When spending time on the northern side of Cancun, take a day trip to Isla Mujeres, which is located eight miles off the shore. There are ferries to the island from many of the beaches and here you can tour the terrain on a scooter, play beach volleyball on the soft white sand, or explore Garafon Park. Garafon Park is located on the island’s south side and while not used for sunning since it lacks a sandy beach, visitors can swim with fish that will follow around anyone who has food.

The eastern side of Cancun is mostly unprotected since it does not have an island to shelter it from the waves like the northern side. This means the waves can become quite large at times so it is important to use precaution when exploring beaches such as Playa Ballenas, Punta Nizuc, and San Miguelito. If you enjoy jumping over waves or participating in water sports that take advantage of wavy conditions (there are numerous jet ski rental outlets here), then the eastern side may be the ideal place for you to throw down a towel and dive headfirst into the water.

An excellent water-oriented place to check out is Xcaret Eco Theme Park, which offers swim with the dolphins tours, snorkeling and snuba diving (diving without a tank) to the barrier reef, and sea treks that allow visitors without diving experience to walk along the ocean floor. In the middle of the hotel zone, make your way to the interactive aquarium for an up close look at the native marine life. You can touch nurse sharks, stingrays, and starfish or swim with dolphins in a large pool at this moderately sized but modern aquarium.