North America Directory of Tips, Stories, and Advice

7 Things Only Available at All Inclusive Resorts in Cancun

A few months ago we published a post entitled “7 Things to Do in the Yucatan Region of Mexico Not at an All-Inclusive.“ This post was to try and clear up the misconception that the Yucatan is all party resorts where people go to eat, drink, and swim in a nice pool.

Although I’m thoroughly convinced that there are tons of amazing things to do in the Yucatan that does not require being at a Cancun all inclusive (we spent three weeks there without running out of things to do outside of the resorts), our time also enjoying all-inclusives during our visit opened our eyes up to a completely different world.

What can you do in the Yucatan while staying at an all-inclusive? The following were seven of our favorites that may help you when planning where to stay in Cancun!

Originally, I had planned to start my world trip in Nicaragua because every time I googled adventure activities, Nicaragua always seemed to have something to offer. The most obvious and unique of which is volcano boarding.

I saw it on CNN, on blogs, on wanderlust lists.

I added it to my list, because why not? Sitting on a metal board whilst flying at reckless speeds down an active volcano will be a wonderful story to tell the grandkids. If I lived.

Volcano boarding is offered up in Leon, the old colonial capital city of Nicaragua. I booked a couple nights at Bigfoot Hostels, the main operator in town. It’s a party hostel, and while I am definitely getting sick of the party atmosphere barely two weeks into my trip, I liked the idea of going in a big crowd.

There are a couple other outfits in town who do the tour at a slightly cheaper price and a much smaller group if you don’t like a big boisterous crowd of hungover twenty-somethings at 9 in the morning.

We’ve all heard the stories- Cancun is synonymous with spring breakers and all-inclusive resorts. I grew up with this mindset for so long that I never really considered the Yucatan as a destination to visit purely because neither of those travel styles really stood out to me. It took several years, but when I finally made it to the Yucatan I found a plethora of activities that were so far removed from the party and resort crowd that I was upset that I didn’t consider visiting earlier.

If you do it right, you can avoid all of the stereotypes that come with the Yucatan and have an incredible experience. During our travels around the Yucatan, we found seven stellar attractions you may be interested in checking out if you are looking to get away from the resort mindset. (Or, if you are interested in staying at a resort, we have seven reasons why you should here!)

Nothing can ruin waking up to the sound of the ocean. Not even a pack of roaming howler monkeys doing what they do best right outside your window. After all, when you’re in Costa Rica you’re not there for only the ocean.

Costa Rica is far more than that.

We found ourselves in the Osa Peninsula, one of the most beautiful regions of the entire country, not for the beach, not for the nature, but to enjoy the Blue Osa yoga retreat during their 2014 press week. While our initial reason for visiting was for a yoga retreat, we left the Osa Peninsula with memories well beyond the yoga mat.

7 Things Only Available at All Inclusive Resorts in Cancun

Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua – Because, Why Not?

7 Things to Do Outside of a Cancun All Inclusive Hotel

Blue Osa is Far More than a Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica