Ultimate Cancun Honeymoon Guide

Yes! Cancun is an excellent choice for a honeymoon!
It has beaches, luxurious hotels, lots of nightlife, and a ton of things to do—sunset cruises, exploring Mayan ruins, swimming in cenotes, and more. Plus, it’s very affordable!

Although it’s good to beware that Cancun is a tourist town and highly commercialized, so if you’re seeking an authentic Mexican experience, there might be better places to go.

Drug-related crime is a significant concern in some parts of Mexico and can vary significantly between states, particularly in areas near the U.S. border and in states like Guerrero, Sinaloa, and Michoacán.

These crimes involve violent conflicts between rival gangs.

However, major tourist destinations like Cancun are popular and typically safe, with a strong police presence. Tourists are not generally targets of organized or drug-related crime and violence.

Cancun is generally considered a safe and welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ couples.

It is one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly areas in Mexico, with a tourism industry that caters to people from all walks of life.

However, Mexico is a Catholic country, so local attitudes may vary, as it sadly does the world over, so discretion is always recommended.

Hotels do not discriminate against LGBTQ+ couples when extending complimentary honeymoon amenities (where applicable).

The seaweed issue in Mexico, particularly along the Caribbean coast, has become a significant concern in recent years due to the influx of sargassum, a type of brown seaweed.

The severity can vary depending on the time of year and location. During the rainy season, typically from May to October, is usually the worst time for seaweed.

Left unchecked, sargassum seaweed can create an unpleasant odor and make swimming less enjoyable.

However, the good news is that the local government and many resorts have started actively cleaning the beaches and using sea barriers to minimize the impact.

For a honeymoon in Cancun, most couples will stay 7 to 10 nights.

Although if you’re in North America, it can be ideal for a short 4-5 night mini moon, too.

A 7 to 10 night duration allows you to fully enjoy your beautiful Cancun honeymoon resort, relax on beautiful beaches, and have time to explore the vast array of Cancun honeymoon attractions.

Remember that 3 nights will only give you 2 full days and 4 nights is 3 full days and so on!

Getting to Cancun is relatively straightforward, as it is a major tourist destination with excellent air connectivity.

Most couples will fly into Cancun International Airport (airport code: CUN), which is well-served by major airlines from cities around the world, including direct flights from many U.S., Canadian, and European cities.

You can also fly from other regional countries like Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama, as well as multiple airports in Mexico.

On arrival, we recommend opting for a private transfer service directly to your Cancun honeymoon hotel. Book a 5-star driver here!

Most nationalities do not need a visa for Mexico but will need to fill out a Mexican Tourist Card.

If you are traveling via the USA or Canada to get to Mexico, you may need a US ESTA (visa waiver) or Canadian eTA.

Some travel vaccinations are recommended for Cancun and the surrounding areas. There may be a risk of Zika virus, too, so mosquito protection is strongly recommended.

We encourage you to visit the Center for Disease Control website for up-to-date travel vaccination recommendations or speak to a Tropical Medicine Specialist.

While it can be hard to tear yourself away from your luxury Cancun honeymoon resort, you may want to get out and about to explore!

The majority of couples will base themselves at the resort and take excursions, but you can rent a car if you want to explore the Riviera Maya by yourselves. Mexicans drive on the right.

The local bus system is affordable and efficient, particularly if you’re just traveling within Cancun and the Hotel Zone.

Taxis and Uber are widely available in Cancun and are handy for short trips, such as going to restaurants, shopping centres, or beaches in the Hotel Zone and downtown areas.

Some hotels and rental shops offer bikes or scooters for rent. This can be a fun and eco-friendly way to explore the Hotel Zone or nearby areas.

The Hotel Zone is very walkable in parts, too.

Cancun honeymoon packages can be very budget-friendly!

In fact, planning a honeymoon package can be as expensive or as affordable as you choose, depending on your travel style, preferences, and the time of year you visit.

You’ll find a range of all-inclusive honeymoon resorts that fit different budgets. If you choose all-inclusive, you don’t have to worry about the bill at the end of your stay.

They range from luxurious and expensive with swim-out rooms to more affordable Cancun honeymoon resorts.

If you can travel outside of the peak times (for example, Christmas, Spring Break) and book earlier rather than later, you can often make some savings!

A good travel agent who books Cancun honeymoons regularly can take care of all the nitty-gritty details and may even have preferential rates. Using a travel agent has a lot of advantages.

However, booking a D-I-Y Cancun honeymoon package is easy, we’d recommend choosing a flexible hotel rate with free cancellation with Booking.com. You can get great discounts with their loyalty program.

You can book transfers and ferries easily, along with tours and excursions on GetYourGuide or Viator.

When you’re booking flights, if you can’t fly directly and are booking connecting flights, give yourself enough time to change planes. We’d recommend at least a 2 to 3-hour layover for a stress-free experience.

Don’t forget to have travel insurance in place before booking!

Here at The Honeymoon Guide, we want you to have the best honeymoon possible. Safety is paramount, so it’s important to have travel insurance in place when you book your honeymoon.

If you don’t have travel insurance, check out WorldNomads.com to learn more.

_{World Nomads provide travel insurance for travelers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance from World Nomads.}

Mexico has a tropical climate, so opt for relatively comfortable clothes, like shorts and t-shirts if you’re out exploring.

Don’t forget practical footwear and clothing if you’re going to be sightseeing, visiting cenotes, and archaeological ruins.

Add plenty of swimwear to your Cancun honeymoon packing list!

Go glam at night with chic and cute summer dresses, jumpsuits, and playsuits for women, and chinos for men.

Make sure you pack reef-friendly sunscreen, insect repellent or a mosquito pen, a rash guard, aqua or reef shoes, and a waterproof phone case.

While credit and debit cards are widely accepted at most hotels, restaurants, and larger stores, it’s a good idea to have some cash when traveling to Cancun so you can tip and buy from local markets and street vendors.

You can use US dollars, but pay in pesos if you can, for a better deal.

You can take out some pesos at the airport, and ATMs are widely available.

Yes, tipping is customary and appreciated in Cancun, and the tipping culture is similar to the US, so 15-20% is the norm in restaurants, and rounding up for other services.

If you’re staying at an all-inclusive resort, we’d recommend having a small budget for tips of around $15-20 per person per day for wait staff and housekeeping.

You’ll find a mix of markets and modern malls in Cancun. For upscale shopping, visit La Isla Shopping Village, where you’ll find luxury brands.

You can buy Mexican handicrafts from textiles to maracas and silver jewelry.
But our favorite buys are food and drink related—hot sauces, chocolate, and bottles of tequila and mezcal!

As you can see, no matter how much time you have, there is so much to see and do on a honeymoon in Cancun—you could easily spend your whole honeymoon here!

There are many other Mexican honeymoon destinations, too. From nearby Tulum and the resorts along the Riviera Maya and nearby islands to destinations like Oaxaca and San Miguel de Allende.

However, it is very easy to add some other destinations to make a magical multi-destination honeymoon.

One of the most popular options is combining a US or Canadian city for the ultimate city and beach honeymoon combination with a dash of adventure, too.
Consider a honeymoon in Miami, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, or Toronto, to name a few!

There are direct flights to Central American and Caribbean honeymoon destinations just a short flight away.

A tour of Cuba with a beach stay in Mexico. Tropical paradise, Belize, lying south of the Yucatan Peninsula, is one of our favourite underrated honeymoon destinations, too, with lush jungles, Mayan ruins, and some of the best scuba diving in the world.

How about off the beaten track adventures in Guatemala, or an adventure honeymoon in Costa Rica or exploring a honeymoon in Argentina or a Colombia or Peru honeymoon?

Just some of the incredible destinations to combine with your Cancun honeymoon!