What To Do in Cancun When it Rains

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Not sure what to do in Cancun when it rains? Look on the bright side – opt for cooking classes, shopping, or museums. There’s plenty.

Cancun when it rains

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You’ve come to Cancun for sea, sun, and sand, and rightfully so. It’s a beach paradise, after all. But what to do in Cancun when it rains?

Hold your horses for a minute and look at indoor activities, like exploring museums and rappelling down caves. Whether you have a family in town, are traveling as a couple, or are a solo traveler, keep reading for things to do in Cancun when it pours.

Take a Mexican cooking class

Mexican ingredients for a cooking class

Craving those crispy cod pescadillas cooked in tomato sauce and garlic? Or mouth-watering corn tortillas stuffed with meats, cheese, veggies, and beans, known in Mexico as enchiladas? Then learn how to make them so you can get your Mexican food fix when you return home.

It’s more than just learning to cook a few things. Cooking classes can give you a new perspective on Mexico’s cuisine and culture. You’ll learn about the Maya people and how they influenced Cancun’s culinary culture. As part of the cooking class, you’ll also visit traditional markets and select all the local ingredients.

Go to a movie

inside a movie theater

When you need to escape the lousy weather, going to a movie is among the best things to do on a Cancun rainy day. 

Numerous theaters show the latest local and Hollywood blockbusters in English or with subtitles. Once you’re there, recline your comfortable chair, sit back, and have food delivered to you by wait staff—a VIP experience that’ll make you feel like royalty. 

Go on a shopping spree at La Isla Cancun

La Isla Shopping Village in Cancun, Mexico

Does shopping suit your fancy? About 20-minutes from the city center, the partly roofed open-air retail complex La Isla defies the Cancun rainy season. It has dozens of boutiques and restaurants, a movie theater, and winding canals. Plus, ice cream stalls and family-friendly facilities are interspersed with high-end designers like Tiffany and YSL, ideal if you have a penchant for luxury. 

Between rain showers and fitting rooms, dashing from pizzeria to boutique, you can hop on a Ferris wheel (when the weather allows it) and snap a few pictures of the whole area overlooking Nichupté Lagoon.

Snap pics with celebrities at the Cancun Wax Museum

wax figure of Einstein

Still wondering what to do when it rains in Cancun? 

Cancun’s Wax Museum in La Isla is a fun way to avoid getting wet and certainly one of the most unusual things to do in Cancun. Picture yourself saying hi to the likes of Einstein, or his wax replica, to be precise. 

You can find more than 100 life-sized wax statues of international celebrities, from rock bands to sports legends to movie stars. And these superstars look deceptively real. You can shake hands with Barack Obama or rock the stage with Elvis Presley. Posing for a picture, you can almost hear him singing Hound Dog.

Slide down caves and marvel at Rio Secreto

Rio Secreto cavern in Mexico

The Yucatán peninsula abounds with cenotes, natural wells formed when the limestone crust collapses into the water below, but Rio Secreto isn’t like the others. Yucatan’s largest semi-sunken cave system boasts 12 kilometers of underground rivers, and its 15 entrances mean you’ll never see other groups, allowing for an intimate experience.

The fun starts when you rappel down and admire human-sized stalactites and stalagmites that look like Tyrannosaurus teeth. The water that alternates between clear blue and milky green is just as impressive. 

At Rio Secreto, you can hike, swim, and dive. At first, the water is cold, but you’ll get used to the temperature as you glide through the darkness with headlamps. Your guide will take you through jagged rocks and tight corridors with low ceilings. By the way, Rio Secreto was only discovered in 2007, so it’s still being mapped.

Not to mention, the spas in Cancun are synonymous with luxury and available at all price points. And don’t forget tequila tasting. The casinos. Indoor skydiving. The list goes on.

Still planning your Mexico itinerary? There is a lot to see. Check out all the places Bookaway can take you in Mexico.

FAQ

Is Cancun safe?

While Mexico is working hard to make the country safer, pickpocketing and robberies can still occur. Leave jewelry and expensive stuff in the hotel, and don’t have too much cash with you.

When is the best time to go to Cancun?

The best time to go depends on your preferences. Are you into non-stop sunshine and balmy temperatures and don’t mind the crowds? Then the peak season between December and April is for you. March and April are packed with spring breakers, so, depending on your outlook, plan accordingly. The hurricane season is from August to November, so keep that in mind when planning.

Posted November 2, 2022
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Philipp Meier
Philipp Meier is a Phuket-based travel writer passionate about Thai culture and wandering off Thailand’s well-trodden tourist trail. His work has been published on the Nat Geo Traveller India, South China Morning Post, Culture Trip, BootsnAll, GoNOMAD, and elsewhere. You can find him at Writer Philipp Meier and LinkedIn.
image of blog writer Phil