A Memorable Honeymoon in Cancun

Quote: My wife and I especially enjoyed our snorkeling trip to the coral reef (Cancun is located next to the second largest coral reef in the world). We literally came face-to-face with thousands of tropical fish and beautiful coral formations.

We also enjoyed our trip to Isla Mujeres, a small island located right next to Cancun. It's a tropical paradise with tons of things to do. My wife and I spent several hours snorkeling and paddling a glass-bottom kayak. We also walked along a few scenic, ocean-side trails and spent some time shopping in the Caribbean village.

Quick Tips:

Buy all of your beach supplies (suntan lotion, goggles, snorkels) before leaving for your trip, as these items are very overpriced in Cancun. Also, we found that, even though most places accept U.S. currency, most of the prices are listed in pesos. Unless you are good at math and can convert the prices in your head, we would recommend either exchanging some of your U.S. dollars to pesos or keeping a calculator handy. Otherwise, you may find yourself being overcharged for the items you want to buy.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you have never been to Cancun before, I would not recommend renting a car. The streets can get very crowded and it can be difficult trying to find a place to park. For shorter distances, my wife and I simply walked (there is plenty to look at). If you are going more than a couple of kilometers, we would recommend taking the bus. They are reliable and cheaper than taxis.

Quote: This resort comes with it all: a beautiful beach, an enormous pool, excellent service, and clean, spacious rooms. My wife and I spent our honeymoon here and had the time of our lives. Although we did come across a few downsides to the resort, the good far outweighed the bad.

Grand Coral Beach has a large beach and a swimming area that is roped off to keep boats and jet skis from getting too close. Also, unlike many of the beaches in Cancun, the water at Grand Coral Beach is very calm (virtually no waves at all). You also feel quite safe while you are basking away in the sun, as there are lifeguards and security personnel on duty all day long at both at the beach and the pool.

Now for the pool. All I can say is, WOW!!! The pool is enormous (it runs along the entire length of the resort) and comes with not one, but three swim-up bars, a poolside restaurant, fountains, waterfalls, and even a volleyball net. Not once did I feel the least bit crowded while in the pool.

All of the rooms are oceanfront and, looking around, I didn't see a single room that looked like it would have a bad view. The rooms come with all-marble floors, an oversized bathtub, a small sitting room next to the balcony, and satellite TV.

The service at Grand Coral Beach was excellent, as well. The employees always seemed to have a smile on their face and genuinely seemed to want to make our stay a memorable one. Even the bellhops and maids were more than happy to provide us with directions and information, as well as give as personal recommendations.

But, alas, even the best resorts seem to have a few shortcomings. For example, the bed and living room furniture were a little uncomfortable. The mattress and cushions seemed hard and I often had a hard time getting comfortable. You may also want to avoid using your room's mini-bar all together. If you look carefully at the mini-bar's price-list, you may be surprised to see that a bottle of water will cost you around $7. In fact, all of the beverages and snacks are extremely over-priced.

Also, if you are on a tighter budget (like we were), plan to eat at least some of your meals outside of the resort. Grand Coral Beach has several very elegant restaurants right in the resort, but they can be quite expensive. There are literally dozens of fancy, but cheaper restaurants nearby and even several international chains such as TGI Fridays, The Rainforest Cafe, and Hard Rock Café, which are within walking distance.

Quote: Xel-Ha is as close to paradise as I have ever been. Although it can be a little chilly at first, the crystal-clear waters are perfect for swimming and snorkeling.

My wife and I spent hours snorkeling around the lagoon. Although you can find coral all over the lagoon, the fish tend to hide out along the rocks and coral next to the lagoon's banks.

Afterwards, we spent almost a half hour floating down the River of Dreams, which made for a relaxing break from all of the swimming.

Although small, the Mayan Cave was a sight to see as well.

My wife and I went with the all inclusive package, which includes the park's entrance fee, locker, life jacket, and snorkeling equipment rental, and all of the food and drinks you can stuff down your throat. We felt it was well worth the money.

There are several snack areas and small restaurants located throughout the park and a large buffet-style restaurant right next to the lagoon. The restaurants serve everything from hamburgers and pizza to ice cream and seafood.

Most of the activities are free after paying your entrance fee, but some activities, such as the spa and swimming with the dolphins, will cost you extra.

My wife and I really enjoyed our day at Xel-Ha and other than the water being a little cold and a little rough near the beach (but not in the lagoon itself), we have absolutely no complaints about the park. It is a tropical paradise if ever I saw one. You are surrounded by nature at all times and can't help but feal like you are in some kind of surreal dreamland. Take a look at our photos and see for yourselves.

Quote: Tulum is a popular seaside Mayan ruin site, located about one hour south of Cancun. If you can afford to, I would highly recommend purchasing a package with one of the many tour companies in Cancun. My wife and I picked Best Day Tours and were picked up and dropped off at our resort in Cancun by an air-conditioned bus. The cost of our tickets was approximately US$40 each, which we thought was reasonable, considering the price included transportation, admission to Tulum, and a guided tour of the ruins.

The ride to Tulum seemed very long, as there was not much in the way of scenery once you left Cancun. The actual ruins are located a fair distance away from the parking lot. If you are the adventurous type (and you are wearing comfortable shoes), you can choose to walk back to the ruins. The walk is a long one (at least 20 minutes) and, if you are visiting the area during the summer, like we were, a very hot one. However, if you don't feel like walking or have small children with you, you are also given the opportunity to purchase tickets for the tram that runs back and forth between the ruins and the parking lot. Once you reach the ruins, prepare to be amazed. For someone who has never seen ancient ruins before (like me), the sight of the Mayan city is an awesome one. There are many buildings and temples throughout the area that are well-preserved, but the main temple along the seaside cliff is by far the most magnificent. Unfortunately, tourists are no longer allowed to climb up or go inside the temples. Our guide was quite long-winded and spent close to two hours taking us through the site and providing us with a plethora of historic information. Once the tour was finished, my wife and I spent another hour or so snapping pictures and doing a little sightseeing of our own.

If time allows, I would suggest taking some time to walk along the cliffs or climb down to the beach. Some of our best honeymoon pictures were taken in those areas. Keep in mind, however, that there is very, very little shade around the ruins, so be sure to bring plenty of water with you. My wife and I both regretted not bringing our swimsuits along with us. After several hours of walking around in the hot sun, the beach was starting to look very good to us (the water looked a little rough, though). All things considered, visiting Tulum was one of the highlights of our trip to Cancun, and if we are ever given the opportunity to go back, it is one site we would definitely visit again.