drewzilla652

We're going to Cancun for 5 nites, but I'm thinking of splitting up the trip into 2 nites around Coba/Tulum and 3 nites at an AI in Cancun. Is this too much?? I really want to spend time in the jungle and do sightseeing around some ruins, but I'm afraid I can't do everything.
We're a family of 4 with two teens. I think we'll be at one of the Riu properties in Cancun (which is the nicest??).
SHould we STAY near Tulum 2 nites, or simply make a long daytrip from Cancun to visit these sites??
Thanks in advance for ANY comments and help!!

KVR

The RIU Cancun and the RIU Palace Las Americas are right next door to each other. The Las Americas is the nicer hotel, but tends to have more of and adult party atmosphere while the RIU Cancub tends to have more of a family atmosphere, but both accepts children. They also sit on one of the better beaches and close walking distance to shopping, dining, clubs, discos and the bus stop. The RIU Caribe is much farther down and sits on a decent beach, but can get rough. There are many hotels in Cancun right now that have beach eroision and I'm not sure how well the RIU Caribe has faired. We stayed next door to the other RIU's in April and basically shared the same area. They sit in a cove, so the water is much calmer. All the RIU's have exchange privledges.

You can take tours of both Tulum and Coba. The distance between the sites and Cancun are around 2 hours. Your right 5 nights is not enough time to see and do everything. We've been to that area 8 times and still haven't seen or done it all, which is one of the reasons why it's our favorite destination. We've always just done tours to the sites and having a full day of traveling to and from and seeing the sight was plenty for us. We didn't need to actually stay there. Some poeple want to and some people rent a car and go see them on their own. We would never rent a car in Mexico. It's better to be safe than sorry, but people do it all the time, so whatever you are comfortable with.

I would suggest taking the jungle tour with Aquaworld in Cancun. You get your own mini-boat or jet ski and go around the mangroves. Also ATV's tour in Maroma. There are two, so get the one that actually goes through the jungle area and not the beach of Maroma.

schmerl

Check out Edventure Tours. You tell them what you want to see and do and they will plan your day and take you everywhere with your own personal guide. They are GREAT!

http://www.edventuretours.com.mx/

jamie99

We personally rent a car every trip and are very comfortable with that. If you choose to do this, just make sure to buy all the insurance.

That said, we do not stay in Cancun proper, but around Akumal and Tulum. Cancun is just a bit to high rise and party-hearty for our tastes but your kids might like it.

Just be advised that there is only one AI in Tulum proper and that one has no beach. The properties that claim to be in Tulum, such as Dreams Tulum, are actually about a ten minute drive away. Just something to keep in mind if you have your heart set on AI. There are many fine non-AIs in Tulum but this town is getting very pricey the last two years. You might also want to look into a condo rental for a couple of nights, plenty of nice ones in Akumal (short distance north of Tulum) and also Playa del Carmen.

Debiky

You might also want to consider Puerto Morelos, it's less touristy and the beaches are gorgeous. Lots of awesome snorkeling and diving. It's also just across the highway from the some great cenotes, lesser known, but one of them even has a zip line that's a blast for teenagers. There's also a Jungle spa that's helping the local local people. The town is really nice and has great restaurants. It's about an hour to the ruins at Tulum and about 30 minutes more to Tulum.