The Beaches and The Hotel Zone

If you haven't discovered yet, the hotel zone is basically a peninsula about 10 km away from the city core. There are buses that drive up and down the peninsula and connect you with the city and downtown 24/7. This is something nice because, for example, the buses within the city stop running between midnight and 6am. Another thing to know is that those 'hotel zone' buses are slightly more expensive. So it's 7.5 pesos instead of 5.5, not a big deal.

The beaches are all public. The problem is that some hotels block the access to the beach so you have to find a place to cross, and there are many. You can also walk through a hotel but keep in mind that some might not allow you to. If they notice that you don't have a bracelet from their hotel they might turn you back. But if you look like a tourist they will most likely not bother you. I've heard of guys walking in and covering their wrists with towels and then hanging out at a hotel pool all day. The official access points are designated by these signs:





The locations in the hotel zone are referred to in terms of the kilometers, starting from the intersection of Bonampak and Coba (km zero). At km 9 is the main center where the big clubs and restaurants are. That's, for example, where CocoBongo or Dady O's is.

Just before the big center (~6km) you will find the hotel Presidente. If you can cross somewhere in this area you will find a very beautiful and peaceful beach here. It's nice because it's wide with a lot of sand, unlike some of the other beaches which have been washed away. However, if you want more action (i.e. more tourists) you should penetrate to the beaches after the big center. Playa Ballenas (beach of the whales), for example, is very nice and is located close to Kukulkan Plaza which is after km 9. Simply ask the bus driver and they will point it out. Drivers on these routes usually speak English.

Few bus stops before hotel Presidente is a pretty small beach of Turtles. It's not very fancy but there are a few restaurants right by the water. The prices are also quite reasonable. To find this beach you can ask the bus driver to get off at Pepe's restaurant or just ask for Playa de Tortugas. This is also the location of the Ferry Express that goes to Isla Mujeres (don't take this ferry though, take the one at Puerto Juarez instead, much cheaper, and the bus R1 can get you there).

And if you want to do some free snorkeling and see many beautiful fish head to Punta Nizuc. Simply stay on the bus a little longer. It's almost at the end of the peninsula, past La Isla and Kukulkan malls. The bus driver can also point it out. Punta Nizuc is good for snorkeling as there are many reefs in that area.

One more thing about the buses. Sometimes you might need to flag them down. The bus drivers often flash their lights or honk in order to get people's attention. If they see that no one is waving their hand they don't stop.