Handy Guide to Accessing Cancun Hotel Beaches

Every beach in Mexico is public, but the Hotel Zone, which stretches for doze ns of miles, has only a handful of public access points. Unfortunately, most of the hotels & resorts in the Hotel Zone have high security to discourage locals from trespassing. And who can blame them?

The Ritz Carlton ranks among the best hotels in the world.

The "public" beaches are generally as nice as any others, but are often quite busy. The temptation to find a more secluded stretch of beach & cut through a swanky hotel (& maybe take a surreptitious dip in the pool) is overwhelming.


Luckily I'm here to help.


Below, I'll list several great beaches & explain how tourists (and locals who disguise themselves as tourists) can visit them without walking miles from a public access. As Jen & I discover more spots, I'll keep adding to this post. And if anyone adds helpful comments, I'll incorporate those too :)


One last note:


Unless otherwise indicated, wristbands are in effect at these resorts. Each guest is given a wristband, color-coded to indicate which package he or she has purchased (VIP, all-inclusive, etc). This allows an employee to tell, for example, whether a guest needs to pay for the drink he just ordered at a swim-up bar. In some cases, day passes are available & non-guests are allowed to visit & order (& pay for) food & drinks. If you seem like a customer or potential customer, you can wander around any hotel or resort unmolested.



Two English girls from our hostel once crashed a resort in the Hotel Zone & tried to order drinks & put them on someone else's tab by giving the bartender a random room number. The ruse might have worked... if the room number they made up had actually existed! When they were asked to pay for their drinks (about $10 each), they sent them back & took off! It's a funny story, but a very bad (not to mention unethical) idea.

OK, here's the list...


1) Club Med

The beach at Club Med

The beach at Club Med is among the best places to swim in Cancun. Why? It's protected from the ocean by a natural reef, which is also well worth a look. I've gone snorkeling there & seen a variety of fish, including parrotfish, angelfish, grouper, & schools of yellowtail snapper.


Best access point:
I haven't actually tried walking through Club Med, because I suspect it is nigh impossible & because walking from the Westin Regina is so easy: From the front gate of the Westin Regina, walk past the security booth (they won't give you any trouble), head up the ramp & keep walking East (through the small parking lot). At the top of the hill, you'll see the main hotel (with a sign reading "Reception") on your right & another building (member services?) on your left. Just walk between them and you'll find yourself on a path leading past the hotel, right down some steps to the beach. Club Med is the next resort to your South.


2) Westin Regina

The beach at the Westin Regina

This is one of my favorite beaches because, like Club Med's beach next door, it is partly protected from the ocean by a natural reef. It is usually quite quiet, if not entirely empty.


Best access point:
From the front gate of the Westin Regina, walk past the security booth (they won't give you any trouble), head up the ramp & keep walking East (through the small parking lot). At the top of the hill, you'll see the main hotel (with a sign reading "Reception") on your right & another building (member services?) on your left. Just walk between them and you'll find yourself on a path leading past the hotel, right down some steps to the beach.

3) Sunset Lagoon Resort Hotel & Marina (~km 6)

The beach at Sunset Lagoon Resort Hotel & Marina

This is a great beach, with stretches that are not very busy. There is often a lot of surf here.


Best access point:
Just walk (quickly) through the Sunset lobby & continue past the pool, & down the steps to the beach. If anyone asks you about your wristband, just say you want to scout out the hotel &/or visit the bar.


** Royal Mayan (~km 16.5)

The Royal Mayan Resort

Jen & I visited The Royal Mayan when my parents stayed here. It's a lovely hotel with a nice beach, though the tide had left a 3-foot sandy cliff near the water when we were there.

Best access point:
This one is a bit of a gamble. In theory, visitors are required to check in at the front desk. But we missed the email my parents sent us & inadvertently just walked in... twice. Both times, the employee who mans the front door was AWOL.


Note:
This is a timeshare property, which means that wristbands are not used here. It also means that anyone who got past the reception desk (or wanders in from the beach) could swim &/or relax by the pool all day.



** Chac Chi Marina (~km 3.5)

The beach at Marina Chac Chi

Chac Chi Marina is located at km 3.5, across the road from a surf hut/palapa (on the lagoon side). This is a marina (boat & jetski rentals are available), but the beach is very nice & little used (though that could change if construction ever begins on the abandoned property next door). You can see some pics in my post here.

Best access point:
Just walk or drive right in. There's parking here, which appears to be free, though I've never asked.


Btw: The Marina has a nice pool which visitors can use with the purchase of food/drinks. I was told that there is a minimum order of 100 pesos, but even if you order a single beer, no one will ask you to leave. When it is busy or there is a party going on (which there often is), you can just hop in the pool & no one will even notice.

** Holiday Inn (~km 2.5)

The beach at the Holiday Inn

The beach at the Holiday Inn is nothing special, but the beaches East of it run past condos & private homes, making for a very nice, quiet walk. As you can see from the photo, this stretch of beach is very narrow.


Best access point:
I was once asked to return to the front entrance here, after trying to walk through their lobby to access the beach. Luckily there's really no need to pass through the hotel, which lies adjacent to Las Perlas beach (the closest public beach to the downtown area).



Last Update: June 2012