Cancún has a beach, a very active party scene and an insane number of tourists – especially Americans. Which makes Cancún very expensive – especially the Americans. If you ask me, Cancún is completely overrated and not really worth visiting – honestly. For the following reasons:

• There are two parts in Cancún: the touristy part, which refers to the area around the hotels near the beaches, where you can party quite well but is completely overpriced, and the part that is hopelessly overrun by Americans. To be honest, it feels more like the USA is trying to turn itself into Mexico. The other part is simply not really beautiful. The few pictures I took of Cancún are the only halfway nice spots there are. Apart from that, Cancún is grey, dusty and simply not beautiful.
• Few attractions: in Cancún you can chill out on the beach and party – yes. But really expensive. Then there’s an underwater museum, which is also expensive as fuck, you can book a day trip to the famous Chichén-Itzá pyramids, which are themselves completely overpriced and totally touristy (and incidentally much easier and cheaper to get to from Valladolid) and otherwise there’s basically only the day trip to Isla Mujeres – which is worth it. Isla Mujeres is really beautiful! Of course you can still go snorkelling and diving, but even that is much cheaper elsewhere in Mexico and the quality of the experience is also better.
• Touristy and expensive: No matter where you go, it will be more or less expensive everywhere. Simply because Americans are prepared to pay more than Europeans. And Cancún is US area. It’s as simple as that. And where it’s cheap, you don’t want to go because it’s even less inviting there than in the rest of Cancún.

2 reasons to visit Cancún:

• The Coco Bongo: the only party I would pay entry to again today, even though it’s expensive as shit. Why? Because you get a real spectacle on two stages (one is at the front in the middle of the room, the other is like a boxing match in the centre). For two and a half hours – I think – you get a mixture of musical, artistry and show. And in a way that I honestly haven’t seen anywhere else (except in Playa del Carmen, where exactly the same party takes place)
• Isla Mujeres: I was told that almost every beach in Mexico was beautiful before my visit.I found exactly three beaches/places in Mexico that I actually find beautiful (Puerto Escondido, Chacahua/Isla Mujeres). And one of them is Isla Mujeres. Beautiful, partly wide beaches, rocky cliffs on the other side of the island and the colour of the water is… Isla Mujeres is really worth the visit!

In conclusion, I would say this: if you arrive by plane, fly to Cancún, take Isla Mujeres and Coco Bongo with you and then get out of there. It’s just not worth it I’m serious. Unless you want an overpriced all-inclusive party holiday and sizzle in the sun on the beach all day. Then go ahead 😀 But basically you can get most of it much cheaper and better elsewhere. The flight is only quite cheap because of the US-flood. It therefore makes sense to land in Cancún by plane. I just wouldn’t waste too much time there. Mexico has so much to offer. And Cancún is unfortunately not part of it. And if you really want to go to Chichén-Itzá, do it from Valladolid. It’s a really nice and cute little town and it’s cheaper and easier to get there from there. So, now I’ve shared my wisdom about Cancún. It’s up to you what you do with it 😊