The beautiful Yucatan Peninsula attracts cruise ships
from all over the world. Cruises to Cancun
Mexico from Florida
and the U.S Gulf Coast regularly head to the region with
most traveling further south down the Mayan Riviera on
towards Belize. Typically, ships heading for Cancun arrive
just south of the destination at the port of Calica. From
there, Cancun is around an hour away by taxi shuttle to
the north.
A popular destination for many reasons, the real popularity
of Cancun cruises is the draw of 14 miles of immaculate
white sandy beaches.
In Cancun itself, the beaches are numerous and divided
into two separate northern and eastern stretches. The
northern serves swimmers, snorkelers and divers with calmer
waters protected by the Isla Mujeres. The eastern beaches
of Cancun are more reminiscent of the U.S Gulf Coast with
bigger swells and an even bigger popularity among visitors.
For Cancun cruises arriving at the port of Calica, just
south of Cancun, visitors are closer to the striking beaches
of Playa del Carmen and Cozumel.
Cruises to Cancun Mexico often involve separate cruises
from Cancun itself to the low lying island of Isla Mujeres.
Traditionally an island built around the fishing industry,
it now serves as a major port of call for people day tripping
from Cancun. Activities on the island include snorkeling,
scuba diving and good sea
fishing. Crossing times to the
island via ferry is approximately 25 minutes. The ferry
runs every 30 minutes from the dock at Puerto Juarez or
Gran Puerto. Day trip cruises From Cancun are also served
from the hotel zone but tend to be more expensive.
Cruises from Cancun also serve destinations further
south along the stunning Mayan Riviera coastline of eastern
Mexico. Most operators run trips to the ancient Mayan
ruins at Tulum and to the hub of water sports activity
and ecological centre at Xcaret. Visiting the coastline
from Cancun lends itself to plenty of opportunities for
exploring stunning bays, outlying coral reef and local
fishing communities.
There is a chain of shallow coast hugging reefs, deep coral walls and coral reef gardens that stretch from Tulum and the island of Cozumel all the way down to Xcalak. Packed with sea turtles and hundreds of species of fish, each site offers a different diving experience.
To discover your perfect beach along the Mayan Riviera
head to Paamul, also a great spot for snorkeling. Most
central to the Mayan Riviera is Playa Akumal. Offering
perfect natural beaches and great swimming it is also
famed for diving and snorkeling. Akumal also boasts an
Ecological Centre. At beaches along Soliman Bay and Tankah
Bay the rolling surf is broken up by an outlying reef
making the waters better for swimming. At Soliman Bay
the white beach is lined with palm trees and coconut groves.
The beaches along
the Mayan Riviera are a lot less crowded and more
community orientated. Visiting the pure and immaculate
beaches along this coastline is time well spent as they
undoubtedly posses many of the best Mexican
beaches to be found anywhere. Beach side accommodation
options range from personal villas to all-inclusive luxury
resorts.
You can visit the region as part of a Cancun cruise
incorporating parts of the Mayan Riviera as day trips
or visit longer as part of a larger Caribbean cruise.
Excursions from Cancun to explore the best of the Mayan
Riviera are generally by land in a private hire vehicle
and with a guide should you wish.
Many cruise companies operate Cancun Cruises incorporating
the best of the eastern Mexico region. Cruises tend to
be between 3-7 days long. However, a few longer duration
cruises do operate for 14 days. These tend to be part
of a larger itinerary. Most prominent are Carnival,
Holland
America, Princess,
Norwegian and Royal
Caribbean. Served by so many cruise operators, competition
between them is high. This serves tourists well as cheap
cruises to Cancun are easier to come by.
