The Best Day Trips From Cancun, Ranked

Cancun is one of the best bases in the world for day trips. Within a couple of hours you can reach a wonder of the world, a clifftop Maya city, an island with world-class beaches, pink lakes full of flamingos and huge eco-parks. The problem is choosing. Here are the best day trips from Cancun, ranked by what they actually deliver rather than by which is most heavily advertised.

1. Chichen Itza and a cenote

The number one for a reason. Chichen Itza is a New Seven Wonders site, and pairing it with a cenote swim and the colonial town of Valladolid makes the long inland drive worthwhile. It is a full twelve-hour day, but it is the one most people would regret skipping. Book the Chichen Itza, Cenote and Valladolid day trip from £43.

2. Isla Mujeres catamaran

The best pure-fun day. A catamaran across turquoise water with an open bar, a snorkel stop and a beach as good as any in the region. It is a party boat, not a quiet sail, but for a sociable Caribbean day the value is excellent. Book the all-inclusive Isla Mujeres catamaran from £38.

3. Tulum ruins and Playa del Carmen

The best-value ruins day and the easiest on your energy. Tulum is smaller than Chichen Itza but sits on a Caribbean cliff, and the tour folds in a cenote and free time in lively Playa del Carmen. Closer, cheaper and shorter. Book the Tulum, Cenote Mariposa and Playa del Carmen tour from £31.

4. Xcaret eco-park

The best all-in-one family day. Underground rivers, wildlife, Maya culture and a genuinely spectacular evening show packed into one park. It is not cheap, but few days offer this much variety in one place. Book the Xcaret Park full combo from £139.

5. Rio Lagartos and Las Coloradas

The best day for something different. A boat trip to spot flamingos, the surreal pink lakes of Las Coloradas and a traditional Maya mud bath. It is a long day and further afield, but it is unlike anything else on this list. Book the Rio Lagartos and Las Coloradas boat tour with lunch from £76.

6. Swim with whale sharks

The best bucket-list splurge, and strictly seasonal. Between roughly June and September you can snorkel alongside the world's largest fish off the coast near Cancun. It is pricier and weather-dependent, but for a genuine once-in-a-lifetime moment nothing here competes. Book the Cancun swim with whale sharks tour from £127.

How to choose

If you only have time for one, make it Chichen Itza. If you want a fun day over a cultural one, take the Isla Mujeres catamaran. Short on energy or budget? Tulum. Travelling as a family and want everything in one place? Xcaret. Want a story no one else back home will have? Rio Lagartos or, in season, the whale sharks. Almost all of these come with hotel pickup, which for the longer inland trips is well worth having.

The verdict

The strongest week mixes them: one big ruins day like Chichen Itza from £43, one water day like the Isla Mujeres catamaran from £38, and one wildcard. Do that and you will have seen the best of what Cancun's surroundings offer without spending the whole trip on a coach.