Cancun Travel Log

Spent four days and three nights in Cancun before Christmas. Here are the pitfalls I encountered and travel tips.

We stayed at Haven Riviera All Inclusive, which I found excellent. The restaurants had great food. Spent the first three days at the resort, planning a self-drive trip to Chichen Itza on the final day.

Rented a car from Enterprise near the airport, selecting only this ~USD$20 insurance. Mexico can be risky; self-driving seems unwise, but I’m adventurous. One day of driving really opened my eyes—broken-down cars, three-wheelers on highways, 80 km/h speed limit zones driven at 40, right-turn signal meaning left turn, and street children cleaning windshields at lights. Given my lucky streak, most police saw my Asian face and waved us through without stopping.

Currency Exchange

All amounts below in Mexican pesos unless marked otherwise (C$ or USD$).

I didn’t exchange in Canada, instead trying local ATM withdrew twice in Mexico. Initially planned to use EQ Bank but app login after long absence required phone verification—impossible in Mexico without a plan. Tried Wealthsimple Card instead.

Wealthsimple provided only one of two ATM withdrawals as reimbursement (total C$1.81), likely from HSBC based on transaction detail. HSBC charged 33 pesos in fees vs Santander’s 35.84—specifics unclear without further testing.

Withdrawal Details:

Direct credit card spending:

Daily rate was 13.94-14.14. Wealthsimple essentially eliminates FX charges.

Spending

FX rates matter less than total spending. I naively budgeted $3000 but ran short, needing another withdrawal. Should have planned better since one-day outings seemed cheap.

Enterprise pickup on Sep 19 evening, dinner at El Fogon del May (excellent tacos, ~$500 for two), nearby supermarket with large parking lot. City center traffic was brutal—Plaza Las Americas packed even on weekdays, parking fees underground. Surprising crowded shopping for a workday evening.

Sep 20 early checkout, drove to Chichen Itza (8 AM opening, arrived 8:30). Unexpected: Cancun-Chichen Itza toll roads charged $385 + $94 = $479, at two booths. Second booth ~10 minutes from the site. Parked at private lot near this intersection (right turn), costing ~$50 with 5-minute walk, far better than official $130 parking. Chichen Itza tickets cost $548 + $95 = $643. Security checks bags at entry (my DJI Action 4 got through). Arrive early! Afternoon parking lot lines stretched for blocks. By evening, parking fees increased.

Next visited Ik Kil cenote. Despite poor swimming, life vests kept me afloat; tried cliff jumping. Water entry requires swimwear; changing rooms and lockers available. Get a phone waterproof case for photos. Costs $200 entry. No shoe wearing descending (water shoes possible but I went barefoot—rocks hurt!).

Returned via back roads through numerous villages—adventure! Valladolid had colorful colonial buildings, stopping for lunch there. Tons of dogs, village-to-village police checkpoints (anti-drug apparently). As an Asian traveler, police consistently waved us through without stops—lucky.

Approaching Cancun, GPS suggested a shortcut, but locals had blocked it collecting private tolls. I refused; the detour went far south through an unlit, narrow, pothole-ridden road (appeared single-lane initially).

Finally filled up at the station across from Enterprise. Unexpected: filling the tank cost $1000, leaving me penniless (gauge showed $1000; I couldn’t stop and overfilled to ~$1015, then added USD$1 emergency). Enterprise had airport shuttle service—dropped off quickly with barely time before boarding.

Closing Notes

Given time constraints, didn’t visit Xcaret. Planning to return next winter to explore more, particularly Xcaret.