Everyone knows that Cancún is a tourist trap. During our visit to this coastal city in the Yucatan peninsula, we experienced good things and some not so good. Here is our take on Cancún. We hope these useful for your next adventure.
Tip 1: Explore the local transportation
Using Uber in Cancún is not possible. Apparently, there is a strong union of taxi drivers there that is constantly fighting against anyone who is not registered and part of their union. When you flag a taxi in Cancún, you will see that these vehicles do not have a meter or a chart of fees by the kilometer. Here is where your Spanish skills need to shine. These can help you get the best prices and bargain everywhere, even in your taxi fares.
Tip 2: Learn the basics of the Spanish language
This is not a situation that you will only find in Cancún, but pretty much anywhere in the world. Tip: try to learn the basics in the local language. In this particular case, learn to ask how much something is and the numbers in Spanish. Here is a useful video for you to begin learning the basics in Spanish when traveling.
Tip 3: Pay fair prices
If your Spanish sounds good and you are confident when speaking it, we assure you that you will pay fair prices when taking a taxi or buying anything. We did not have much issues with this, because we speak Spanish. A short taxi ride around downtown Cancún will set you back around USD $ 3.00. If you are a more adventurous traveler, we recommend you to take public transportation. By doing this, you will save money and you will also immerse yourself in the culture. For example, instead of taking a taxi for about USD $ 15.00 to the hotel zone by the ocean, we took a USD $.50 cents on a local bus. Due to the high traffic in that area, it took about the same time it would in a taxi.
Tip 4: Know where to eat
Secondly, be careful of the places you choose to eat. For our first meal in Cancún, we wanted to eat seafood. You would think that in a city by the coast like Cancún, you would find the freshest seafood. At our restaurant, we saw the seafood being taken from a freezer and defrosted in a microwave. We told this to our waiter, and walked out of the place. Make sure you only eat seafood in a place that has a display of their products where you can see them. If you fail to follow this, you may end up very sick and even ruin your trip. Learn how to order food in Spanish here. We recommend that you eat where the locals eat, such as a polleria (roasted chicken) or small taco shop. Always drink bottled products.
Tip 5: Learn the numbers in Spanish
In Cancún and in all Latin America bargaining is normal, so learn your numbers. To do this well in Mexico, you should learn the numbers up to the thousands, particularly when buying bigger items ($ 100.00 USD = about $ 2,000 Mexican Pesos). Learning the numbers in Spanish is not difficult, so try it here.
We hope these few tips don’t intimidate you to visit Cancún or any Latin American country. Cancún is definitely a beautiful place to visit, and even though it can be a tough place for travelers (not tourists), you must always be well informed. Make sure you visit the beautiful Playa Delfines (Dolphin Beach). We hope these tips help you become a savvy traveler wherever your adventures take you.
Additional tips:
Tip 6:
Buy and take with you a pocket dictionary
Tip 7:
Download a good translating app such as Google Translate, iTranslate, or Speak & Translate
Tip 8:
If you have the economic means, buy yourself an instant pocket translator, such as the Vasco V4 Language Translator
Tip 9:
If you already have some knowledge of the Spanish language and want to brush up before traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, download the Time2talk App. With this powerful tool, your Spanish skills will be up to date in no time. Totally worth the price. My students and I have used it and we love it.
Keep traveling, keep learning!
