{"id":98880851,"date":"2012-01-09T12:51:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T12:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/travel-trends\/beyond-spring-break-parties-exploring-the-other-side-of-cancun-s-tropical-paradise\/"},"modified":"2018-10-05T06:29:43","modified_gmt":"2018-10-05T10:29:43","slug":"beyond-spring-break-parties-exploring-the-other-side-of-cancun-s-tropical-paradise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/beyond-spring-break-parties-exploring-the-other-side-of-cancun-s-tropical-paradise\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Spring Break Parties \u2013 Exploring the Other Side of Cancun\u2019s Tropical Paradise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Year-in and year-out, Cancun is one of the most popular places for Spring Breakers to head.<\/p>\n

With its tropical weather, stunning beaches, and party-till-dawn nightlife scene, it\u2019s easy to see why people clamor for cheap flights to Cancun<\/a> this time of year.<\/p>\n

But, there\u2019s more to Cancun besides the partying. A lot more. For those looking to expand their horizons and make a spring break vacation into an exploration, it can be done.<\/p>\n

And, don’t worry; there will still be plenty of time for sunning, swimming and sipping cocktails.<\/p>\n

Explore the Jungle<\/strong>: There are plenty of ways to get outside of the city and head into nature. Cancun may be a beach area, but there are also jungles and reefs that offer gorgeous outlets to experience something beyond just crashing surf. Hop on a two-person boat and head out in to the Nichupte lagoon mangroves, or take a canopy expedition. There are even Hummer tours that bounce passengers through jungle roads.<\/p>\n

Get Cultured<\/strong>: Cancun may have a rep for being a party place, but just outside of the nightclubs is another world where history is the main attraction. Visit Xel-Ha, an ancient Mayan city and wander through the past in the Temple of Frescoes, Temple of the Descending God, or even take in the view of el Castillo, perched on a cliff with views of the coast below. There\u2019s also Tulum, Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1 and Coba, areas brimming with Mayan ruins. There\u2019s even an option to head to Isla Mujeres, a turtle farm, where visitors can wander and learn about these magnificent creatures.<\/p>\n

Burn Calories<\/strong>: Sure, cold beers can be a part of this adventure, but don\u2019t have to be the main attraction. Rent a bike, hope on a jet ski, scuba or snorkel on the reefs or rent a boat and motor around the Caribbean coastline. Or, rent a personal submarine. This space-age looking device let\u2019s people plunge 20 feet below the sea and explore the reefs on their own \u201csubmarine.\u201d For those who prefer to be on ground or above water, a quick drive from Cancun is the chilled-out fishing village of Puerto Morelos to explore.<\/p>\n

Head to a Wet \u2018n\u2019 Wild<\/strong>: Sure, water may be the main attraction at this 18-acre park, but it also includes thrills and fun. With nine different water installations to enjoy, plus a chance to swim with dolphins and snorkel with nurse sharks, this popular attraction is an option when the surf is too harsh. Or, the beach is too crowded.<\/p>\n

Shop<\/strong>: There are plenty of markets, complete with pushy sales people, to help spend an afternoon. Be warned \u2013 the vendors are aggressive, so don\u2019t be afraid to walk away from a deal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

CC Flickr photo credit: H. Michael Miley\u00a0 <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Year-in and year-out, Cancun is one of the most popular places for Spring Breakers to head. With its tropical weather, stunning beaches, and party-till-dawn nightlife scene, it\u2019s easy to see why people clamor for cheap flights to Cancun this time of year. But, there\u2019s more to Cancun besides the partying. A lot more. For those […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98880851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel-tips-intel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98880851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98880851"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98880851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98896891,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98880851\/revisions\/98896891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98880851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98880851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98880851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}