We’ve visited Cancún a couple of times now, a few years apart, and on both trips we stayed at all-inclusive resorts.
I know all-inclusives aren’t for everyone, but Cancún is one destination where I think they really work. Sometimes you simply want to arrive, unpack and know that almost everything is taken care of. When there are multiple restaurants, different pool areas, beautiful grounds and plenty of places to stop for a cocktail or something to eat, I’m quite happy spending most of the trip at the resort.
And that’s largely what we’ve done in Cancún.
Our First Trip: Paradisus Cancún
Our first visit was to Paradisus Cancún, a luxury all-inclusive resort in the main Hotel Zone. The architecture is quite distinctive, with five pyramid-shaped buildings inspired by Mayan design, making it instantly recognizable from a distance. The resort has since undergone a major renovation, so it looks a little different inside today, but we absolutely loved it when we stayed.
Our daughter was very young at the time, and it was the perfect kind of holiday for that stage of life. There was nowhere we really needed to be and nothing we particularly needed to organize. We could wander between the pools, stop somewhere for lunch, head down to the beach and find dessert later in the evening.
We booked a daybed on the beach one afternoon with a champagne and seafood package, which was exactly as lovely as it sounds. The rest of the time was largely spent moving between the various pools, enjoying cocktails and making the most of having everything right there.
It was also one of my first proper experiences with an all-inclusive resort – the wristband, multiple restaurants and the novelty of being able to order almost whatever you wanted without thinking about the bill each time.
The staff were wonderful with our daughter. Looking back at the photos now, I can’t believe how little she was – or how darn cute! It was such an easy family holiday and one of those trips where we genuinely slowed down.
We did have a flight cancellation at the end of the trip, which meant staying an unexpected extra night in Cancún. There are certainly worse places to be stranded.
A Last-Minute Change of Plans
Our second visit to Cancún wasn’t actually supposed to be to Cancún at all.
We had booked Garza Blanca in Los Cabos, on the other side of Mexico, but in the days leading up to the trip we were closely watching a hurricane heading towards the area. Fortunately, we were able to move our reservation to Garza Blanca Cancún instead, where the forecast was around 80 degrees and sunshine.
Not a bad Plan B.
Garza Blanca was another lovely all-inclusive experience, although quite different in style from our first trip. There were several restaurants, beautiful pools and plenty of places to settle in for the day. The dining in particular was excellent, with lots of choice and some really lovely restaurants to try throughout our stay.
It was definitely a little bougie – and I wasn’t complaining.
Our daughter loved coming back to the room each day to discover what had been created from the towels. Elephants, dinosaurs and various other animals appeared throughout the trip, and it became a little ritual to see what would be waiting for us next.
She also loved getting an ice cream and going for a ride on the carousel out the front each day. It was such a simple little thing, but it quickly became part of our holiday routine – and one of those things she still remembers about the trip.
The resort also has a vacation ownership program, and quite a few of the people we chatted with were members. The only part I didn’t particularly enjoy was the sales approach, which could be persistent. We received calls to our room on several mornings, and personally I would have preferred to skip that part of the experience.
Otherwise, it was another wonderfully easy place to relax.
The Beach Versus the Pool
Interestingly, on both of our visits we’ve found the Caribbean Sea around Cancún fairly choppy. We’ve gone in for a quick swim and walked along the beach, but we’ve generally spent far more time around the pools.
On our more recent trip, the resort was also dealing with sargassum washing ashore and staff were working each day to clear it from the beach. It didn’t really affect our holiday – we simply gravitated towards the pools – but it’s something worth knowing can occur depending on the time of year.
The water itself is still that incredible turquoise Cancún is famous for, and the beaches are beautiful to look at even when the conditions aren’t perfect for swimming.stumble across them.
Dinner at Lorenzillo’s
We did venture away from the resort one evening after being recommended Lorenzillo’s, a well-known seafood and lobster restaurant overlooking the Nichupté Lagoon.
It was a beautiful spot for dinner. We sat out on the verandah, ordered lobster and seafood and enjoyed a few glasses of champagne overlooking the water.
There was also a resident crocodile that apparently made regular appearances around the lagoon, and feeding it from the restaurant was quite the attraction.
We seem to have an unusually high strike rate when it comes to seeing crocodiles in Mexico!
It certainly wouldn’t deter me from visiting, but I have developed a healthy respect for signs involving crocodiles and bodies of freshwater. Let’s just say I’m unlikely to be volunteering for a casual river swim.
A Different Side of Cancún
One thing that really stood out to me in Cancún was the number of pharmacies, particularly in the tourist areas, and how openly medications were advertised.
Coming from countries where many of these medications require a prescription and a conversation with a doctor, it can be quite an eye-opener. Signs advertise everything from antibiotics to medications such as Xanax, Viagra and Cialis, and we found some pharmacies were quite enthusiastic about promoting what they had available.
At the time, there was also quite a bit in the news about counterfeit medications being sold in tourist areas, which made me wary. For me, it was one of those interesting differences you notice when travelling – and a reminder to stick with reputable medical care and properly prescribed medication if you need it.
How We’ve Felt in Cancún
Before our trips, we were conscious of the various safety stories you hear about Mexico, and initially the visible security presence around Cancún could feel a little confronting. Seeing police patrolling tourist areas on quad bikes or in the back of trucks isn’t necessarily something we’re accustomed to seeing on a beach holiday.
That said, our own experiences in Cancún have been very positive.
The resort areas we’ve visited have been beautifully maintained, the service has been excellent and we’ve felt comfortable throughout our stays. We’ve used resort transportation when appropriate, ventured out for dinner and generally followed the same common-sense approach we would anywhere else when travelling.
As always, circumstances can change, so it’s worth checking current travel advice before a trip rather than relying on someone else’s experience from a few years ago.
Would We Go Back?
Absolutely.
Cancún isn’t necessarily somewhere I go to immerse myself in local life or spend every day sightseeing. For us, it has been somewhere to switch off.
Give me a beautiful resort, several good restaurants, a choice of pools, warm weather and nowhere I need to be, and I’m very happy.
Both trips were different – the first with a very little girl discovering the novelty of an all-inclusive, and the second with an older daughter delighted by towel dinosaurs, daily ice creams and carousel rides – but both gave us exactly what we wanted at the time.
Sometimes a holiday doesn’t need to be complicated.
And if a cancelled flight happens to add another night in Cancún? Well, I can think of worse problems to have.
Mrs Globetrotter Tips
- Consider an all-inclusive. Cancún is one destination where I really enjoy the ease of an all-inclusive. Look for a larger resort with several restaurants and pool areas so you have plenty of variety without needing to leave the property.
- We visited around September-October. Both of our trips were around September – October and we had beautiful warm weather. It’s worth remembering that this is still within hurricane season, though – our second Cancún trip actually came about because we changed our plans from Cabo after watching a hurricane forecast.
- Don’t assume the sea will be calm. The water was fairly choppy during both of our visits, so we spent much more time in the pools. Sargassum can also wash ashore at certain times of year, although resorts generally work hard to keep their beaches clear.
- Try at least one dinner away from the resort. Even if you’re staying all-inclusive, it’s nice to venture out for an evening. We loved our seafood dinner overlooking the lagoon at Lorenzillo’s.
- Check current travel advice before you go. Our experiences in Cancún have been very positive, but conditions can change. I always think it’s sensible to check current official travel advice before any international trip.
- And finally – leave a little room for flexibility. Between an unexpected extra night after a cancelled flight and switching an entire trip from Cabo to Cancún, Mexico has taught us that sometimes Plan B turns out pretty well.
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