Which do you prefer: lying on a towel listening to the sound of seagulls with a book over your eyes, dozing through an afternoon punctuated only by chilled cocktails and sun cream applications? Or are you more excited by the idea of hiking up a mountain to an archaeological site before hang-gliding back down to sea level for a dance show after dinner? Maybe they’d even let you join in on stage…
Odds are you’re a bit of both. Like most people, you love a bit of exploring and discovery but while sitting in the office looking at your computer screen, sunbathing by the pool is probably fairly enticing.
So to placate whichever personality takes the lead on the day, keep this list of possible activities in mind for every occasion:
Adventure
- Cycling
You can almost always rent a bike in tourism locations and Cancun even has a bike sharing and rental Facebook page if you simply want to get up and go, or reserve a cycling tour and spend the day feeling cultured, worked out your thighs on the hills and your brain with a professional guide.
- Rock climbing
Along the shoreline in Tulum you can find some natural bouldering sites, mostly measuring up to 30ft. These pocketed cliffs near the Mayan ruins are over soft sand landings — plenty for inexperienced climbers to get their teeth into. But if you’re a complete beginner, Finest resorts have climbing walls on site, or the outdoor wall at Club de Escalada offer one-on-one instruction to get you started.
- Water sports
This may be all encompassing as an activity type but snorkeling, kayaking, or playing water polo are all accessible sports and generally aren’t limited by time restrictions. Lots of hotels on the Island Mujeres and along the Riviera offer free snorkeling or water sport gear for guests, especially if they are waterfront or have a jetty leading off the hotel’s land.
- Extreme diving
Whale Sharks migrate along Cancun’s coast every year. You can swim with them and giant manta rays if you time your trip in late summer. Deeper under the sea Spanish shipwrecks are hidden and rarely promoted, just off the coast and some are even in shallow water. These can’t usually be seen on a standard tour, you have to leave the beaten track. You needn’t be an expert diver though; plenty of tours cater specifically to novices and will offer you incomparable experiences to anything you’ve seen on land.
Relaxing
- Spa treatments
Want to return home with that post-holiday glow? Prep your skin and muscles to truly relax with a massage on arrival, clean and pamper your skin so that it can benefit from the sea air and then retire to bed early on the first night. You can still enjoy this activity with the whole family: mini-spa treatments for children can be found at Finest hotels so the kids can enjoy and understand why you need to relax too!
- Yoga
Ideally, you would be able to toddle off to the beach alone to enjoy this activity, but until you know the sequences off by heart, ask about classes at or near your accommodation. Start the day with a session so your joints feel more flexible throughout the afternoon, or end the evening with yoga to promote circulation. Caribbean hotels all inclusive tend to have an instructor on site especially in high season.
- Fresh air
Getting out and about in nature has many health benefits: it can lower stress levels and blood pressure, and even inspire creativity. Going for a walk alone is a great mental exercise to help you evaluate and even solve problems in your day-to-day life, so you can go home feeling refreshed.
Now that we’ve given you the inspiration, will you choose one side or a mix of relaxing and exciting activities for your next trip?