Skip to content
List your business

Best Things to do in Cancún (2026)

Cancún works well as a base for experiences beyond the Hotel Zone. Downtown, Mercado 28 brings together more than 200 craft shops and restaurants, and the nearby Mercado 23 is the city's oldest food market. These are best visited in daylight, combined with lunch at one of the markets' seafood counters or a nearby taquería.

The classic day trip is Isla Mujeres, a narrow island reached by Ultramar ferries from Puerto Juárez, Playa Tortugas or Playa Caracol, with Playa Norte at its northern tip and Garrafón Park in the south. South of the city, the Ruta de los Cenotes runs inland from Puerto Morelos past seven cenotes for swimming, snorkelling and zip lines. The two great Maya cities, Chichén Itzá inland and Tulum on its clifftop by the sea, each take a full day; both have recently changed access rules and fees, so check the latest position before you set off, and leave early to reach them close to opening time.

5 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 things to do in Cancún

  1. Isla Mujeres day trip Island day trip by ferry, Isla MujeresA short ferry hop from Cancún to a narrow seven-kilometre island of beaches, golf carts and Maya history, sacred in the past to the goddess Ixchel.
  2. Chichén Itzá day trip Archaeological day trip, Yucatán stateThe great Maya city in neighbouring Yucatán state, a UNESCO site since 1988, and the classic full-day excursion from Cancún's hotels.
  3. Mercado 28 Crafts market, Región 28, DowntownDowntown Cancún's best-known market, with more than 200 craft shops and restaurants on Avenida Xel-Há, where visitors shop for souvenirs and eat Yucatecan food.

Thing to do

3. Mercado 28

Crafts marketRegión 28, Downtown

Downtown Cancún's best-known market, with more than 200 craft shops and restaurants on Avenida Xel-Há, where visitors shop for souvenirs and eat Yucatecan food.

View details — Mercado 28