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 CANCUN BEACHES
The Cancun hotel-zone hotels all have beaches; most provide their guests with a variety of facilities, including palapa sun shelters, beach waiters, volleyball courts, aerobics classes, bars, restaurants, showers, restrooms, towels, and lifeguards.
Once you access the beach you are permitted to walk in any direction for as long as you wish.
The hotels/resorts are strung out along the north coast and the eastern coast forming a "7". All along this coastline are beautiful beaches.
Cancun Beaches Are Up to 50% Bigger Than Before Wilma
Within days of Hurricane Wilma a team from Belgium-based Jan De Nul Group arrived to survey the damage.
Shortly after, a crew of 220 people began working on restoring Cancun's beautiful beaches. 
55,000 cubic meters of sand was dredged up a few kilometers north, where surveys showed most of the sand had been pushed to by the storm. The sand was then transported back to the hotel strip and pumped through a massive pipe back onto the shoreline extending the present beach from 70 ft. to an average of 140 ft.
Interestingly the Jan De Nul Group is the company that built the beaches and foundation for the Palm Islands in Dubai. Work on the Cancun beaches was completed in April, 2006. Since then there has been no direct hits on Cancun from any major weather storm systems.
 Water Sports include:
Sail-boarding, water skiing, catamarans, wet bikes, pedal bikes, parasailing, kayaking.
Beach Sports include:
Volleyball, soccer/football, badminton, jogging, frisbee golf [we have even seen human chess].
 NORTHERN SIDE BEACHES - Hotel Zone to Punta Cancun
These are excellent beaches for water sports and swimmers. The waters are calm, the beaches are clean and there are nice hotels here too. The docks from which the Cruises, shuttles, and water taxis, etc. depart for Isla Mujeres are located on the north beach side.
Playa Las Perlas
Location: 2.5 km at the beginning of the Hotel Zone
Good place for swimming, relaxing and varied water sports. You can also get the shuttle to Isla Mujeres here. There are restaurants and bars located along the coast here as well.
Playa Linda
Location: 4 km in the Hotel Zone
Dive tours, the Submarine and shuttle to Isla Mujeres are located here.
Playa Langosta
Location: km 5 in the Hotel Zone
Swimming, water sports, restaurants and bars are located along this clean beach. There is also a dock with shuttles to Isla Mujeres and dive/snorkel tours.
Playa Tortugas
Location: km 6 in the Hotel Zone
Swimming, water sports, restaurants and bars are located along this clean beach. There is also a dock with shuttles to Isla Mujeres and dive/snorkel tours.
Playa Caracol
Location: km 6 in the Hotel Zone near Punta Cancun
This is a great beach for children because of the shallow flat sandy seabed. It is also one of the most crowded beaches along the strip. There are restaurants, bars and numerous activities here.
EAST SIDE BEACHES
The Cancun coast includes both an "ocean side" and a "lagoon side". By far the majority of the hotels front onto the ocean. There isn't any beach to speak of on the lagoon side.
Swimming and tanning takes place on the ocean side, and jet-skis, kayaks, and other rentals are featured on the lagoon side.
General beach conditions here are the same as northern beaches. The sand is course/powder and kept clean of ocean debri. Unlike the northern tip which is somewhat sheltered by Isla Mujeres this strip of coast-line is protected by nothing. This means that the winds and currents come roaring up and produce very wavy conditions some of the time.
This doesn't paint a very pretty picture of the eastern beaches however they are really no different than many Florida beaches and if you like playing in waves then these are the beaches for you.
Gaviota Azul
Good for relaxing, swimming and water sports.
Location: 9 km in the Hotel Zone near Punta Cancun.
Chac Mool
Location: 10 km in the Hotel Zone near Punta Cancun
Playa Marlín
Good for relaxing, swimming and water sports.
Location: 13 km in the Hotel Zone in between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc.
Playa Ballenas
A very popular beach in Cancun. Good for relaxing, swimming and water sports. There are bars and restaurants.
Location: 14 km in the Hotel Zone in between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc.
San Miguelito
Good for relaxing and swimming. There are some Mayan ruins located here.
Location: 16.5 km in the Hotel Zone
Playa Delfines
Good for relaxing, swimming.
Location: 18 km in the Hotel Zone near Punta Nizuc
Punta Nizuc
Good for relaxing and swimming. Many of the more exclusive hotels/resorts are located here.
Location: 21 km in the Hotel Zone
If you are looking for a secluded private beach try the beach at the Camino Real Hotel which is located at the southern tip of the peninsula. The beach is accesible only by walking through the property of the Camino Real Hotel (the beach is public, federal property). There are no vendors, strollers, no music or volleyball. The small beach is manicured daily.
SNORKELING
Snorkeling off the beaches of Cancun is not that good. It is mostly sand, which does not attract a large variety of fish. This does not mean that the odd ocean going animal does not frequent close enough to delight a child snorkeling near the shore but for the enthusiasts you will not find your snorkel adventure along these beaches.
There are however excellent places to snorkel around Cancun including caves and cenotes.
The best snorkeling around Cancun off the beach is the public area near the Westin Regina, in the southern tip of the hotel zone.
For more information see: Snorkeling
FLAGS
Depending on the weather, wave and tide conditions, each section of a beach is marked with a
flag indicating whether it is safe to swim there:
 Black Flag
Don't swim, too dangerous.
 Red Flag
Use caution, dangerous.
 Yellow Flag
Use caution.
 Green Flag
Water conditions okay, safe to swim.
SAND
Cancun beaches used to have white powder sand, pre-Wilma. Because new sand had to be dredged in to rebuild the beaches, gone is the fine white powder beach. It is now a combination of powder and coarse.
We prefer coarse sand to powder sand because it is easier to get off you. Powder sand sticks to you like glue.
The Mayan Riviera and Cozumel are predominately coarse sand beaches.
WATER TEMPERATURE
The ocean water temperature reaches its highest point in late August early September. Then some
days it can be like swimming in a warm bathtub. Even during the coolest times of the year the
water is still okay to swim in. It is always hot outside!
SAFETY
Most Cancun beaches have lifeguards. Around the main beaches in Playa del Carmen and Akumal
there are also lifeguards on duty and warning flags posted. Resorts have lifeguards who double
as dive instructors etc.
Beaches in Cancun and around Playa del Carmen are also patrolled by the Mexican Navy who walk up
and down the beaches in their uniforms with submachine guns. How these guys handle the heat we
will never know. We assume as soon as they get out of visual range they jump in the water to
cool off!
The local police also patrol the beaches driving up and down on 4-wheelers.
The Northern beaches in Cancun are the most swim friendly. The ocean waves and winds are buffered by the small island of Isla Mujeres which lies off the coast.
NUDITY
Some women go topless on the beaches in Cancun, however this is more prevalent on the beaches in Playa del Carmen and the Mayan Riviera. Thongs are very popular as well.
There are no nude beaches in Cancun and Cancun beaches are by and large family orientated.
We understand that some parents are concerned with the topless issue but you may be surprised to find it not as prevalent as one might presume.
BEACH
FASHION
Cancun and the Maya Riviera are international destinations and there are many fashion conscious
Europeans. You will see the latest trends in beach-wear on the beaches and there are also
countless stores to purchase designer beach-ware and gear.
It is interesting because you can tell where people are from by what they wear on the beach.
Canadian and American men wear shorts, sunglasses and hats while Europeans wear speedos, jewelry
and sunglasses. The Mexican men wear shorts, usually no hats or sunglasses.
European women have the most stylish bathing suits, especially the Italian women.
BEACH
CULTURE
There is of course a "beach culture". It is made up of a cross section of tourists on that one
vacation a year trip, party animals who can't get enough, locals, and a small group of beach-bums who fly in from all points of the globe.
Many earn their living by performing some unusual but entertaining feat. Many are bilingual and find jobs as well. They are a colorful crowd and can be found from Cancun to San Cristobal in Chiapas.
The beaches in Mexico surprisingly are not as entertaining as beaches in Cuba. This will all
change after Fidel dies and the Cubans are allowed to travel. This will mean a dramatic export
of musicians and general freaks to Mexican beaches, Playa del Carmen in general. Until then,
beaches along Cancun and the Maya Riviera remain by and large very family orientated.
The greatest concentration of beach-subculture can be found in Tulum - Playa del Carmen. To find
it in Playa del Carmen walk along the beach at night and look for the bongo-players or fire jugglers!
CANCUN BEACH PICTURES
 Cancun Beach Video NEW
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CANCUN HOTELS
For current Cancun hotel and resort information including rates, availability and secure on-line reservations please see:
 Cancun Hotels & Resorts
Cancun Airport to Hotel Shuttle see:
Transfer Information
Answers for many of your questions may possibly be found here:
Cancun Vacations Info & Tips Cancun All Inclusive
If you are planning a trip to Cancun, the following articles written by Jules Seigel are recommended reading. Jules has lived in the area for over 20 years.
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