful space, decorated in the styles found in three different states of Mexico.

In downtown Cancun, an area mainly populated by locals, there are several top-notch restaurants, as well. L’Escargot, Peter’s Restaurant, and La Dolce Vita Centro. L’Escargot is a small, family-owned French restaurant in a residential area, just a block or two from Yaxchilan Avenue. The food is consistently flavorful and flawless. The Chateaubriand (for two people) is melt-in-your-mouth good and the escargot, for which the venue was named, is also wonderful. Peter’s Restaurant is another small eatery, owned and operated by Chef Peter Houben. The menu features exquisite beef, pork, poultry, and seafood dishes.  La Dolce Vita Centro has been serving high-quality Italian food for nearly 30 years, much to the delight of the many locals and tourists that patronize the restaurant.

For authentic and phenomenally good street food, El Parque de las Palapas, in downtown Cancun, is the best place to go. The park has roughly 15 different food vendors in permanent stands on one side of the park, as well as many others that have temporary kiosks set up around the park’s perimeter. Try the salbutes (basically, Mayan tacos, but so much better than a typical taco) and empanadas for your entree and then, for dessert, try marquesitas from one of the carts around the edge of the park. A marquesita is basically a thick crepe-like pastry, filled with chocolate, Nutella, or some other sweet, decadent filling, then rolled up to keep all the sweet, chocolaty (or Nutella-y, etc.) goodness inside. Other dessert options are ice cream and popsicles. Vendors can often be found pushing their carts filled with these icy treats through the park.

Whether you opt for gourmet cuisine or fantastic street food, even the most discerning palates will find Cancun’s culinary offerings to be extraordinary.

Surfin Burrito | Photo by Susan R. Vincil

For foodies, Cancun is like heaven on earth. There are gourmet restaurants galore, but there are also an abundance of inexpensive eateries that serve some of the best food in Cancun. Authentic Mexican food is the easiest type of cuisine to find on the cheap. Seafood and baguette sandwiches are also available for very little money.

Ty-Coz is a local restaurant chain that serves up some of the best baguette sandwiches around. The garlic mayonnaise is the main reason the sandwiches are so addictive, but the fresh bread and freshly sliced veggies also keep customers coming back for more. The prices are unbelievable. Nothing on the menu is over 80 pesos (less than $6 USD).  The Economica is the least expensive sandwich offered, at only $15 (just over $1 USD). The food from Ty-Coz is highly addictive. Consider yourself warned.

Los de Pescado is another small chain of restaurants in Mexico. There are two locations in Cancun’s hotel zone; in the food court at Plaza Kukulkan and in a small shopping center, in front of the Presidente Inter-Continental hotel. The only items on the menu are fish tacos, which are simply battered & deep-fried fish, served in corn tortillas, shrimp tacos, ceviche, and a ceviche tostada. The ceviche is nearly $100 pesos (roughly $7.50 USD) but the tacos are only $20 pesos each (that’s only around $1.50 USD). They are small, but filling and, unless you are very hungry, you’ll only need one or two tacos to make a meal. A variety of salsas are available, ranging from mild to hellishly hot. Toppings, like fresh cabbage, are also available.

Surfin Burrito is a very small place, located across the street from Sr. Frog’s. There are no indoor seating at this place, but that doesn’t stop people from camping out on bar stools, to enjoy the pina coladas that are served in fresh pineapples. This little restaurant and bar serves only tacos and burritos. Everything is reasonably priced, including the beer and cocktails. The most expensive burrito is only around $5 USD. Surfin Burrito is open 24 hours a day and they deliver within the hotel zone.

Taco Factory is also a chain restaurant, with a couple of locations in Cancun. The most popular location is the one in Cancun’s “Party Center”, however.  As the name implies, this place cranks out hundreds of tacos a day. The food is tasty and cheap, although it’s not as ridiculously cheap as some of the other places on this list. The location is perfect for people-watching and is very crowded late at night, after the bars close.

Xtabentun is one of Cancun’s hidden treasures. It is located in Coral Negro Flea Market and doesn’t look like much at all. There are plastic tables set up in the parking lot and in the alley next to the market, but don’t let any of that detract you from trying this place. The food is absolutely fantastic and it’s super cheap too. Xtabentun is usually filled with locals but, over the years, more and more tourists have started frequenting the place. A chicken and cheese burrito, served with refried beans and rice, will run you around $50 pesos (around $4 USD). This place is a great spot for late-night dining, after the nightclubs close.

Cancun airport | Photo by flickr user corsi photo

You have several transportation options, when traveling from Cancun’s airport to downtown Cancun or to the hotel zone. Bus service, private or shared shuttles, and rental cars are available, but each service has its own list of pros and cons.

ADO Bus: At a price of $4 USD, per person, for one-way service, ADO buses are your most economical option for getting into downtown Cancun. Buses from the airport run every hour, starting at 8:10am. The last bus is at 8pm. ADO is not just an airport transportation company.  They are a major bus line, with routes throughout Mexico. Their vehicles are nice, clean, and air-conditioned and they have comfortable, reclining seats.

• Pros: Inexpensive. A great option if you are staying in downtown Cancun. Reservations are not required; you can buy your ticket after you are in Cancun.
• Cons: Depending on when your flight arrives, you may have to wait quite a while for the next bus to depart and this option is not available after 8pm. If you are staying in Cancun’s hotel zone, you’ll have to take a bus or taxi from the bus terminal, in downtown Cancun, to your hotel. That could make this option very time-consuming and expensive, if you end up paying for a taxi to take you to the hotel zone.

Shared Shuttle: This mode of transportation is great for individual travelers that don’t wish to take the bus or rent a car. Gray Line Cancun is one of the many companies at Cancun’s airport that offer shared transfers to area hotels. With shared shuttles, you have to wait until the vehicle fills up with passengers before you can begin your journey. Along the way, you stop to drop-off passengers at their hotels and, eventually, you make it to your hotel. Gray Line Cancun charges $30 USD, per person, for round-trip service between the airport and Cancun’s hotel zone. If you are not in a hurry, this can be a very nice way to travel to/from your hotel.

• Pros: An economical way to travel for one person traveling alone.
• Cons: Shuttle service with Gray Line Cancun is only available between the hours of 8am and 8pm. You have to stop to pick-up/drop-off passengers at various hotels along the way to your hotel or when you are traveling back to the airport, on your day of departure. This option can be pricey if there is more than one passenger traveling. If there is more than one person in the party, private transfers are cheaper.

Private Shuttle: Hiring a private shuttle is the fastest way to get to your hotel. You simply walk out of the airport terminal and locate your transportation company (each company holds up signs with the company name and logo on it, but some still hold up signs that show the client’s name) and, within minutes, you are on the way to your hotel. Your party will be the only passengers in the vehicle and you will only make one stop…at your hotel. There are numerous transfer companies in Cancun but USA Transfers is very popular and has an outstanding reputation. USA Transfers only offers private transfers. Prices start at $55 USD for a party of 1-3 passengers, staying in Cancun’s hotel zone.  The price is per vehicle, not per person, and is for round-trip service. You can hire a shuttle at the airport, when you arrive, but their prices are horrendous. The minimum fee is currently $65 USD for one-way service to Cancun’s hotel zone. It’s much smarter, and easier on the wallet, to make a reservation in advance.

• Pros: This option will get you to your hotel the fastest, so you can start your vacation; personalized service. You are able to schedule pick-up times for any hour, day or night. Most companies will provide child safety seats, if you request them at the time you make your reservation (some companies may charge for this service, but USA Transfers offers car seats for free, based on availability).
• Cons: Advanced reservations are required and you must pay up front for the round-trip service. If you are staying outside of Cancun, the price for private service may not suit you budget. For example, USA Transfers charges $145 USD for round-trip service, for a party of 1-3 passengers, to Tulum (roughly 2.5 hours south of Cancun).

Rental Car: Avis, Hertz, and other internationally-known rental car companies have offices at the Cancun airport. There are also several smaller, lesser-known companies competing for a piece of the pie. Car rental rates are fairly reasonable but rental insurance is mandatory and you have to purchase that from the car company, like it or not. The insurance costs are often more expensive than the daily rental rate of the car. If you are adventurous and like to travel on your own schedule, you may wish to consider renting a car while in Cancun.

• Pros: Travel independently, on your own schedule.
• Cons: Driving a rental car makes you an easy target for local police that want to collect bribes from motorists. Driving in Cancun & Riviera Maya is not for the faint of heart. If you are not a defensive driver or if you easily get “road rage”, a rental car is not the best mode of transportation for you.