Cancún Activities on Water and Land

October 31, 2026

Quick facts

Money: pesos (MXN), roughly 18.5 to US$1. Dollars are accepted in the Hotel Zone, though the merchant rate is often weak.
Entry tax: Visitax, about 285 MXN (about US$15) per foreign visitor, paid online at visitax.gob.mx .
Layout: the Hotel Zone runs along Boulevard Kukulcán on a barrier island, and El Centro is the cheaper mainland downtown.
Safety: be cautious downtown after dark, take registered taxis and stay out of the lagoon, where crocodiles live.

Water activities

Sculpture snorkeling and diving at MUSA. The underwater museum has three galleries: Punta Nizuc for snorkelers and glass-bottom boats (around 4 m deep), Manchones for divers, and Punta Sam. Its official price list from Cancún reads US$58 for a snorkel trip, US$58 for a glass-bottom trip and US$78 for the pair. Divers with certification pay US$115 from Cancún (US$157 from Isla Mujeres), and beginners can try an introductory dive for US$145 to 189. Manchones holds Silent Evolution II, a group of about 450 figures. Park or dock fees are extra. See musamexico.org .

Speedboat jungle tour. Pairs of guests each take a boat across Nichupté Lagoon to Punta Nizuc. The official MUSA price is US$70, while other sellers list US$70 to 90 plus US$15 to 20 in fees. The meeting points named by operators are Aquaworld and Marina Chac Chi. Remain in the boat at all times.

Whale-shark season. Operators run from 15 May to 17 September, with boats leaving from Isla Mujeres, Puerto Juárez and the Holbox side. Expect roughly US$150 to 200. The rules prohibit touching, harming or riding the sharks, and also selfie sticks and flash. Sightings have been patchy lately, so a sighting is not guaranteed.

Isla Contoy. Only authorised tour operators may land visitors at this national park, with a cap of 200 people a day. No ferry, hotel or resident exists on the island.

Dolphin, sea lion and manatee swims are off the menu: a federal law in force since 17 July 2025 bans marine-mammal shows and interactions. Whitewater rafting does not exist here either, since the peninsula is a flat limestone plain with no surface rivers.

Land activities

Museums and ruins. The Museo Maya de Cancún and San Miguelito share one entry at Km 16.5, and El Rey and El Meco are smaller sites in town.

Xoxi Cancún (formerly Xoximilco). A boat evening with dinner, mariachi and an open bar, held Tuesday to Saturday with check-in at 19:00.

Coco Bongo. At Km 9.5 in Plaza Forum by the Sea, this show club admits ages 18 and up with photo ID, and the dress code is smart casual. Listed open-bar prices run from about US$90 early in the week to about US$125 on Friday.

Beach check

The Hotel Zone beaches between about Km 9 and Km 18 face east, so they get surf and rip currents. Use the flag colours as your guide: green is safe, yellow is caution, red is no swimming. The calmer choices are the north-facing beaches on Bahía de Mujeres. Sargassum has landed in every season, and 2026 set a record.

Read more: sightseeing in Cancún , day trips and family friendly activities . Browse excursions on Viator . The UK government travel advice covers local safety.