Cancun Rain

Things to Do in Cancun When it Rains

By Nicole Muto

Cancun is known as a beach paradise with endless sunshine and warmth, but every so often you may catch a rainy day. Just in case you are in Cancun when it rains, you might want to have a backup plan. Here are our favorite indoor activities and rainy day trip ideas for Cancun.

  • Interactive Aquarium Cancun
  • Shopping Tours
  • Taco and Beer Tasting Tour
  • Bars and Restaurants
  • Museo Maya de Cancun

Interactive Aquarium Cancun

Located right in the Isla Vista Shopping Mall, Interactive Aquarium Cancun is the perfect place to take the whole family if the weather isn't all sunshine and beaches. Instead, bring beach life inside and discover Cancun's exciting marine life.

You can easily spend the day here, with plenty of touch tanks, fish tanks, and volunteer-led presentations. Watch as dolphins splash around their habitat or get to know the feeling of a sting ray's slimy back as they zip around the tanks. You'll forget you're indoors and not at the beach.

Indoor Aquarium Cancun

Shopping tours

While these shopping tours aren't completely out of the rain, you might find it worthwhile to endure a drop or two as you pop in and out of the shops.

Shop the streets of Playa del Carmen or peruse the booths at Mercado 28 in Cancun (or do both!) on a guided tour of these two city's shopping districts. What better excuse to spend a couple of hours shopping than rain?

Playa del Carmen

Hop aboard the bus and head down to Playa del Carmen, another popular resort destination just outside of Cancun. Your tour guide will lead you down Fifth Avenue, the longest stretch of shops and goods in the area. You can shop anything from local-owned boutiques to popular international brands like H&M.

Cancun

On this guided tour, you'll find other places to shop besides La Isla. Your guide will take you to Mercado 28 and Plaza Las Americas - a shopper's paradise. Mercado 28 is set up just like a flea market, with locally made goods and gifts perfect for friends back home. Plaza Las Americas offers well-known stores like Victoria's Secret, Sears, and Adidas

Cancun shopping

Take your tastebuds on a food tour

Immerse yourself in the local cuisine on a Colors of Mexico Taco Tour and Local Beer Tasting. This fantastic foodie tour will keep you out of the rain for an evening whilst you indulge in the best taquerias in town.

You'll stop at four local restaurants, all chosen to take you on a journey through Mexico. Feast on tacos de cochinita, tacos coapeñito, tacos de surtido, and tacos al pastor as you explore the best food Cancun has to offer. With a perfectly paired beer (or soft drink) at every stop, you'll never want this tour to end!

Your knowledgeable guide will make this unique experience all the better, on-hand to give you a complete history of Mexico's culture, food traditions, and little-known facts about their most delectable secret ingredients.

Tacos in Cancun

Hit the bars and restaurants 

There are plenty of local bars and restaurants in Cancun to explore if your trip to the beach is canceled at the last minute. Find somewhere to settle down for the afternoon to enjoy some delicious seafood and perfectly refreshing drinks.

Fred's House is just the place for a bite and a drink. This American-style seafood restaurant offers beautiful views and private cabana seating that keeps you out of the weather's way. Being inside doesn't have to mean missing out on Cancun's views!

If you're just stopping in for a quick drink, grab a seat at the bar and use your pass for $20 towards drinks. Will you sip on a piña colada or a beer?

Fred's House

Museo Maya de Cancun

Check out one of Cancun's best art and anthropological museums: Museo Maya de Cancun.

This museum holds one of the most important collections of Mayan artifacts, from jewelry to ceramics and sculptures. There are nearly 400 pieces on display, all showcasing Mayan culture. This museum is definitely worth a visit. You'll head home with a wealth of knowledge – not just a tan!

Rainy day savings galore

See? You can stay dry all while having plenty of fun indoors in Cancun when it rains. We hope these ideas helped inspire you to create a fun-filled indoorsy itinerary for your trip! It's always good to have a backup plan, just in case.

Save up to 50% on Cancun attractions  

Discover our full line-up of Cancun attractions, from Xcaret Park to parasailing adventures.

🤩 >> If you want to see and do as much as you can, our All-Inclusive Pass is for you.    

😎 >> If you want to pick just a few attractions and visit at your own pace, our Explorer Pass is the perfect option. 

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A woman floats in the shallows in Cancun
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Should I visit Cancun in June?

Cancun and June go together so well they even rhyme. After the busy months of the first half of the year, Cancun in June is quieter, with some great flight and hotel deals to be had. However, this doesn’t mean that the city shuts up shop until December. Far from it. There’s still a wealth of attractions to delight and entertain, including the arrival of turtles and whale sharks along Cancun’s frankly wondrous Caribbean shores. To prove it, here’s our guide to what to do in Cancun in June! Beach hopping Cancun’s 22 kilometers of white sand beaches – extending along the hotel zone – are a major draw at any time of year. In June, there’s even more reason to soak up the sun from the likes of Playa Delfines or Playa Langosta. Mounting humidity levels can be kept at bay by sticking to the hotel zone’s thin band of land, separated from the higher temperatures of the mainland by Nichupte Lagoon. Looking refreshed with the arrival of the new season rains, you can see the jungle and many of its species, from birds to monkeys, at its most glorious. And from the controls of your very own speedboat too! But don’t worry – although June is one of the wettest months in the Cancun calendar, just a quarter of days experience the month’s afternoon showers. They won’t force you to cancel any plans. That’s particularly good news when both turtles and whale sharks are potential attractions during the month. Head across to Isla Mujeres by catamaran and you can encounter turtles both in the coral-laden shallows immediately offshore and on the beaches of Punta Sur as they return to the sands they hatched from to continue the circle of life. Whale sharks meanwhile arrive in Cancun’s waters from May, and stay until September, filling their days feasting on the plankton-rich waters. Swimming close to these animals – which at up to 18 meters long are the world’s largest fish – is one of the highlights of the year, yet alone the month. Staying fresh With sea temperatures matching those on land – 29°C – it’s no wonder such a plethora of life chooses to spend their time here beneath the waves. Just a short journey south of Cancun, the town of Puerto Morelos is the gateway to the Mesoamerican Reef. Also known as the Grand Mayan Reef, the ‘grand’ is well placed, it being second in size only to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. One way to ensure you see it at its best is by booking a dedicated snorkeling tour, where turtles are just one of 500 different species of fish and sea creatures you have the chance to lay your eyes on. No less impressive are the Yucatan Peninsula’s unique collection of natural limestone water-filled sinkholes, or cenotes. Fed by underwater rivers, these open and semi-open cave-like structures are some of the most dramatic places to cool off in the region, with the crystal-clear waters accompanying stunning jungle locations. Held sacred by the Maya, many are located close to other sites of interest, allowing visitors to combine a tour of the pyramid of Coba with time at a cenote for instance. Don’t stop at sundown Come sunset at around 7:30PM, temperatures only drop by 5 – 8°C, meaning your adventures don’t need to stop with the fall of night. In fact, crowd pleasers including Xcaret ecopark offer special night time admission, allowing visitors to see the evening spectacular as well as 50 other park attractions. If you’re keen to take the evening down the romantic route with a significant other, you can both delight in the sunsets or moonlight and stars on a boat cruise and multi-course dinner across Nichupte lagoon. But if it’s Cancun’s nightlife that attracted you to the destination in the first place, there’s little need to go any further than Congo Bar at the northern end of the hotel zone. It is almost unrivalled when it comes to the club scene, although The City Nightclub and Coco Bongo also have long lines forming for those without the luxury of VIP access. Enjoy June’s special events Irrespective of the heavy beats and live DJs, the busy schedule of events means both day and night feel like party time in Cancun in June. Dia de la Marina, or Navy Day, is celebrated on June 1. Look out for events including military parades, historic battle reenactments and fireworks taking place either in Cancun or in nearby coastal towns. Having started in May and stretching through to mid-June, the Festival de los Océanos (Ocean Festival) showcases all the seas around Cancun have to offer through a range of talks, concerts, children’s activities and culinary events. Movie screenings take the lead at the International FILMA festival, which features Spanish language and international movies and art house shorts. Keep a particular eye out for the atmospheric classic screenings that take place on the beach after nightfall. June is also Pride month around the world, celebrating the globe’s LGBTQ+ communities. Although there’s no Pride parade in Cancun, its Riviera Maya neighbors host a series of events. The gay clubs in the downtown area also make the most of the month. How to save in Cancun in June Ticking off the top things to do in Cancun is as easy in June as it is in March, April or May. Whilst the weather will be cloudier than during these months, and the rain a little heavier, there’s no reason to worry yourself about being trapped in a hotel room for days on end or having to hide beneath an umbrella for your entire stay. Instead, it’s still very possible to enjoy the huge range of outdoor attractions available in Cancun in June, and with lower visitor numbers too, reserving your museum visits for those occasional downpours. Whatever you’re planning for when you’re in this Mexican paradise, be sure to include Go City. Simply by having our app you can make incredible savings on a whole raft of Cancun attractions!
Ian Packham
A couple enjoy the sea views in Cancun
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Things to do in Cancun in July

Take a quick turn around the web and you’ll soon discover that July falls within Cancun’s wet season. But although it’s low season, don’t give up your dreams of visiting Cancun in July just yet. The month’s wet season designation tricks many into believing July isn’t a good time to visit Cancun. However, the reality on the beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula is very different to what you might be imagining. Five days of rain is all you’ll experience on average, and even then, this generally consists of a nothing more than heavy afternoon downpour of as little as 15 minutes. They rarely last longer than two or three hours. And whilst there’s an outside chance of a hurricane making landfall at this time of year, the last time this happened was way back in 2005. Wet season? We hear you ask. What wet season? Here’s some of what you can get up to in Cancun in July. Seek out the sea breeze With temperatures on land maxing out at 34°C and humidity levels which can top 80%, sticking close to Cancun’s Caribbean shores is a good way to minimize the heat. Getting out onto the water is incredibly easy in Cancun, with catamaran cruises to Isla Mujeres, shipwreck snorkeling tours and even the galleries of an underwater museum to consider. Between them they offer an incredible array of ways to enjoy the region’s turquoise waters and teeming coral reefs. The Caribbean’s only seafront amusement and water park, Ventura Park provides a heady mix of high-octane rides and calmer ways to appreciate the water, such as its Lazy River and Wave Pool, making it a great shout for families. All ages are also welcome at the majority of Cancun’s cenotes. Natural sinkholes formed from collapsed limestone caves and flooded by a mix of underwater rivers and rain water, they are a stunning addition to the region’s geography. Ranging from simple holes in the ground to magnificent forms with diving platforms up to ten meters high, their cool waters will soon see you adopt the right frame of mine. Take a road trip With the Riviera Maya on your doorstep, Cancun is the perfect starting point for a coastal road trip in search of Mayan ruins and tiny coves. So why not rent a car for the day and head down Federal Highway 307? Whether you ramp up the air-con or wind down the windows is entirely up to you, as you head south from Puerto Morelos to the beaches, bars and boutique stores of Playa del Carmen and the archeology site of Tulum – where temples stand guard over the coast. Along the way, consider stopping for a couple of hours at the ecoparks of Xel-Ha or Xcaret. Xel-Ha counts jungle and river trails amongst its highlights, whilst Xcaret is best thought of as part water park, part cabaret show and part wildlife reserve. Meet Cancun’s most-loved creatures Animal lovers certainly won’t be short of things to do in Cancun in July. Since May at least three species of turtle have been dragging themselves up onto the beaches after dark in order to dig holes in which to lay their eggs. This continues through July, with the added bonus of the very first eggs to be laid starting to hatch, carpeting the sands of Isla Mujeres with newborns eager to reach the relative safety of the open ocean. Though the giants of the deep, the turtles don’t face any threat from the whale sharks which linger in Cancun’s warm tropical waters at this time of year, since they eat nothing larger than microscopic plankton. Swimming and snorkeling beside these magnificent creatures are unforgettable experiences, celebrated on the island at the annual Whale Shark Festival at the end of July. Discover the nightlife Another end of July celebration to mark in your diary is July 25’s El Día Fuera del Tiempo. Translating as ‘the day out of time’, it marks the Mayan year end, and is a traditional time to reflect on the past twelve months. There are festivities right along the Riviera Maya. Originally focusing on Tulum, they now include events in Cancun itself. But whatever day you turn up in July you can be sure of a good time. With a reputation as one of the best places to party south of the Rio Grande, Cancun’s hotel zone is awash with neon signs and dance floors just waiting to be filled. One of the top spots for many years has been Congo Bar, whose DJs spin the decks until close to sunrise. Take in some culture If the thought of those occasional afternoon downpours is still leaving you unsure of what to do in Cancun in July, remember that the city isn’t all about outdoor adventures. There’s also plenty to discover under cover, with a pick of great museums and galleries thanks to a thriving cultural scene. Museo Maya displays a wealth of important artefacts linked to the region’s historic inhabitants, including items discovered at Chichen Itza and Comalcalco. They reveal many of the secrets to the Mayans’ success and ultimate demise at the hands of the Spanish conquistadors. Forming part of Xcaret ecopark, the Mexican Folk Art Museum details the nation’s modern culture, including items such as ghoulish Day of the Dead dolls in a dazzling series of colorful galleries depicting everyday life. The 3D Museum of Wonders in Playa del Carmen lives up to its name and is a museum that will keep the kids entertained until the clouds clear. Filled with three-dimensional optical illusions, it is the work of artist Kurt Wenner, whose 60 creations literally leap from the walls in all manner of sizes and shapes. Save on Cancun July attraction admission Comparatively crowd-free by Cancun standards and budget-friendly to boot, July is a great month to visit despite being placed within the region’s wet season. Take it easy in the building humidity by sticking to the shoreline or heading to the range of water-based attractions and activities on offer. Take Go City with you and you’ll save big on admission costs at the same time!
Ian Packham

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