Adventure Cancun

For a relaxed stay outside the main hotel area, opt for a stay on Isla Mujeres at the Avalon Reef Club. On its own islet, this is perfectly located for a spontaneous swim or snorkel. The Avalon offers all-inclusive package, which also includes water activity equipment and bicycle rentals. Or you can also fend for yourself meal-wise, which is easy to do in a place like Isla Mujeres, with tons of little food stands selling fabulous local cuisine on the cheap....

For a relaxed stay outside the main hotel area, opt for a stay on Isla Mujeres at the Avalon Reef Club. On its own islet, this is perfectly located for a spontaneous swim or snorkel. The Avalon offers all-inclusive package, which also includes water activity equipment and bicycle rentals. Or you can also fend for yourself meal-wise, which is easy to do in a place like Isla Mujeres, with tons of little food stands selling fabulous local cuisine on the cheap. Less snooty than some of the other more luxurious resorts, but with several beautiful beaches and easy access to tons of activities, this is the perfect base for your vacation. For your first day, rent a golf cart or some bicycles to explore the island of Isla Mujeres. There are beaches all the way around the island to stop and swim at, and just stop by a dock to pick up a boat if you feel like heading out in the water a bit for some snorkeling. Stop for lunch at one of the tamale or taco stands in the town square, then spend the rest of the day at Garrafon Natural Reef Eco Park. On the southern tip of Isla Mujeres, Garrafon is a beautiful eco-park with a range of activities in and out of the water. Snorkel, ride the zip-line, hike, kayak, your afternoon away at this ecological paradise. You can grab dinner here, too, at Tamarindo, or try another restaurant in downtown Isla Mujeres such as the Picus Cockteleria, where you'll see your seafood come out of the ocean. Doesn't get much fresher than that.

Take a day trip to check out some of the area's most beautiful nature areas and historical sites with Alltournative Off-Track Adventures, a company committed to sustainable ecotourism. Try their Maya Zip-Line & Tulum Tour. You'll start with a stop at Tulum, the ruins of an incredible ancient Mayan city overlooking a beautiful beach. You'll spend a couple of hours here touring the archaeological site and then the city of Tulum, then will move on to a site in...

Take a day trip to check out some of the area's most beautiful nature areas and historical sites with Alltournative Off-Track Adventures, a company committed to sustainable ecotourism. Try their Maya Zip-Line & Tulum Tour. You'll start with a stop at Tulum, the ruins of an incredible ancient Mayan city overlooking a beautiful beach. You'll spend a couple of hours here touring the archaeological site and then the city of Tulum, then will move on to a site in the jungle where you can zip-line, and can swim and snorkel in a crystal-clear cenote, or underground river. You'll get back to Isla Mujeres in the late afternoon, and should bike or golf-cart over to enjoy some more fresh seafood at Sunset Grill on the beach.

Nautilus Dive center is well-known as one of Cancun's most professional and reliable dive companies, and you'll see why when you take a lesson (if needed) and head out for a reef and wreck dive with their knowledgeable guides. The reefs around Cancun are some of the world's most beautiful, and you can see tons of corals, colorful fish, and occasionally sea turtles, sharks, and whale sharks. There are also several fascinating shipwrecks to explore underwater...

Nautilus Dive center is well-known as one of Cancun's most professional and reliable dive companies, and you'll see why when you take a lesson (if needed) and head out for a reef and wreck dive with their knowledgeable guides. The reefs around Cancun are some of the world's most beautiful, and you can see tons of corals, colorful fish, and occasionally sea turtles, sharks, and whale sharks. There are also several fascinating shipwrecks to explore underwater around Cancun and Isla Mujeres. For a fun afternoon activity, head to Rancho Loma Bonita, a ranch and beach club, where you can take a combination ATV and Wave Runner tour. You'll ride through the jungle and mangrove forests on the ATVs before ending up on the beach, and then will switch to Wave Runners for an adrenaline-filled ride on the water. Try Mango Cafe, one of the best restaurants in the area, for Caribbean fusion in the evening.

Ecocolors is a tour company that advocates responsible and sustainable Mexican ecotourism, and their guides, all biologists or naturalists, are incredibly informed about all of the local flora and fauna. Take their day multi-sport tour of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere, a protected area and World Heritage site filled with ancient Mayan history and a wide range of habitats, from lagoons and marshes to beaches and dunes. On the Ecocolors tour, you'll kayak through...

Ecocolors is a tour company that advocates responsible and sustainable Mexican ecotourism, and their guides, all biologists or naturalists, are incredibly informed about all of the local flora and fauna. Take their day multi-sport tour of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere, a protected area and World Heritage site filled with ancient Mayan history and a wide range of habitats, from lagoons and marshes to beaches and dunes. On the Ecocolors tour, you'll kayak through the Campechen lagoon, visit the museum and visitor center, hike through the dunes and along beaches, and swim and snorkel in a cenote. Lunch is included, but bring water and sunscreen, as usual. After you get back to the hotel in the evening, head to Bamboo, in downtown Isla Mujeres, for dinner. They've got the usual delicious sushi and other seafood dishes, but also have fabulous Thai fare and great live music.

Spend your last day in Cancun further exploring the area around Isla Mujeres, starting with a visit to the Contoy Island national park. Just north of Isla Mujeres is the tiny, uninhabited island of Isla Contoy, covered with migrating and rare birds. You can hike here, visit the museum and get a beautiful view from the towering lighthouse, picnic on the beach, and take a boat and snorkeling tour of the magnificent reefs surrounding the island. Hop on a boat...

Spend your last day in Cancun further exploring the area around Isla Mujeres, starting with a visit to the Contoy Island national park. Just north of Isla Mujeres is the tiny, uninhabited island of Isla Contoy, covered with migrating and rare birds. You can hike here, visit the museum and get a beautiful view from the towering lighthouse, picnic on the beach, and take a boat and snorkeling tour of the magnificent reefs surrounding the island. Hop on a boat back to Isla Mujeres in the early afternoon. There's a sea turtle sanctuary on the island, where you can visit to see the hatching, breeding and rehabilitation program in progress, or head to Dolphin Discovery for a last, unforgettable experience in Cancun. Here, with the Sea Life Discovery package you get to interact with dolphins, manatees, and sea lions in this beautiful, natural setting. For your final dinner on the Caribbean, head to Olivia's for truly incredible Moroccan-Greek fusion in a beautiful tropical garden setting. The mojitos are fabulous, too.