In this Caribbean hot spot, I found a Michelin-recommended eatery, a glamorous speakeasy and an underwater museum.
A golden Cancun sun beamed down as I lowered myself cautiously from my two-seater speedboat into the Caribbean Sea.
I won’t lie: Although the sky was a serene blue and the crystal-clear waters were so shallow I could see the bottom, this was my first time snorkelling and I was uneasy.
Because I’m a weak swimmer, I’ve always planned my travel far from open water. Now I was literally in uncharted territory.
Almost immediately, I discovered a problem: My mask leaked.
“Juanita, you can’t put the strap under your hair all cute like that,” one of my friends explained to me. “It has to go over your hair.”
“It has to be so tight it almost hurts,” added another.
Finally, after receiving an embarrassing amount of help, I lowered my face into the sea. And suddenly, a whole world that I’d been avoiding my entire life came into focus.
I could only confidently identify the striking yellow- and black-striped sergeant majors, but around them a kaleidoscope of other fish darted back and forth below my mask.
I even saw a few sculptures, part of the Underwater Museum of Art, eerie in their stillness.
Admittedly, I didn’t venture far from the boat. But my small act of bravery helped set the tone for the entire trip.
Michelin recognition
My favourite meal in Cancun didn’t come from one of the swanky restaurants lining the Hotel Zone, but from an unassuming eatery in a working-class neighbourhood about 20 kilometres away. The rain had been pounding down and my group was divided.
Should we have a leisurely breakfast at our upscale resort, or head into potential gridlock on a wet day with a tight schedule?
We opted to go, and it turned out to be an exceptional decision.
La Casa de Las Mayoras’ plant-based menu celebrates Mexico’s culinary roots while honouring family traditions; it’s an approach that has earned the restaurant Michelin-recommended status for the second consecutive year.
“We had a lot of emotions,” chef and co-owner Alejandro Lagunas said, recalling the moment they heard the news. “We celebrated … this is a really good thing.”
It is a true family affair here: Lagunas co-owns the restaurant with his cousin, chef Christian Rodriguez; Lagunas’ mother, Maria Gonzalez, is the restaurant’s general manager.
After entering through a homey kitchen, diners can now head to a casual, charming rooftop patio, built to accommodate business that has tripled since Michelin’s nod.
If you visit, order the papadzules, handmade tortillas bathed in a silky pumpkin seed sauce, a specialty from Mexico’s Yucatan region.
Secret hideaway
That same curiosity paid off later in my trip.
If you search Kyomu Speakeasy, you’ll find little on its website except a spot to make reservations. And that’s by design.
The buzz about this glamorous hideaway, accessed through the kitchen of the elegant La Dolce Vita restaurant, is growing. But for the most part, it continues to remain a hidden gem.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this: We followed our server into a bustling kitchen and stopped in front of what looked like an industrial refrigerator.
“Welcome to Kyomu!” A chef pulled open the stainless steel door and, instead of produce and sides of beef, we seemingly time-travelled into a Prohibition-era lounge.
With its elevated craft cocktails and a vocalist crooning jazz standards, the dimly lit room felt like a delicious secret. For once, I felt like one of the cool kids.
I knew I couldn’t go home without getting behind the wheel of a golf cart and I did exactly that on a day trip to Isla Mujeres, just a short ferry ride from Cancun.
It’s one of the island’s most popular modes of transport, and my confidence grew quickly once I realized the carts simply don’t go very fast. The only real challenge was navigating speed bumps without launching my group skyward. But I only did that once.
With the wind in my hair and a friend filming me from the passenger seat, I cruised through town to Avenida Miguel Hidalgo, the lively pedestrian strip that’s lined with restaurants and shops, then continued on to Punta Sur, home to ancient Mayan ruins and a sculpture garden that overlooks the sea.
“¡Hola!” I called out randomly to passing golf cart drivers. Laughing, they waved back, similarly caught up in the pure joy of it all.
After a day of sun and sand, I was ready for a little glam.
Enter MYST, a song-and-dance extravaganza at Arena Cancun that’s equal parts spectacle and strobe-lit theatrics.
Performers powered through costume changes — hello, lamé gowns and feathered headpieces! — and decades of anthems, moving effortlessly from Queen and Whitney Houston to Mexican pop songs I didn’t recognize but that had the crowd on its feet.
The high-energy production had recently arrived from Mexico City, and Cancun was clearly ready for it.
]Beyond the familiar
I’d nearly backed out early on. Zipping at full speed on a jet boat through a mangrove jungle was very cool; putting on a mask and fins to snorkel at the midway point of this excursion, not so much.
But once I started stepping away from the expected, it became easier to let things just unfold.
That shift even reframed how I thought about one of Cancun’s most familiar rituals: getting a photo at the rainbow-bright CANCUN sign at Playa Delfines.
I’d driven past numerous times but, not surprisingly, there was always a lineup. On my final day, I shrugged and took a photo of the lineup right before I headed to the airport. My social media will survive.
I’m already planning my return. Maybe I’ll try again for a photo at the iconic sign, maybe not. But whatever my itinerary, I know there will be plenty more hidden doors to uncover in Cancun.
If you go
Stay:
Hyatt Vivid Grand Island: If I could, I’d stay at the Hyatt Vivid Grand Island forever for its showstopping rooftop infinity pool and swim-up bar. At 90 metres in length, it’s the longest rooftop pool in Cancun. This adults-only, all-inclusive resort also features the private Ennea Beach Club and daily activities from aquacycling and Pilates to sound-healing classes and dreamcatcher workshops.
Secrets Mirabel Cancun Resort Spa: Adults-only and all-inclusive, Secrets Mirabel is so new I was the first guest to stay in my room.
Almare Luxury Collection Resort: An upscale take on all-inclusive luxury. If you’re just on the island on a day trip, consider a day pass (from resortpass.com) for access to the resort’s amenities.
This article originally ran in the Victoria Times-Colonist
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