The 9 Must-See Best Things to Do in Cancun, Mexico

As a solo traveler in Mexico, I am always looking for authentic, cultural and fun experiences in my trips throughout Mexico. I’m considered an expert traveler with years of experience and I love sharing my discoveries so you can make the best memories possible during your travels to Mexico.

Prefer The Experience of “Hidden-Gems” and Non-Touristy Attractions?

You’ve visited the Tourist Traps and left unsatisfied or disappointed. Now, you’re looking for the little known, hidden-gems, and specifically the non-touristy, must see best things to do in Cancun!

In my decade long experience of living in many cities and towns throughout Mexico and now residing in Playa del Carmen, which is less than an hour drive south from Cancun, I’ve become an expert at where local residents and the non-tourist trap attractions are.

Keep on reading to find out about some wonderful attractions that hide and seem to be overlooked located inside Cancun, Mexico.

1. La Virgen de los Nudos Sanctuary (The Shrine of Mary Untier of Knots)

Starting with one of my favorite places, even if you are not religious, this gorgeous natural ground is a spiritual gift you’ll love. It is a Sanctuary and Shrine devoted to one of the Virgins of the catholic church, but there’s much more than that.

As soon as you walk in, you’ll find thousands of ribbons hanging from specific areas, all praying for a solution in a person’s “knot” in life. 

The peaceful walk, the paintings and exhibitions and all the nature around you will make you feel like you are walking on air. This is definitely a place to visit by yourself to connect, recharge and give your worries away to something bigger.

There is no cost for the entrance to this unique place since its a Church. But they do accept donations.

One great thing is you can get as many ribbons as you’d like to fully immerse yourself in this experience. It’s on of the uplifting best things to do in Cancun due to its unique nature and artistic setup.

2. Isla Mujeres – Parque Garrafon

If you have the time and budget to travel to Isla Mujeres, you will find turquoise beaches, calm waves and a beautiful park with many fun activities to try out. You can buy round trip tickets to go from Puerto Juarez in Cancun to Isla Mujeres. There is a boat that leaves every 30 minutes and it’s best if you purchase your tickets ahead of time.

I buy tickets and prefer the Ultra-mar Ferry, which is located in Puerto Juarez.

Once you arrive at Isla Mujeres, you can easily walk straight to Garrafon Park. Buy tickets to Garrafon Park in advance for a discount and entrance fee also includes access to a beautiful private beach, lunch buffet, zip line, snorkel gear, lockers and towels. It’s basically an active beach club!

Also, one of my favorite activity, temazcal, which is a Mayan ritual of steamed rocks inside a small closed space, is offered on the weekends at Garrafon Park. This makes you sweat so much, but after I did this natural sauna like ritual, I felt absolutely renewed afterwards!

At Garrafon Park, you’ll also be able to snorkel. Snorkeling is an absolute must do if you’re visiting Cancun. The seafloor is anything but flat and the colors are even more brilliant underwater. This part of the world is well-known for great snorkeling and because of that reputation that the Yucatan Peninsula has, Snorkeling in this area of the world is one of the best things to do in Cancun and throughout the Riviera Maya.

Snorkeling at Garrafon Park, you’ll most certainly see so many fluorescent colored fish and coral within the dedicated snorkeling area. The water there tends to be refreshingly cooler than what you’d expect. If I had to guess, I believe certain sections of that beach must have a cenote empty out near or just under ocean floor, making it amazing chilly but cool and clear!

After you’ve had your fun at Garrafon Park, I recommend taking a walk on some of the most beautiful beachfront in Mexico’s most northern point, which is around 100 meters (approx 300 feet) away from the park. This is a must do and should be put on your itinerary of the best things to do in Cancun.

This never gets old to me because you’ll be walking on the beach, toes in the sand, cool temperature water on your skin with the sun in your face. It is a nice and relaxing way to end a day filled of adventure experiencing one of the best things to do in Cancun and what most tourists tend to not have any knowledge of.

3. Parque Kabah

Hidden amongst the crowded streets of the city, this big park is full of trees, wildlife and walking paths to stroll along on. It’s an ideal location to have a picnic and a refreshing walk amongst the gardens and nature, which will make you forget you’re in the middle of a large urban area. The entrance is free and you don’t have to to book in advance. 

Parque Kabah is a place considered to be one of the few protected nature parks that is fully accessible to people. Many of the locals visit this park to workout, escape the heat, and to catch a glimpse of dozens of native animals, including a specific creature called coatís. These ring-tailed animals are well-know for living in this natural wonder in the middle of an urban jungle.

It’s important not to feed these creatures, since it can have a negative impact on their diet and create a habit for the animals to not seek their own food.

4. Xcaret Torre Escénica Scenic Tower

Would you like to watch the splendid sights of Cancun’s lagoon next to the beautiful sea from 200 feet above sea level? Well, you can see just that from Xcaret’s Torre panoramic scenic tower. This attraction is like no other and is absolutely one of the best things to do in Cancun.

It gives you an unobstructed full sight of the wonderful city of Cancun alongside it’s lagoon and beautiful architecture. If you purchase tickets to the Torre Scenic Tower, The entrance to the tower is around $15 USD (300 pesos as of summer 2025) and it’s open daily

There’s an insider tip that I’ll share with you. If you have plans to travel to Xcaret Park, which you definitely should visit, you can enjoy Cancun’s Scenic Tower for FREE with your Xcaret bracelet!

Without a doubt, it’s an experience like none other that will give you an unforgettable memory. Having this memory is what experiencing the best things to do in Cancun is what vacation in the Yucatan Peninsula is all about, right?

5. Mercado de la 28

What’s the best way to learn about Cancun culture? The answer is simple: food and art. The good news is, you can find a variety of both food and art at Mercado de la 28, which is big market near old downtown of Cancun.

Mexico’s cuisine is part of its cultural heritage, and there’s no better place than a traditional market or mercado to try out some regional dishes. My recommendation is absolutely try the ceviche at Loncheria Lalo’s. It is exquisite! 

This mercado is very colorful and filled with handcrafted goods that you can buy for good prices as souvenirs or home decorations. You’ll be surprised to find so many food stalls for any kind of Mexican dish you can think of.

Getting lost in the maze of beautiful artesanías is part of the experience, especially if you’re shopping for Mexican gifts for either yourself or your friends back home, people are usually open to bargain a little bit with tourists which is why I consider this, in my expert opinion, one of the best things to do in Cancun.

6. MUSA Underwater Museum

The majestic Museo Subacuático de Arte, aka MUSA is an underwater museum created in 2011 to preserve the natural coral reef. It is great initiative to propagate life through art. Buy tickets for MUSA and experience this one of a kind underwater Museum.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can scuba dive instead of snorkeling at MUSA! If you choose to dive instead of snorkel then checkout TripAdvisor.com for the selection of scuba diving tours.

You don’t need a Scuba certification on some of the tours because a certified instructor will provide the safety gear and constraints to limit any perceived risk.

I chose to take my chances and I did this scuba diving experience at MUSA with a certified scuba instructor, and it was one of the most powerful experiences ever!

First he showed me some basic skills in a pool, and then took our group in a boat through Cancun’s beautiful sea.

We reached our destination where the Underwater Museum is located and just like that we dove into the museum under the sea; it was sublime! I saw unexpected statues in many positions, and even a car, all covered in coral reef and surrounded by fish! It was superb.

I totally recommend scuba diving as it’s definitely in the top 3 of best things to do in Cancun without question.

7. Pirate Show and Dinner

If you are up for a gourmet meal accompanied by an entertaining pirate show, you need to book this. The Captain Jolly Roger Pirate Show is a re-enactment of a real Spanish ship that will take you across the canal of Cancún as soon as the sun sets. You will be received by a lively pirate crew, who will keep you interested in following their unique adventure, while you drink some delicious cocktails. 

The dinner is phenomenal, you get to choose between fresh fish catch of the day, beef or chicken accompanied by stirred vegetables and some of the best mashed potatoes in Cancun. The show made me gasp, as some of the pirates played their roles really, really well and jumped into the ocean from great heights!

The crew in general was super enthusiastic and that’s what puts this attraction on this must-see, best things to do in Cancun itinerary.

8. Yamil-Lum, Scorpion’s Temple

These Mayan Ruins are at the edge of the barrier island in what is best known as Cancun’s hotel zone, marking a distinct line between the ancient and modern worlds. The name of the site is due to a scorpion statue that was found on this site many centuries ago. The walk to get there is nice and brisk as you go up some stairs, and the panoramic view of the beach will take your breath away.

You don’t need to book any tours for this one as it is a free entrance, and it’s right next to an all-inclusive hotel, Park Royal, and in front of a big mall called La Isla. Make sure you don’t miss it. Put this on your this hidden gem list as it’s definitely on my list of best things to do in Cancun!

9. Cenote Tour

Last but not least, one of the most extraordinary places you can visit in Cancun are definitely the cenotes. These are natural fresh water sinkholes, with really cool water and there are different types of them, depending on how close or open they are. Some of the closed ones reminded me of the Batman cave, full of bats!

No wonder the Mayans referred to them as the entrance to Xibalba, the underworld. But there are others, like the Cenote Cristalino, that are very wide open and filled with plenty of sunlight, which makes them a little less chilly (and scary?, lol).

My recommendation here is that you book a cenote tour to get to know the four different types of cenotes. You can find the Xcaret one called Xenotes, or go to the famous Ruta de Los Cenotes, which is a 30 minute drive towards Puerto Morelos and hire there a tour where they’ll drive you and wait for you at several points to take you to the next cenote, it is definitely a great way to visit as many as possible.  

And there you have it, these are some of the best and less known experiences I can recommend to anyone visiting Cancun.

If you’d like, leave in the comments if you have been to any of these spots or if you think of any other lesser known destinations that should be added to the list of the best things to do in Cancun.

 Best of luck in your journey and keep on exploring your wonderful adventures! 

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🏨 What’s the best way to find accommodation in Mexico?

Expedia.com is wonderful specifically for reserving high-end luxury hotels and resorts and is by far the best for reserving flights. Booking.com is awesome for affordable hotels in Mexico. VRBO specializes in apartment and house rentals, making it a wonderful place to find long-term stays.

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In my experience traveling to and within Mexico, I LOVE Expedia.com because they simplify rate comparisons between different airlines. I’ve always come back to Expedia.com because of how wide the selection is of airlines to choose from that go to Mexico. Great pricing is another reason, too!

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I recommend GetYourGuide.com for airport transfers anywhere in Mexico. It’s almost as excellent and simple to use as Uber, in my humble opinion. I’ve used them LOTS.

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Book your tickets with Busbud—the site is in English and takes foreign credit cards.

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TripAdvisor is the usual website and service I use for finding fun things to do; it has great options and it’s much faster to book with them since they organize their personalized recommendations for you if you’re signed in.

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Travelers can hire a local guide through GetyourGuide.com. You’ll be able to tailor tours based on your interests—it’s basically like experiencing a destination with a local bestie!

🧳 What’s the best luggage for Mexico?

Unless you’re staying at a resort, a travel pack is recommended. I’ve used travel backpack from Osprey for the last 8+ years. 

👯‍♀️ How do I connect with fellow travelers in Mexico?

Join my Female Travelers in Mexico Facebook group, a supportive community of fellow Mexico travel enthusiasts, where you can find answers to all your travel questions!

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Join my Female Travelers in Mexico Facebook group, a supportive community of fellow Mexico travel enthusiasts, where you can find answers to all your travel questions!