Companion guide · Cancún
Things to do in Cancún while your partner recovers
You came to look after someone, and you have 5 to 10 days with long quiet stretches. Here is how to split them: short outings you can share, the things your patient has to skip, and a day trip for when they are resting.
Your job on the trip
- Be there for the clinic appointments and the first night after the procedure.
- Carry the bags. After most surgery, lifting is off the list for weeks.
- Keep fluids, medicines from the clinic and the clinic's phone number to hand.
- Know where the nearest pharmacy is. Pharmacies are everywhere in Downtown and the Hotel Zone, many open late or around the clock.
- Emergency number: 911 for ambulance, police and fire.
Short outings to share
Seated, short and close to the clinic districts. Most fit the early recovery days. Check each day's rules in the patient's guide.
Glass-bottom boat or lagoon cruise
See the reef or the lagoon from a seated boat, no snorkel needed.
Seated, some open-air walking, about 2 hours
Maya Museum of Cancún
Mayan artefacts and the San Miguelito ruins in the Hotel Zone, partly indoors.
Gentle walking, some open-air walking, about 2 hours
Mercado 28
Downtown's covered crafts market with cheap local restaurants around it.
Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 1.5 hours
Interactive Aquarium Cancún
An indoor aquarium in La Isla mall.
Gentle walking, indoors, about 1.5 hours
Hop-on hop-off bus
Downtown and the Hotel Zone from an open-top bus.
Seated, some open-air walking, about 3 hours
Things to do on your own
Your patient has to skip these on most days, so they are ideal while they rest.
Isla Mujeres catamaran
Sail to Isla Mujeres with a reef snorkel stop, lunch and an open bar.
Gentle walking, mostly in full sun, about 7 hours
MUSA underwater museum snorkel
Snorkel over hundreds of underwater sculptures.
A few hours on foot with breaks, mostly in full sun, about 3 hours
Street food night at Parque de las Palapas
Downtown's evening square of marquesitas, elotes and esquites carts, with families and music.
Gentle walking, shaded or covered, about 2 hours
A day trip, if you have a free day
Chichén Itzá day trip
The great pyramid and a cenote stop, about 2.5 hours each way.
A few hours on foot with breaks, mostly in full sun, about 12 hours
Tulum ruins and beach
Clifftop ruins over the sea, about two hours south.
A few hours on foot with breaks, mostly in full sun, about 10 hours
Long days away are best on a day when your patient is comfortable and has no appointment.
Where to eat
- Sopa de lima. Yucatán chicken and lime soup. Ask for the tortilla strips on the side.
- Cochinita pibil. Slow-roasted achiote pork that falls apart. Eat it in soft tortillas.
- Fish tacos Downtown. Soft tortillas and grilled or battered fish around Parque de las Palapas.
- Tacos al pastor. Spit-roasted pork with pineapple. Order with mild salsa.
- Ceviche on tostadas. Fresh ceviche, often served on crunchy tostadas: ask for crackers or a bowl instead.
- Marquesitas. Rolled crispy crêpes with cheese and Nutella from Parque de las Palapas carts.
- Elote. Corn on the cob with mayo, cheese and chilli. Strip it off the cob with a fork.
Recovery guides for Cancún
Veneers
Cancún
7 days, day by day. Veneers have almost no downtime.
Open the guide
Pharmacy and clinic map: Cancún
Clinic districts
- Downtown (Centro). Most dental clinics, local restaurants and Mercado 28. Clinics · Pharmacies
- Hotel Zone. Beach resorts, malls and some clinics. Clinics · Pharmacies
- Puerto Cancún and Malecón Tajamar. Newer medical buildings between Downtown and the Hotel Zone. Clinics · Pharmacies
Pharmacies and emergencies
Pharmacies are everywhere in Downtown and the Hotel Zone, many open late or around the clock.
Emergency: 911 for ambulance, police and fire.