When the Wind Blows in Cancun

To celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary, we decided to spend a few days in Cancun. Unluckily for us, the wind was not cooperating. All three days, red flags were flying which meant no beach time or water time for us! So, we had to improvise. We still had three enjoyable days in Cancun just not what we planned.  

Day one we hung out at the all-inclusive, Dreams Vista Cancun. The pool was enjoyable even with the breeze. We rented a daybed which was pretty darn comfy but not enough to keep us from playing pickleball. Dreams Vista has one court that luckily isn’t very busy so we could start and stop playing any time we wanted. It also had a large retaining wall on two sides which helped with the wind tremendously. So, our schedule was pretty much relaxing at the pool, eat, drink, and play pickleball. Not to shabby for the first day. 

Day two was our adventure out to Chichen Itza, a renowned ancient Mayan city that’s known for its well-preserved architecture. It’s quite a haul out to Chichen Itza, two hours to be exact from Cancun but well worth it. The gauntlet of vendors does leave something to be desired but luckily, they’re on the edges of the ruins. My biggest takeaway – bring a hat! Umbrellas don’t do well in the wind. They do rent umbrellas there which are pretty sturdy, you just have to make sure you don’t poke someone’s eye out! The site is quite impressive. It’s more than just the pyramid, El Castillo, you see in pictures. There a two more large ruins that are impressive – just not quite as cool as El Castillo.  

As part of our tour, we were lucky enough to visit Cenote Chichikan and the charming colonial town of Valladolid. The cenote was stunning—like something out of a fairytale, with crystal-clear waters and lush surroundings. Valladolid, with its colorful streets and laid-back vibe was delight. We only wish we had a bit more time to soak it all in!

Day three had us traveling to the infamous Cancun sign and Museum of the Maya. We went later in morning to the sign – mistake! Go either early in the morning or later in the afternoon, otherwise your pictures will be washed out. The Museum of the Maya was a great museum with cool artifacts from the Mayan period. The ruins of San Miguelito are onsite along with hundreds of iguanas. Not anywhere near as impressive as El Castillo but still a surprising find in the heart of the Hotel Zone of Cancun.  We finished the day with a little shopping at the open-air mall – Plaza La Isla. We held back and didn’t buy much but a nice mall worth the visit especially for the gelato we found!  

In the end, it wasn’t the trip we originally planned—but we rolled with the changes, improvised along the way, and had an amazing time. Sometimes the unexpected turns out to be the best part of the journey!