Cancún

Four days across the Hotel Zone, Isla Mujeres and the mainland ruins

Four days in Cancún cover the Hotel Zone, Isla Mujeres and the mainland ruins and beaches. Start on a calm northern beach such as Playa Tortugas or Playa Las Perlas, both on the R-1 bus, then ride south to Km 16.5 for the Museo Maya de Cancún (closed Mondays) and the San Miguelito ruins beside it.

Finish the day at Playa Delfines, then watch the sun set over the lagoon from the western side of the boulevard.

Day two, Isla Mujeres. Take an early ferry from Puerto Juárez. Hire a golf cart to reach Punta Sur, the island's southern cliff, then swim at Playa Norte in the afternoon, where the water stays shallow far out. Eat fish on the island and return on an evening boat.

Day three, downtown. Leave the strip for El Centro. Browse the craft stalls and cheap eateries of Mercado 28 at lunch, then wander the streets around Avenida Tulum. Return in the evening for Parque de las Palapas, when the food stands open and local families take over.

Day four, the south end. Visit El Rey, a small Maya site near Punta Nizuc with 47 structures and plenty of iguanas (bring mosquito repellent). In the afternoon, join a snorkel boat to the reefs and MUSA sculptures off Punta Nizuc, or simply stay on the beach.

Tikin xic, marquesitas and tacos at Parque de las Palapas

Cancún's real eating happens downtown, away from the Hotel Zone. Parque de las Palapas, El Centro's main square, has small eateries open from mid-morning and food stalls that set up in the evening and close around midnight; signs show each dish with a photo. Look for marquesitas, rolled crisp crêpes with cheese and sweet spreads, plus tacos, esquites and tamales.

Most people visit Mercado 28 for its souvenir stalls, but the loncherías inside its courtyard serve Yucatecan plates at local prices, such as cochinita pibil, achiote-marinated pork slow-cooked in banana leaves, and sopa de lima.

This is the Caribbean, so order seafood. Ceviche of fish or shrimp, cured in lime with tomato, onion and coriander, is everywhere. On Isla Mujeres and in good seafood places across the city, look for tikin xic, a whole fish rubbed with achiote and sour orange and grilled, a recipe with Maya roots. For a late-night snack in El Centro, the taquerías along Avenida Yaxchilán serve tacos al pastor until the small hours.

How hurricanes, sargassum and spring break shape Cancún's year

December to April is Cancún's best season: the air is driest, the sea calmest, highs sit around 29-32°C and February to April each get under 50 mm of rain. It is also high season, with the fullest hotels, highest rates and Christmas and Easter peaks, and the rest of the year divides sharply.

March adds spring break. Punta Cancún's clubs and the resorts around them fill with students, and the nightlife runs at full volume. Families and couples should book elsewhere on the strip or cross to Isla Mujeres.

From May to August the heat rises to 33-34°C, humidity climbs and June brings the first real rains, about 146 mm. This is also when sargassum, a brown floating seaweed, is most likely to reach the open-sea beaches. Its arrival varies hugely by year and by beach; the north-facing beaches towards Isla Mujeres are usually less affected.

September and October are the wettest months, averaging about 223 mm and 242 mm, and form the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season, which officially runs June to November. Direct hits are rare but disruptive. If you travel then, buy insurance that covers storms and follow the resort's advice. November is a sweet spot: rains ease, the sea calms and the winter crowds have not yet arrived.