We visited Cancun 6/6/09-6/13/09 and wanted to see some things other than the beach. I would definetely suggest Salvatica-Corona as a day trip. They picked us up at our hotel and took us to their greeting area. We were shown some basics about ZIP LINES and had a lot of fun doing 12 ZIP LINES. I'm a big guy (280 lbs./age 62 and it was not hard). It was somewhat hot, but worth it. When you finish, you're next choice is to go to a CENOTE to swim or first ride in a rally car, which we did. That was a lot of fun too. Then we swam in the Cenote which was fun as well. A GOOD day.

Another day we rented a car( Easy and no problem) and drove to Chichen itza. I read a lot about going there and would suggest the following.
1st-- If you want to see only C.I. either go early, take a guided tour for 2 to 3 hours after which it's too hot (our guide was GREAT), then go to one of the Caverns or Cenotes.
2nd--Go early to EK BALAM first where you can climb the ruins (can't climb C.I. anymore) and it's remote. We went to C.I. first, did other things and got to E.B. @ 4:40-they closed @ 4:30, oh well. After E. B. go to Villadid (sic) and have lunch at one of several choices, go swimming after lunch @ one of the Cenotes on the way to C.I. (maybe the Caverns as well and try to get to C.I. for a tour and the evening light show.
If you drive, take the toll road from and back to Cancun, except between V. and E.B. and between V. and C.I.
Hope this helps

okay - this year 2009 marks my 20th anniversary of spending great times in Beautiful Cancun - As an SPG Starwood member I have had the privilege of staying in all three properties of Starwood in Cancun. Westin Regina Spa the old Sheraton before it blew away in the Storm three years ago and the stuffy Meridian. I use the term loosely for the Meridian only due to the patron there and not the staff! Depending non the time of year some of the Patron at the Meridian can be stuffy and non friendly. Other than that the three hotels including the new Westin Laguna mar are fantastic for great service and overall good times. The best rated is the Westin Spa located beside Club Med. The staff are well seasoned and have been there for some time so you can expect good experience there. The bartenders in the Lobby Bar are a hoot always adding laughter and fun even late night after returning from downtown. The food is in my opinion great because it is fresh - I have never done an all inclusive because I like fresh food and fruit. The rooms are bigger than normal and well sounded for quietness. The Chamber Maids are small and wear really quiet shoes adding the sleep-in time for some mornings.
One of the biggest advantages of the Westin Spa is the fact that it is very close to the Club Med property near the Point where you can Snorkel in a quiet area with very few people. Not too many know of this place as it is considered a public spot, however, you can only get to it by going through Club Med and that is not a problem in several years going there. If you rent a car in Cancun try to get away from picking it up at the Airport –you wait time is long including the pickup shuttle and the staff member will try to get you to sign up for a free meal if you take in a seminar at your hotel or off location. Renting a car off site can save you up to $50.00, so taking transportation to your hotel direct will help and probably get you in your room quicker if you are nice to the front desk staff. If you like Photography, early morning in Cancun can achieve breath-taking shots of the local scenery including Hotels entrances like the Rui , Ritz, Omni Americana etc. The Markey downtown ( Market 24) is fantastic for good colourful images with the abundance of dry shellfish and local ceramics. This is also where you get item have the price from the main drag shopping area on Kulkucan Blvd.
Pack just your towel and a lunch and take a drive early one morning to a private beach near Tulum, more of a nude beach however, really quiet and quant! Again if you have a car, most of the supply shopping for food and wine and beer can be had from the local Cosco and large Market, WalMart. They are situated directly across form the drag on the other side of the Lagoon. You would have to go back towards the airport to get there and should take no longer than 20 minutes by car. Stay away from the Downtown area to get gas and food as the traffic is rough. Forget Cheitenetza (Chicken & Pizza) Pyramid and ruins if you do not have a car and small children as it is stifling hot there. Unless you are a historian or teacher travelling alone or one friend with a car, it is inland and really hot. Pack the Water.
The night life in Cancun is indeed fabulous with many good comical acts and events. Pat O’Brien’s pack a good crowd and the food is good if you stick to Fahitas. Pat O’Brian’s’ is also home of the Hurricane drink that stand 3 feel in a glass and is free if you can drink it all or you pay $150.00. It’s fun to watch the show off’s that order it and try desperately to drink it all and still remain standing! Now to the beach where the sand is powdered coral and the water is the true Caribbean Blue – Wear Turquoise and you will really blend in. My only world of caution is that if the red flags are up on the beach; plan to stay away from the water when it is really windy especially in the winter months up to early April. Having been to Cancun through the year, I find the best is Mid Feb or mid July. If you venture out exploring in Cancun by Car stay on the main routes from Cancun to Tulum and including Belize and Merida.
Hope the info helps and enjoy!

We booked what sounded like a great deal for a rental car from Dollar at the Cancun airport on the Hotwire website. We were quoted a rate of $14.77 a day for a full size car but found out when we arrived that insurance of $11 a day was MANDATORY. As it was getting late and we had children with us, we didn't have much choice but to pay the extra charges for our 2 week rental. We were not told ahead of time by anyone about these charges. We will not be rented from Dollar again and will not use the Hotwire website either. It felt like the old Bait and Switch game to us.

Cancun is a great place for a beach vacation, and you can have a good time whether you want to relax or party all night. It's also close to some distinctive Yucatan attractions, particularly Mayan antiquities. But I'm not going to try to give a full rundown of the pros and cons of Cancun. Instead, here are just a few tips based on my own experience there.

--Travel now while the window of buyer advantage is still open. Because of economic conditions and the aftereffects of the flu scare, prices are low, the exchange rate is favorable, and hotels are underbooked, which means discounts, additional promotions, and especially attentive service.
--We stayed at the Fiesta Grand and loved it. I highly recommend it (and reviewed it under the hotel section).
--Try La Habichuela in the city. Food and service are great, and the atmosphere in the garden is very romantic (though it's a bit muggy). We also liked La Destileria in the hotel zone, which has a nice outdoor area overlooking the lagoon.
--There was an interesting local fair near La Habichuela on Sunday night when we were there; not sure whether that's regular or not, but to escape the artificial atmosphere of the Hotel Zone it would be worth checking out. In general it's worth exploring outside the Zone, although I wouldn't say Cancun is the most appealing city I've ever seen.
--Arrange shuttle transportation to and from the airport in advance to avoid hassle and possibly getting ripped off by taxis. We used Best Day, and they were reasonably priced, professional, and efficient (though they will try to pitch you their other tourist services; I missed the scheduled meeting with their rep and just arranged the return trip over the phone).
--It is often cheaper to use the intercity public bus to get to tourist attractions than to buy packaged tours. We did this to get to Chichen Itza and ended up paying less than any pre-arranged trip that I saw advertised online. The ADO first class bus there is direct and fast. The bus terminal downtown is along the R-1 route (city bus); just ask the driver where to get off.
--Chichen Itza, by the way, is very much worth seeing. It is possibly the most awe-inspiring site in Mexico, although it is also often crowded, when we were there it was unbearably hot and humid, and peddlers are everywhere. Those peddlers, however, who appear to be mostly Mayan, have some goods worth checking out. Also, they need the business; the surrounding area, as you can tell driving in, is very poor. Plus, after all, their ancestors did build these ruins!
--The time-share people at the airport will outright lie to you. They told us they were our shuttle service and sounded very convincing. But transportation people wait outside. There is an intermediate area between the money change window and the room right before the exit (an airport service person sits there) where the salesmen all await their prey.
--Don't buy anything in dollars if the option is offered. Use pesos or you'll get ripped off in the exchange.