What to do on Memorial Day Weekend in Cancun

What to do on Memorial Day Weekend in Cancun

By Dom Bewley

While Memorial Day in America is typically a time to reflect and honor service people who have given their lives for our freedom, many people also use the holiday as a chance to get away and enjoy themselves. And, given Mexico's neighborly nature, many choose to head to Cancun. If you're considering the same, but wonder what to do there on Memorial Day weekend, we can help. In this guide, we'll take a look at all the best experiences to try over the holiday. So take a look, and see what suits you!

Including:

  • Ancient sites
  • Sailing adventures
  • Snorkeling tours
  • Theme parks
  • and more!
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Visit Chichén Itzá & Valladolid

If you fancy something cultural, look no further than a roundtrip tour of Mexico's magnificent Mayan marvel, Chichén Itzá.

This tour picks you up from your hotel and takes you to the site, where you'll have two and a half hours to wander around the temples and structures, learn about their history, and take plenty of photos while you wander.

Once you've seen enough of the famous pyramid, you'll be whisked away to Valladolid, where you'll have an hour and a half to freely explore baroque-style cathedrals, Spanish colonial architecture, and myriad pastel-colored buildings.

If you want to balance out your weekend of partying with some culture and history, and want to know what else to do on Memorial Day in Cancun, this tour could be just the ticket.

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Enjoy a Parasail Adventure

If it's thrills and spills you're after, look no further than this exhilarating parasailing experience! You won't get many better views of Cancun, either.

Your parasailing adventure will take you above 3 miles of the Cancun coastline, giving you ample opportunity to see the beautiful beaches beneath your feet. And don't worry, your roughly 10-minute glide through the sky will be entirely safe; state-of-the-art equipment is used to keep you firmly fixed to the vessel below. You'll even have a walkie-talkie should you need to contact the crew. They'll rein in the rope if you're too high up for comfort.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the stunning coastline from a whole new perspective. And hey, feeling like you're flying's pretty cool too.

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Experience a Reef, Turtle, and Shipwreck Snorkeling Tour

Have you ever wanted to explore a shipwreck on the sea floor, swim alongside sea life, and witness true underwater beauty? If so, this snorkeling tour is just for you.

Just a short boat ride off the coast of Cancun, you'll drop anchor and have two hours to explore the wonders of the deep at five different stops. The first, El Meco, is part of the Great Mayan Reef. You won't get many better looks at coral up close on the planet. The second stop is an area where sea turtles love to hang out. With a near-100% chance of seeing them up close, it's one of the tour's highlights. The third is a unique underwater museum called MUSA, and it's exactly as it sounds. Underwater exhibits, art, and more are ripe for viewing. The fourth stop is the aforementioned shipwreck - arguably the tour's highlight. The fifth and final stop takes you back to the surface, where you'll gaze upon awe-inspiring cenotes.

Whether you're a newb or a seasoned pro, if you're game for a tropical paddle, you needn't wonder what to do on Memorial Day weekend in Cancun. You know what to do - it's this.

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Live it up at Ventura Park

If you prefer thrills of the white-knuckle sort, a trip to Ventura Park should be top of your Memorial Day itinerary.

Adrenaline junkies should check out Aaahventura, a zip line that soars above the treetops. It's not for the faint of heart, but the views from on high will reward those daring enough to try! You'll also love the park's go-karts, rollercoasters, bungee swings, and water slides.

Those of you who prefer the stress-free life, we feel you. And don't worry; you're catered to too! The Lazy River is the perfect way to kick back and enjoy the ride, letting you enjoy the gorgeous scenery at a slower pace. You've also got mini-golf, VR, and dolphin swimming - if you're an animal lover.

Perfect for the whole family if the sun is out in full force, Ventura Park is one of the best attractions in Cancun!

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Party on at the Cancun Jumpoff

Don't worry, party people; we haven't forgotten about you either. Plenty of people head to Cancun to live it up over the Memorial Day weekend. If you're one of them, you won't be better served than at the Cancun Jumpoff.

It's a four-day extravaganza filled with beach parties, pool parties, and non-stop fun. DJs spin the latest dance hits, and there are contests and other activities to keep the energy up. If you want to meet new, like-minded people, you'll find thousands of them there.

Whether you're traveling down with friends, going with your partner, or doing it solo, you won't find many better parties over the Memorial Day weekend than at Cancun Jumpoff. Just don't bring the kids - this one ain't for them.

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Max your cards on a shopping tour

But maybe you're not in it for the party. Maybe you'd rather hit the shops and spend big during the holiday sales. Don't worry; we've got you covered too.

This shopping tour covers the two best spots in Cancun - more on them in a bit. Let's start at the beginning, where you'll be whisked away on a luxury air-conditioned bus, where your expert tour guide will provide you with a background of the sun-soaked city, its history, and how the locals live. Which will come in handy when you visit your first destination - Mercado 28. It's a flea-market-style shopping area with booths and restaurants owned and operated by locals, making it the perfect place to find hand-crafted purses, accessories, jewelry, or other souvenirs for friends back home. You'll also dine in style at one of the many authentic restaurants in the area.

The next stop is Plaza Las Americas, where you'll find big-name brands sold at low, low prices. This one isn't for your friends and family back home; it's your turn to treat yourself.

So, if you were wondering what to do on Memorial Day weekend in Cancun, we hope this guide has given you some ideas! If you need more inspiration for your Cancun break, check out Go City. With our All-Inclusive Pass and Explorer Pass, you can see all of Cancun's hottest attractions for one low price!

Dom Bewley
Go City Travel Expert

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A couple on a white sand beach in Cancun
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Cancun in January

If you’re planning a visit to Cancun in January you’ve hit the jackpot. Sure, Mexico’s top beach resort is probably at its most crowded, but with so much to see and do you’ll hardly even notice. Coming early on in the Yucatan region’s dry season, which starts in December, Cancun’s weather in January sees temperatures of 21 – 28°C matched by clear sunny skies. Warm evenings mean you can stay out in short sleeves long into the night, whilst sea temperatures aren’t all that different to what you can expect on the long ribbons of white sand. Humidity is also at its lowest levels of the year, especially towards the end of January. This makes the month an excellent time to explore the jungle, hit the waters of the Caribbean Sea in any number of ways or soak up the sun on beaches famed the world over. Is January a good time to visit Cancun? There’s no denying it is! Jungle adventures Take a snapshot of the Yucatan Peninsula from the vantage point of a quetzal bird or hornbill and you’ll soon realize just how much of it is thick subtropical jungle. So whilst it’s right to focus much of your attention on Cancun’s shoreline, be sure not to miss the delights of this other natural habitat within very easy reach. From Cancun’s hotel zone beaches the jungle is just one exhilarating speedboat tour across Nichupté Lagoon, whose opposite banks form an unbroken chain of trees providing important nesting spots for crocodiles as well as birds. Alternatively, you can experience the jungle by tearing through the canopy securely attached to a zip line at Jungle Maya Native Park before going on to take part in a traditional Mayan purification ceremony, abseil or snorkel. However, when it comes to zip-lining experiences, few can match that at Selvatica Park’s Extreme Canopy Tour. Here you’ll have the chance to tackle no fewer than ten zip-line circuits, a zip-line roller coaster and half-aquatic zip-line route. Prepare to get wet! Take to the waves If getting wet gets you smiling, your cheeks are going to get sore pretty quickly in Cancun in January. Water sports gear isn’t hard to find in the hotel zone, whether that’s a jet ski, stand-up paddleboard or banana boat. It’s even possible to hang above the turquoise waters by parasailing. Meanwhile, below the waves water visibility is excellent, making January an ideal month for scuba diving and snorkeling at one of the most important reef systems in the world – the Grand Mayan Reef. There’s an almost unlimited number of options when it comes to uncovering the underwater world, from Royal Garrafon Natural Reef Park on Isla Mujeres to checking out the life that has adopted shipwrecks as their habitat of choice. But the unique diving and snorkeling opportunities don’t end there. Cancun’s warm waters are also home to one of the world’s few underwater museums. More correctly a gallery to display the specially-made sculptures of Mexican and international artists, MUSA consists of several galleries which have become home to around 500 different species of sea life. Beach life With over 20 kilometers of beachfront to choose from, Cancun is also a great destination for soaking up a little winter sun. Playa Delfines (Dolphin Beach) is Cancun’s largest stretch of public sand, and is perhaps also the most beautiful even if the eponymous wild dolphins don’t make an appearance. For somewhere a little quieter to wile away the day check out Playa Chacmool, which rubs shoulders with the livelier Playa Forum. Elsewhere, Playa Tortugas is primarily used as a hangout for locals, but this takes nothing away from its stunning sands. A short ferry or catamaran sailing away you’ll also find the beaches of Isla Mujeres. Playa Norte (North Beach) is its best-known, and from here it’s possible to rent a golf-style buggy to explore the island further, peruse the souvenir stalls or sit down to a sumptuous meal all within earshot of the waves. If you’re already missing the hotel zone’s epic night spots, swap the catamaran sailing for a trip to Isla Mujeres by dancer cruise. A double-story water slide, open domestic bar, onboard entertainment and steady supply of foods might even rival the seascapes! Don’t forget about the Maya Cancun is probably unique in beach resorts because of the presence of internationally-important historic sites as well as celebrated beaches. The Yucatan Peninsula is the location of many of the Mayan civilization’s most important sites. Absolutely not to be missed is Chichen Itza, whose well-preserved step pyramid is one of the most impressive landmarks in the entire region and definitely worth exploring even if it requires giving up on the beaches for a couple of hours. Although Coba may be harder to visualize as a functioning city, since it has been partially reabsorbed into the jungle, it boasts the Maya’s tallest ever construction – a pyramid which it is still possible to climb. Nor should Tulum be ignored. Made even more special by its coastal rather than jungle location, this Mayan city’s outer walls still stand. Within them visitors are able to explore everything from laborers' homes to those of the nobility. Avoid missing out on the festivities Cancun in January is relatively quiet when it comes to special events, however no one is able to miss the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cancun on December 31. Not only do fireworks erupt over the hotel zone on the stroke of midnight and into the first minutes of January, but many of the strip’s bars and clubs host special events to mark the coming of the new year. Also at the beginning of January is King’s Day on the sixth of the month. The Mexican equivalent of Epiphany, this largely religious festival commemorates the Biblical story of the Wise Men. During the first week of January keep an eye out for rosca de reyes – a special type of sweet bread in the shape of a ring or wreath. Decorated with candied fruits, it contains a small figurine of a baby hidden somewhere inside. The person who finds the figure is expected to host a Candlemas party on February 2. Save when visiting Cancun in January Because it lies within the high season, January is one of the more expensive times of year to travel to Cancun. However, there are still ways to keep your budget in check, not least by traveling with Go City! We provide you with massive savings on entry to many of Cancun’s top attractions and activities so you can see and do what you want without worry. Vacations are about having fun rather than keeping an eye on the finances after all!
Ian Packham
Playa de Carmen in Cancun
Blog

Things to do in Cancun in the Morning

Beat the tropical heat (and sightseeing crowds) with our guide to all the best things to do in Cancun in the morning. Our top picks include an early-bird excursion to the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá, a shipwreck snorkeling adventure, and souvenir-shopping at Mercado 28.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Colors of Mexico food tour Cancun
Blog

Christmas in Cancun

Swap your snow boots for your flip-flops and your scarfs for your bikini bottoms by spending Christmas in Cancun. With sands so white you could easily mistake them for snow, Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year on Mexico’s Caribbean coastline. However, this gives the resorts of the hotel zone a phenomenal atmosphere, whilst the glorious high season weather means nothing is off the menu when it comes to attractions. Add to this a platter of feast days and special events and you’ve got a festive season like no other! Here’s our guide to everything going on at Christmas in Cancun and the surrounding area. Early December In this devoutly Catholic country, the Christmas period doesn’t begin with December 1, but the first day of advent, four Sundays before Christmas Day. Traditionally seen as a time of preparation, churches such as Iglesia de San Servacio in the old quarter of Valladolid sparkle with nativity scenes and candles, echoing the lights which add another layer to the buzz of Cancun’s hotel zone. Just 45 minutes away from Valladolid stands Chichen Itza, one of the most important Mayan sites in the entire Yucatan. Immortalized on a hundred T-shirts and as thousands of souvenir models of all sizes, it contains the impressive El Castillo pyramid, a structure perhaps even more impressive today than when it was built 1600 years ago. Las posadas The next big marker is Las posadas, beginning on December 16. It is a nine day event typified by candlelit evening processions through the streets of Cancun. Residents dress up as the Holy Family, and seek a place to stay for the birth of Jesus. After being rejected from entering two homes, as in the Bible accounts of the birth, they are welcomed into the third, where a party with food, drink and pinatas are often evident. Homes are decorated with red-leaved poinsettias – native to Mexico – and other evergreen plants. In addition, children cut the sides of paper bags into a variety of shapes that are then illuminated by candles – a little like a festive version of a jack o’lantern. They’re called farolitos and are placed on windowsills and doorsteps. Christmas shopping In between the nightly processions there’s plenty of opportunity to explore the independent and big name stores that make up Cancun’s retail spaces. For souvenirs and other handmade items we’d suggest downtown’s Mercado 28, followed by a trip to the boutiques of US-style mall Plaza Las Americas. Decked out in all its Christmas finery, it has a friendly rivalry with Kukulkan Plaza a short distance further south, whose elegant flat-domed ceilings provides the perfect spot for the free nightly performances from December 20 – 31. Head to Punta Cancun (the Party Zone) for the best of the city’s nightlife. Around 25 major clubs do their best to attract you, offering open bars, giant dancefloors and DJ sets that extend towards daybreak. Nochebuena Rather than December 25, it’s Christmas Eve – or Noche Buena – the last day of Los Posedos which is the big day for family gatherings in Mexico. Children lead processions into their local churches, at which point the baby Jesus is placed in the manger of the nativity scenes. Most people attend midnight mass with church bells ringing out and fireworks exploding to mark the Holy birth. The feasting continues long into the early hours of Christmas morning, so don’t be surprised if some places are slower to open up than usual. It’s also Christmas Eve when children receive some of their gifts, especially those from Papa Noel (Santa Claus). When it comes to closures, you’ll see nothing like the complete shut down that takes place on Christmas Day in the US or Europe. Generally speaking, resorts and attractions remain fully open, although it’s well worth checking out individual places if you plan a Christmas Day visit. Christmas Day For a sense of the dishes enjoyed at this time of year in Cancun don’t miss your chance to explore the city’s puestos (market stalls) in search of the best seasonal street food. Christmas dinners usually begin with an oxtail soup containing beans and chilies. Bacalao (dried cod) and revoltijo de romerito (stewed greens with potato and dried shrimp) are also common. These are followed historically by a suckling pig, although the US influence has made turkey and glazed hams much more common. Adults then set about consuming large quantities of ponche con piquete, a hot alcoholic drink flavored with seasonal fruits and cinnamon that’s a little like mulled wine. Children get to play with luces de Belén, or Bethlehem lights, a type of sparkler. Holy Innocents Just a couple of days later, on December 28, comes one of Mexico’s more unusual celebrations. Although it commemorates the massacre of the Holy Innocents by King Herod after the birth of Christ, it has become the Mexican version of April Fool’s Day, with pranks played on those deemed ‘innocent’. Everyone seems to save their best tricks for the day, with newspapers and television programs also getting in on the action. Past stories have included reports that Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, was leaving Britain’s Prince William for a Mexican soccer star. New Year’s Eve Christmas in Cancun continues into January with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6. This is when many children receive the bulk of their gifts, just as Jesus was gifted the gold, frankincense and myrrh from the Three Wise Men. But for most, the season ends on New Year’s Eve. Celebrations take a number of forms, with dining out a particularly popular choice for the evening hours. As the clock turns towards midnight, many holidaymakers head to the bars and clubs, whilst still more await the fireworks which erupt over Cancun on the stroke of twelve. Save at Christmas in Cancun Packed full of special events and traditional insights, there’s even more reason to visit Cancun at Christmas than at other times of year. For the most part your favorite attractions will remain open, so don’t forget to do the sensible thing and travel with Go City. Do this and you’ll make huge savings on admission costs to top attractions – it’s really as simple as that!
Ian Packham

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