Puerto Juarez Holidays

Puerto Juarez offers a peaceful alternative to the hustle and bustle of nearby Cancun. Its gorgeous, white sand beaches are quieter, and yet still offer plenty of excellent facilities. The area is famous for its famous waterfront restaurants with thatched roofs that offer fabulous fresh lobster and shellfish. You’ll have all the bright lights of Cancun – which is packed with shops, bars and clubs - right on the doorstep, and there is a host of fascinating excursions you can make from here. The marina is one of the main departure points for ferries to the Isla Mujeres, which has some of the most beautiful beaches in all Mexico and offers superb opportunities for snorkelling and scuba diving. Or you could visit some of the magnificent Mayan monuments, such as Chichen Itza, one of the seven wonders of the world.

If you’re looking for an alternative to the beautiful, but crowded, beaches of the Zona Hotelera (‘Hotel Zone’) in Cancun, then Puerto Juarez is ideal. Its main beach is the Playa del Niño, which has become very popular with tourists and locals alike, thanks to its pristine waters, fabulous white sand and excellent facilities. All these have earned it a Blue Flag. It’s a great option for families, thanks to the shallow waters, and you’ll find lots of palm-thatched bars and restaurants serving drinks and local specialities. The Playa Delfines, in the Hotel Zone, is probably the most famous beach in Cancun, and is also one of very few in the area that boast a Blue Flag. If you’re looking for something wilder, head north to the wonderfully unspoilt Playa Isla Blanca. And for some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, take the ferry across to the Isla Mujeres.

Puerto Juarez is particularly well known for its palm-thatched restaurants on the beach, which serve the area’s delectable fresh lobster and shellfish. But you’ll find a great choice of other places to eat, with a wide range of cuisines and options for all budgets – plus even more in buzzy Cancun, which is right on the doorstep! As well as the famous lobster and shellfish, there are lots of delicious specialities from the Yucatan region that you won’t want to miss out on. These include the panuchos or salbutes, which are stuffed tortillas filled with meat, veggies, black beans and avocado. You could also try elote, the amazingly sweet barbecued sweetcorn, which is a popular local snack on the go. Or hit one of the tamale stands, for one of these scrumptious dough parcels with a spicy meat or cheese filling, which are wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks and steamed.

Puerto Juarez is a relatively quiet resort, which attracts people who want to escape the frenetic pace of nearby Cancun. You’ll find a good sprinkling of chilled-out bars and cafés, many with fabulous waterfront settings, where you can relax and enjoy the balmy evenings. But if you want to dip into the crazy party scene of Cancun, you could head to the famous Party Center (a collection of bars and clubs in and around the Plaza Forum in the Hotel Zone), or join in with the beach parties. Downtown Cancun, where there are more locals than tourists, has more clubs and bars, and is the place to go for salsa bars and live music venues.

Puerto Juarez is a great choice for a family holiday, thanks to gorgeous beaches and laid-back tranquillity. You can really relax on this beautiful stretch of coastline, and yet you’ve got all the attractions of Cancun right on the doorstep. The main beach, the Playa del Niño, in Puerto Juarez is great for kids, with shallow waters and fine sand, and has been awarded a Blue Flag for its cleanliness and great facilities. Older kids will enjoy the snorkelling and scuba diving, and all kids will enjoy the fantastic boat tours, which include pirate boats and dolphin-watching tours. There are several water parks in the area, plus an aquarium, and, of course, amazing Mayan monuments to explore.

The Riviera Maya, with its stunning, Caribbean beaches of white sand, its superb snorkelling and diving, and its wealth of Mayan monuments, is an idyllic place for a romantic holiday. Puerto Juarez makes a fantastic base, offering a lots of peace and tranquillity but with all the convenience of the big resort of Cancun on the doorstep. You might want to simply soak up the sun on the gorgeous beaches, or perhaps enjoy a couples massage at one of the smart hotels spas. Snorkel around the coast, and tuck into some amazingly fresh lobster in one of the charming palm-thatched beach restaurants. You could take a day trip to the Isla Mujeres to find more blissful beaches and some superb diving sites, or explore some of the fascinating Mayan monuments.

The beaches in and around Puerto Juarez and neighbouring Cancun offer every imaginable water sport, from paddle boarding and kayaking to water skiing and para-sailing. The proximity of the enormous Mesoamerican barrier reef – the second largest in the world – has made the Yucatan region a mecca for scuba diving and snorkelling. Cancun also boasts a magical underwater museum, MUSA, with around 500 submerged statues that you can snorkel around. During the summer months, you can even swim with the whale sharks that congregate off the Isla Mujeres. There are also a handful of eco-parks in the area, where you can zoom about on ziplines, or go rafting and canoeing.  

There are some superb Mayan archaeological sites within easy reach of Puerto Juarez. Get a feel for this remarkable culture in Cancun’s excellent Mayan Museum, entrance to which also includes a visit to some small but well preserved ancient ruins. The most spectacular site is that of Chichen Itza, voted one of the Seven Wonders in the World. Chichen Itza was one of the largest and most powerful Mayan cities and many of its buildings have survived remarkably intact. It’s home to a famous pyramid-shaped temple, dedicated to the serpent god Kukulkan, which was built in such a way that the mighty serpent appears to slither down the stepped exterior when the shadows fall just right at the spring and autumn equinoxes.