Activities - Cancun
There are an ENORMOUS number of activities both in and around Cancun. The easiest and most cost-effective way to book is online. The links here are the best activities in and around Cancun, and they are hosted by sources we trust with excellent reviews.
1. ATV’s & Ziplines +
2. ATV’s zip lines & Obstacle Course +
3. Beach Party
5. Catamaran
6. Chichen Itza
7. Chichen Itza or Tulum - Private
8. Chichen Itza Night Show
9. Chichen Itza plus Cenotes
10. Cooking Class - Mexican Food
11. Deep Sea Fishing
12. Horse Back Riding
13. Jet Pack – Water Powered
14. Jungle Tour
15. Kayak Sunset
16. Mini-Submarines
17. Party Boat
18. Pirate Dinner – Jolly Roger's
19. Scuba Diving 1
20. Scuba Diving 2
21. Swim with Dolphins
22. Tequila Tour
23. Tulum Ruins, snorkel, cenote
24. Wet’n Wild Water Park
27. Xplor-Night
28. Yacht Rental 1
29. Yacht Rental 2
30. Z-Night Beach Party
31. Z-Private Fishing with Mike
32. Z-Private Snorkeling with Mike
33. Z-Private Catamaran with Pat
34. Casino
Private Snorkeling Excursion with Mike or Chuckie:
This is the ultimate "no-brainer" and "must do" excursion in Cancun. It's a fantastic time!!!... plus it's THE BEST VALUE IN CANCUN. Not everything in life needs to involve money. That's why we give away the in home cooking and excursions like this. I have known Mike for over 20 years. He helped me put our unit back together for months after hurricane Wilma in 2005. I put Chuckie on here too, because he is a great guy and Mike cannot always get to every excursion. Mike has different sized boats, he can seat 24 people comfortably on his larger boats. He always uses boats that will be very comfortable for the group size going, plenty of seating and space. The seats are cushioned, and he has all of the gear of course. Both Mike and Chuckie are wonderful guys. They joke around, always laughing and cutting up and you'll see how well they take care of everyone, along with their staff. They are very experienced skippers.
The first time I went out, what was shocking to see was how crystal clear the water is. It's so clear, you can see all the way to the bottom even when you're around 30 feet deep. The next thing that you will find so refreshing is that the water is so comfortable, it's not cold at all. It's perfect, not hot like a bath, yet not cold at all. That makes the experience so much nicer in my opinion. There are so many things that make this excursion special, first, it's completely private to your group. Most snorkeling excursions are public and they have a b it of a rushed and corporate feel to them. Plus where they take you is typically not very interesting. Mike takes you to beautiful waters, they are protected waters by the Mexican government. Mike actually has to get a permit for each person, and that's included in the price. But these public snorkeling companies aren't taking you to places like this.
For $90 per person ($540 minimum), here is what you have with this tour:
Private Excursion.
Round Trip Transportation from the resort to Puerto Mujeres, and back. You don't even have to wait for the pick up. Mike's driver will call you on your cell when they get there. The pick up time is always 9am, approximately.
The best captains in the business.
Soda & Water Refreshments on the boat.
Snorkeling in gorgeous protected waters, with expert staff guidance out in the water with you.
A stop at Mike's buddy's place. He has a pet whale shark, and if you make a donation of $5 to his friend, you can get your picture taken with the whale shark. It's best to have 2 or 3 people in the picture so that you can hold it, impossible for one person. Technically speaking there is no charge for this. But it is how Mike's friend makes his living, so he relies on donations. Even if it's a couple of dollars, it's better than nothing and would be appreciated.
Next stop is Isla Mujeres. There golf carts will await you. I love this part of the trip, it's relaxing and a nice break between the snorkeling times. For 2 hours, you get to cruise around the whole island. It takes about an hour to get around the entire island. But with that extra hour, it's perfect, so relaxing. Because you can stop off at the look outs to get pictures, plus there is a historic place that has these amazing views and many shops cool shops to get souvenires and many other things, lots of unique deserts here too. You can also get fresh coconut, cut right in front of you with machete. Also, as you go around the island, to me, it's very interesting, it's such a diverse culture. Just so everyone knows, you can get the trip for $75 per person, but then you only get one hour on the golf cart.
From Then, it's back on the boat, this time to more shallow waters, which is great for both kids and adults. In this area, the sand is super smooth, and it's flat, and it goes for hundreds of yards in every direction. The water here is maybe 3 feet deep, at some points maybe 5 feet. It's so easy to snorkel here, and their staff will jump in with you and take fish food out there which attracts colorful fish in droves.
When you are finally all done, you head out to Isla Mujeres one last time. This time, they serve you this amazing multi course meal with fresh fruits, salad, fresh caught fish, pasta, it's just crazy how much fresh food there is. The only thing you have to pay for there is your own drinks, even soda. After that, you get on the boat and I can tell you from doing this several times, everyone on the boat heading back is exhausted, joyfully exhausted. They're often laying down on the boat, or you see wives snuggling with their husbands, just completely spent. But in a healthy refreshing way. This trip is paid in cash only, US dollars please. If you are happy with the job Mike or Chuckie and their staff do, please consider giving them a nice tip. Excursion time is 5-6 hours or more. To book: https://www.cancunvacationrentals1.com/inhouseservices
Private Fishing Excursion with Mike:
Mike’s family has been all about fishing for many generations. When Cancun became so popular, Mike started offering the snorkeling. I’m not a fisherman, but I have to say I have never seen anyone fish the way Mike does. He puts on these gloves, no pole, just a line and a hook, puts a worm on the hook, then puts the line in and he makes this movement that attracts fish, and you can see what he’s doing, because the water is so clear. In around 30 seconds or so, Mike has a fish on the line, about ¼ pound or so, and he throws that in his bucket of water. He repeats the process for about 5 minutes, and the next thing you know he’s got around 8-10 live fish swimming around in the bucket. Only then, does Mike break out the fishing poles. He uses the fish he just caught for the bigger fish. I’m telling you, Mike knows how to fish. It isn’t long before he’s got something on the line, it’s usually a Barracuda, and they put up one hell of a fight, exhausting. You might also catch some snapper and other unique species. This trip does not include lunch or golf cart rental and the cost is $75 per person ($450 minimum) lasts 4-5 hours:
To book it: https://www.cancunvacationrentals1.com/inhouseservices
Private Catamaran Excursion with Patrick
Patrick and his wife Claudia own this 40ft catamaran. Great people! When you go out with Patrick and his crew, it is THE BEST TIME! Most folks don't understand. But when you sign up for a "private excursion" you are not working with the boat owner. With Mike and Patrick, they own their own boats, you are not working through a broker with mark ups, you are bypassing all that, and no one is going to treat you better than the boat owners themselves. Instead of this corporate type experience with other options, it's much more personal, and much more fun.
Now, Patrick also takes you snorkeling, so which one do you choose? If it is all about the snorkeling, go with Mike. That is his specialty. If you can afford it, I would highly recommend doing both excursions. They are both excellent in their own ways.
Patrick's excursion is an entirely different experience. You have seating conducive to conversation with a table and seating around the table, both inside and out. If you want to be able to sprawl out and enjoy the sun and water, go for a swim, anchor near a shore, do some snorkeling, it's simply a higher end experience all the way around. You can use the bathrooms that are on the boat, you can change in one of the changing rooms on the boat. You have open bar with a beautiful assortment of alcoholic beverages. For food, you have chef quality made offerings. This is an exceptionally nice vessel, large and spacious. And most importantly, this is an ideal set up for groups that rent the penthouses, because 80% of the time our group sizes fall between 6-12 people, which makes this excursion affordable on a per person basis.
Capacity: The maximum that can go out is 14. This is a reasonable max number. My personal opinion is that 8-9 is very comfortable, 10-12 is fine, and with 14 you do need to be sure to spread out around the boat. Even with 10 you'll want to do that a bit, but not so much, there is inside space as well.
Bathrooms:
The catamaran has two bathrooms.
Changing areas:
There is one bedroom dedicated to the purpose for anyone who needs to change.
Rules:
Please take off your shoes before stepping on to the catamaran.
No smoking on the boat.
Life jackets must be worn to enter the water.
Food: Patrick is an accomplished chef, having been head chef at several 5 star restaurants during his career. If you have more than 6 people, we have to keep things more simple, items you can eat without forks and knives. Patrick will make steak or chicken fajitas, or for Vegan's he will make veggie fajitas. If any have special food needs such as allergies to gluten, etc. they will work with you all on that, don't worry. If you are a smaller group of 6 or less, Patrick will prepare a 3 course meal. You can choose from ribs, chicken or steak for the main course. He cooks everything fresh, right out on the grille that is built into the catamaran.
Open Bar: There will be vodka, whiskey, tequilla or rum for hard liquor, and some wines. They are all good quality brands. They can also provide various Mexican beers upon request.
Knowledge: It's important to be aware that with many "private tours" from other operators: What you will find with brokers they encourage large groups to make their prices look great. Seeing 20-30 people on these 40ft catamarans is not unusual. It's doable, but it's not comfortable nor is it safe, when everyone is standing. This is also very typical of public catamaran tours. For me, no thanks.
For special excursions like these, I get asked a lot if I prefer a yacht or a catamaran. Yachts are great, but I'll give you the main reasons here why I like catamarans much more.
1. Yachts are known for beautiful interiors. But where are you spending your time on an excursion? With a yacht, you will also have some outside space, but it is essentially all in the back (bow). With a catamaran, same size, you will have much more space on the top and forward part of the boat (stern). Because catamarans are much wider (more space).
2. Yachta outside: The outside and forward side of a yacht has a crown to it. It may be padded for sunning, but it is hard to stay comfortable and balanced while relaxing, because of the crown. Whereas a catamaran has a net in the front, like a huge hammock, to relax comfortably.
3. Stability. Catamarans are much more stable than single hull boats, such as yachts. They make is much easier to move around and they make relaxing much more enjoyable.
4. You have a lot more shade on catamarans. The sale acts as a natural shade. On yachts, you have shade in the back only.
5. Meals are much more enjoyable on catamarans, as you are much more stable while enjoying a nice dinner.
6. It is much easier to get in and out of catamarans.
7. You can get much closer to shore on a catamaran to anchor down, because the hulls go nowhere as deep as a single hull vessel, which usually has led in the hull to give it some stability.
8. There is no engine noise on catamarans. It's a much more tranquil feeling on a cat.
Booking: 1/2 down to book, balance is paid on the boat the day you go out. If you are booking well ahead of time, 60 days away or more, 20% is required to book, then 30% more 60 days prior to arrival. To make it easy for our guests, you can book via the In Home Services page using visa, master or discover card. The balances are given directly to Patrick or Claudia the day you go out on the trip. One or both of them will be on the boat. They prefer cash if you are able to, but they also accept paypal.
Cancellations:
You can receive a full refund if you cancel a week or more prior to arrival. After that there are no refunds. If Patrick has to cancel the trip due to high winds or in climate weather, you can either reschedule or receive a full refund. Claudia makes every effort to let you know the day prior if the winds will be too high, or if there is in climate weather expected. Sometimes in Cancun, weather can change quickly.
After Booking: As with all in home services, you will receive confirmation via the GROUP - MAIN thread, along with your invoice which will show your payment and balance and trip details.
To book: In home services
Prices:
4 hours: $1,400 (Morning or afternoon)
6 hours: $1,750 (time is flexible)
3 hour sunset cruise: $1,220
Extra hour: $230
Round trip transportation is included to the port and back to the hotel.
Which one above do you recommend? I like the 6 hour, it's not much more expensive than the 4 hour, and you get 50% more time. Remember, time flies when your having fun. And with 6 hours the excursion wont be over before you know it. For me, I like starting with the 6 hour with a pick up time about 1pm. Because then you get a great time of fun in the sun all afternoon, and you end the day with this gorgeous sunset cruise.
Tim Miller
