From All-Inclusive to the Real Mexico

Cancun is known worldwide for its gigantic, all-inclusive mega resorts, but there is another face in this tale, the Real Mexico one.

You can spend a week locked inside your resort and never step outside (I have done this in the past), or go out and discover the town. What for? Food, drinks, entertainment, beach, pools, etc. A lot of people prefer the no-brainer all-inclusive option, but there is a whole great world outside for you to explore, and I'm not talking about the tours offered by your resort, which more or less are "sterilized" for your convenience. I'm referring to experiencing the real local food that is very tasty; safe; and especially important, cheap. You may pay for a plate of shrimp at a posh restaurant, but you can get tacos de camaron (shrimp tacos) for a piece, and I guarantee they are fresher and tastier than their pre-processed cousins, and you will have more of them.

Quick Tips:

Visit the local market (Mercado 28; everybody knows its location downtown) for better bargains on your souvenir shopping. Chances are that you will get exactly the same quality (and sometimes the same manufacturer) as you get at the upscale (read expensive) malls, but more down-to-earth prices - and you know where the money will go.

At the market, take some time to eat the delicious local food, the specialty of the area of course being seafood, but if that isn't your fav, don't worry - roasted pork and veal were also foods of the Mayans, along with turkey and the exotic faisan.

Also, if you happen to run out of film, batteries, snacks, etc., you can run into town and go the local supermarkets (Chedraui, Wal-Mart), or even to the Costco. It’s much better than having to buy the extremely expensive, limited options at your resort.

Best Way To Get Around:

Take local buses with the confidence that they are safe, clean, and extremely cheap. Just ask your concierge or bellboy about the number or the routes to get to your desired point. There are not so many routes, but if you don't speak enough Spanish, it would be a little bit harder to get back on your original track. People are very friendly and understand that tourists want to explore and will do their best to help you, even if both of you don't speak each other’s language. Stick preferably to older persons, as they are more patient and have more knowledge.

Taxis are widely available, but I only use them very late at night or during rush hour, when the buses are packed with all the commuting workers from the resorts.

Once it was known as the "antidote to civilization," but now Club Med is known by another name in the all-inclusive jungle. These guys invented the term all-inclusive, and in the beginning, it was great. You didn't have to take care of anything and there was no money inside the village, no time schedule, no telephone calls, and no TV to hypnotize you, but, as of late, Club Med has been forced to change due to clientele demands.

One of the things that hasn't changed (too much) is the wide offerings of sports available. You have everything, from sailing to water skiing, from tennis to wakeboarding, and from basketball to snorkeling. The sad thing is that, in the past, it used to be free (included in the lodging cost) to scuba dive, but not anymore. You have to pay extra for the scuba trips, and you also pay for jet skis, golf, horseback riding, and quad biking. Change is not always good.

The village is huge, and to walk from the entrance to the main compound area will take you a good 15 minutes. This was the very first hotel in the whole area, and it was secluded and isolated from civilization. Fortunately, they got the tip of the island; otherwise, they would be located in the very middle of the hotel strip by now. Being away from the other hotels is good if you plan to spend your whole vacation inside this one, otherwise you will need to take a costly cab to go downtown for shopping, dining, or getting to the airport.

The food is excellent by buffet standards. I have sampled other hotel's buffets, and they pale in comparison. The offering is huge and fresh, and you will be happy whatever your choice is.

I haven't mentioned the beach and ocean, as there is no need to do so. This is the Caribbean - the sand is white and won't burn your feet and the water is so clear that you may think you are diving in a pool. With that said, this is the beach to be. With European clientele, you will see a lot of topless woman. Their Website Club Med>

This is an all-inclusive hotel, but it feels like a cheap eco-lodge. The property is so-so, with lots of gardens and a convenient location on the north part of the island. The parking lot is not big enough, as it was designed with the fly-in tourist in mind and the architect never thought you would like to rent a car to visit the zone.

Rooms are old and need maintenance, even the locks of the doors seem very archaic and unsafe. The bathroom is spartan but not unpleasant.

It was my sister who got the "deal" over the Internet and the phone. In paper and on the Net, it looked so good, as she got a very good price, with air and ground transfers included. Having an all-inclusive seemed like a good idea, but the food is something I wasn't impressed with (after staying some years ago in the Club Med). The restaurant in the property reminded me of beach restaurants, with their thatched roofs and sand floors, small selection of food (one soup, two main dishes, and a couple salads), and funny waiters. Well, there was a concrete roof and floor, but the rest remained the same. The waiter had to fill out a form each time we ate there, with a separate form for the drinks (usually lemonades), and we had to sign them. I wonder why this was, as there are no outside visitors eating there and you have the plastic bracelet identifying you as a guest. Stupid paperwork.

Being part of the Avalon group, we had the option to eat at the nicer brother of this hotel, the Avalon Grand, but we had to drive over there or take the bus. The first time we arrived, it was impressive, as the building is big and luxurious. But once inside the restaurant, I got some of the same old feeling. The "buffet" consisted of four different main dishes, a couple of soups, a salad and fruit bar, some pasta options, and ice cream for a change. Yes, it is all you can eat for the same price, but sadly, the choices were not great.

As for some final words, you can get a non-all-inclusive option in town for much less money and better service, and you can eat great food by going to the market and stuffing yourself with delicious, fresh seafood or other great options.

But in case you are still interested in booking with them, their website is here.

This is a great place to eat with real food, real flavor, and real Mexican atmosphere.

The restaurant is located in the middle of Mercado 28, the local market in Cancun. That may turn down a few fancy guys, but is better for the rest of us, as here you will find real people with great food.

El Cejas (the guy with eyebrowns) is the nickname of the owner, a Mexican guy with a great touch for seafood. Ask your taxi driver for the Mercado 28, and the rest will be simple enough. Enter the market through any door--it doesn't matter which one--and walk to the middle of the building. When you see lots of people happily munching on their fish or shrimp, raise your sight, and you will find a hand-painted sign "El Cejas". You will notice there are some other restaurants in the food court, but none as busy as this one. And the reason is the great food you will find here: from whole fried fish to ceviche (raw fish, shrimp, octopus, or mixed) to shrimps any style you want them.

The great thing is that the prices are down-to-earth, as this is not a tourist trap.

They also have another restaurant in Playa del Carmen between 24th and 26st Streets, between 25th and 30th Avenues.

In Cancun, you really don't need a car.

Of course, it's more convenient to have your own car so you can set your own times and schedules, but to enjoy this city, a car is not mandatory. Distances are long, and if you are in the middle of a sunny day, walking doesn't seem like a good idea, but the public bus system does work efficiently and cheaply.

There are many towns and cities in Mexico where you won't see any tourists riding in the public buses; in Cancun, it's quite the contrary, as this is an efficient service and very safe. Basically, if you are staying in the tourist strip or island, there are only two ways to move: toward downtown or the opposite direction, which takes you to the aquatic park at the south end of the island.

You don't need to know the routes, nor speak Spanish, to use the buses going south, but if you are planning on going downtown, it would be wise to ask the driver or the other fellows waiting for the busabout which one to take, as there are different destinations once you are out of the touristic zone.

From downtown, you can go north to catch the ferries to Isla Mujeres in Punta Sam, or you can stay in downtown for shopping and dining. Also in downtown, you can get to the bus station and get a trip to Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, or even the airport, all of them cheap alternatives to taking taxis if you are traveling light. Forget it if you are bringing two big suitcases each. This is for cheap traveling around and enjoying the culture.

Both city buses and out of town ones are clean, safe, and cheap.