Down Mexico Way...

Where to Eat

Ritz-Carlton 
ritzcarlton.com

Cancun boasts three restaurants with AAA Five Diamonds, one of the highest accolades awarded in the business. Two of these are to be found in the same hotel – the Ritz-Carlton Cancun. The Ritz-Carlton has in fact received this prestigious rating for both the resort as a whole, as well as its two fine dining restaurants Fantino and The Club Grill. The hotel is the only oceanfront resort in USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean that’s achieved this triple whammy.

Of course, if you’re after something a little more rustic, then head downtown. Along the Avenida Tulum and on the Calle Yaxchilan, you’ll find a great range of restaurants frequented by tourists and locals alike. These tend to be much cheaper than the ‘hotel zone’, and here you can soak up more of the local Mexican atmosphere with mariachis serenading you while you eat.

Where to Drink

Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach  
fiestamericana.com

Fiesta Americana, sprawled across the shore of Grand Coral Beach, boasts a resident tequila sommelier and a cigar-maker. With five award-winning bars and restaurants to choose from, it’s worth spending a few evenings here to decide which is your favourite. The Lobby bar’s huge windows paint a picture-perfect vista of the resort and Caribbean – and ‘atelier style’ bar snacks are provided by neighbouring Le Basilic. Our favourite, though, is the Bikini bar: as the name suggests, it has some of the best views in Cancun. The scenery’s not bad either.

Where to Party

Coco Bongo  
cocobongo.com.mx

Coco Bongo, with its 1,800-person capacity, is located in the heart of the bustling hotel zone. The multi-level seating and nightly rock’n’roll and salsa bands make it one of Cancun’s most lively and unique clubs. Beyond the live music, internationally-renowned DJs will fill the dance floor with an eclectic mix of 1970s, 1980s, dance, trance, hip hop and even rave. If you ask really nicely they may even play Terrorvision’s ‘Tequila, it makes me happy’. Although, probably not.