Cancun spring break! The thought brings joy to our hearts! Smiles to our lips! Dancing to our feet! The memory of hangovers and sunburns to our bodies! Yeah, that last part's a bit painful, but it's all part of the fun in the sun in Cancun at spring break, Mexico's most popular destination for the spring break-bound looking for sand, sea, snorkeling, super good food and drink, and some of the
nicest local folks around.
Cancun is the spring break mothership: cheap
spring packages for students abound, and tequila- and sun-soaked revelers rockin the beach by day and jamming the clubs for dancing after dark are what Cancun's all about at spring break. Cancun is the number one destination for all USA college students year after year because it has it all: exotic locale, beautiful beaches, and roughly half the college population in the US between March and early April. OK, that's an exaggeration -- but it sure feels true when you're in Cancun during spring break's peak. (And
when is spring break? Look it up and ye shall know when to go or, if you're not inclined to cerveza-soaked sunny fun, when not to go:
When is Spring Break 2012?)
What to Know: Visiting Cancun
Let's talk basics: Follow these links for the entire skinny on visiting Cancun:
And get the whole lowdown on visiting Mexico in general:
Cancun Spring Break Safety (And What the Guv Says About Cancun Spring Break)
You know how when you say, "I'm having a Cancun spring break!", your parents/conservative friends/aunt gives you the fish eye and asks if that's safe? Point 'em here; this is *all* the USA government has to say about spring break in Mexico: essentially to be smart. And point 'em to our articles on
spring break safety (after you've read 'em, of course), including
Mexico spring break.
So, on to the government's Cancun spring break discussion:
"Cancun is a fairly large city, approaching 500,000 inhabitants, with increasing reports of crime. Crimes against the person, such as rape, commonly but not exclusively occur at night or in the early morning hours, and often involve alcohol and the nightclub environment. Therefore, it is important to travel in pairs or groups, be aware of surroundings, and take general precautions. To protect against property crimes, valuables should be left in a safe place or not brought at all. If you are a victim of a crime, immediately notify the U.S. Consular Agency in Cancun, Playa del Carmen or Cozumel or the U.S. Consulate in Merida...
"If you rent a moped or other vehicle in Cancun, it is advisable to purchase third-party insurance, as the insurance offered on some credit cards will not cover you in Mexico. Should you have an accident or cause damage to the vehicle, you may be required to pay the full amount of any repairs, in cash, as determined by the rental agency, or face arrest.
"In Cancun, there is often a very strong undertow along the beach from the Hyatt Regency all the way south to Club Med. Already this season, several U.S. citizens have drowned when overwhelmed by ocean conditions. In Cozumel, several drownings and near-drownings have been reported on the east coast, particularly in the Playa San Martin-Chen Rio area."
Got it? Okay, good. Now read a bit more, and then go have some fun in the sun! Cancun spring break, here you come!
Mexico Spring Break
Mexico is such a great place for spring break! This wonderful country just south of the border is home to some of the sweetest beaches and most majestic mountains in North America, and it's an excellent place to get started on a life of travel. It's not especially spendy to hit the sugary sands of Mexico for spring break, and you can drive into Mexico without a passport if need be. Read all about it, or just jump to two of Mexico's other most popular spring break spots (
Puerto Vallarta and
Acapulco) below:
Puerto Vallarta's pretty! And thanks to some serious local efforts, it's a great spring break destination in Mexico: the policia are friendly, and enough expats have settled here that the clubs and shooping have a comfortably Norte American feel if Mexico slightly intimidates you. You're gonna love PV!
Acapulco's turf/drug war problems have amassed an awful lot of press, but really, it's a perfectly safe spring break spot in Mexico.
Acapulco beaches range from quiet hideaways, like
Playa Pie de la Cuesta, to elbow-to-elbow humans, like
La Condesa, and there's a great
hostel in Acapulco if you'd like to get out of the eye of the spring break storm.
Enjoy a fantastic Cancun spring break!
More Spring Break Reading: The 101 for Spring Break 2010 | Spring Break Hot Spots 2010 | Spring Break Ideas | Spring Break Without a Passport | Gay Spring Break | Spring Break Skiing | Volunteering for Spring Break
More Travel Safety Reading:
Student Travel Safety Overview | Travel Emergency Resources From the US Government | Pickpocketing Precautions Pretty Simple | Stashing Travel Cash | Taxi Safety | Train Safety | Women's Travel Tips | Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air…"
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
