Family travel in Cancún

Absolutely, in fact, most of the city’s hotels and restaurants go out of their way to make families feel welcome. Villa del Palmar, for instance, provides guests with car seats, strollers and baby bottle sterilizers so that you can leave the bulkier items at home. Nevertheless, keep in mind that Mexico has relatively lax safety and protection measures, so always keep a close eye on your children around swimming pools, balconies, cenotes (natural limestone pools) and beaches with potentially dangerous rip currents.

Children and parents alike go gaga over the jungle-set Maya ruins, sublime limestone swimming holes and vivid coral reefs brimming with marine life. And if you’re thinking about exploring the outlying areas, day trips to nearby places such as Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos are short, easy and fun. Perhaps most importantly, Mexican culture is generally warm-hearted and family-oriented, a particularly comforting thought when traveling with children.

Head about 25 miles south of Cancún to this interactive zoo to get an up-close look at spider monkeys, crocodiles, boa constrictors and colorful macaws. During the tours, visitors are allowed to touch, hold and feed some of the animals under the supervision of English-speaking guides. Most of the animals you’ll come in contact with are rescues and the park’s main aim is to educate visitors from a conservation standpoint.

Getting to this island is half the fun as you zip across the turquoise sea aboard a ferry with an open-air deck. Once you get to Isla Mujeres, take a dip in the stunningly calm and shallow waters of Playa Norte, then mosey over to Playa Hermosa Caleta, where you can swim with the fish in a crystalline inlet. If time permits, pile the whole family into a golf cart rental and putter around on the island’s pretty south side, maybe doing a little snorkeling along the way. Isla Mujeres is a 30-minute boat ride from Cancún.

Part water park, part archaeological site, this Riviera Maya highlight draws praise for its swimmable underground rivers, large coral reef aquarium, ancient Maya ruins and live entertainment featuring pre-Hispanic music and dancing. All told, Xcaret (pronounced esh-car-et) offers some 50 water and cultural attractions. It can get pricey, especially when adding on some of the park’s optional activities, but it’s definitely one of the most popular family outings in the region. The amusement park also has several water-themed hotels in the area.

Aarghuably Cancún’s most captivating swashbuckling spectacle (sorry we couldn’t resist), the Jolly Roger pirate show and dinner cruise is a three-and-a-half-hour romp of sword fights, acrobats, fireworks, live music and treasure hunts. The action unfolds aboard a Spanish galleon replica and the buccaneers or the staff, make a special effort to keep children engaged.

This tour operator conducts various child-friendly outings, including a snorkeling excursion that visits a shallow reef and other swimmable sites. The minimum age requirement is six. Aquaworld also runs submarine rides out to Punta Nizuc Reef, allowing passengers of all ages to observe colorful tropical fish. The half-hour guided tour aboard the so-called Subsee Explorer also offers glimpses of the Underwater Museum of Art, a collection of submerged life-sized statues.

Not only does this Maya archaeological site boast the tallest temple pyramid in the Yucatan but it also rents bikes, so that once inside, you and the little ones can pedal along jungle-flanked dirt trails. There’s also a zip line and nearby cenotes, where you can cool off with a refreshing swim in natural limestone pools.

This new professional wrestling arena in La Isla Shopping Village stages live lucha libre bouts featuring masked marvels performing high-flying maneuvers off the turnbuckles. Luchatitlan is actually designed as a small wrestling-themed city but all eyes are on the action inside the ring.

If the water slides, zip lines, and go-karts of Ventura Park fail to hold your interest you’ll also find a small roller coaster, a bungee swing and an arcade with VR games. The Platinum Pass includes an open bar and unlimited ice cream, so you just might have to splurge.

This downtown park offers the quintessential Cancún family experience as children zoom across the bustling plaza in toy cars, food vendors tempt passersby with enticing sweet treats and street performers work the crowds with amusing comedy routines. The park really comes alive on weekend nights when spirited music and dance acts take the stage.

Zip-line across the marina, play a round of mini-golf or spend an afternoon at the movies in a state-of-the-art IMAX theater. This modern shopping center is packed with entertaining attractions and it also has some surprisingly good restaurants if you need to take a break from the action.

Buses, cars and taxis will all serve you well for getting around. Rental cars are the most convenient option for exploring Cancún’s surrounding areas, however, you can get nearly anywhere you want to go by bus. City buses running between the hotel zone and downtown are affordable, efficient and perfectly safe but too much back and forth can feel like a schlep with restless children in tow. Taxi fares between the beach and downtown can add up and it might actually be cheaper to rent a car if you’re forking out for several cabs a day.