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Over the last several years, Cancun has grown into a beach city to rival the best in the world. However, many tourists never venture outside the Hotel Zone – a small stretch of land jutting into the Caribbean. Just a few miles inland, permanent residents and informed travelers mingle in the downtown area – known locally as El Centro. Besides offering a peak at authentic Mexican culture, this area is teeming with excellent restaurants and shopping opportunities.
Though Cancun is a very young city – major growth began only 40 years ago – the downtown area resembles a more rustic Mexican community in many ways. Throughout the streets, you will see mariachi bands and other types of traditional performers. If you want to witness a popular sport of yesteryear, visit the Cancun Centro Bullring for a bullfight. Even the restaurants and markets maintain the flavor of Mexican tradition, offering a nice counterpoint to the glitz and glamour of Cancun’s Hotel Zone.
Tulum Avenue is the main thoroughfare of downtown Cancun and a good place to start exploring the area. Along the 20 blocks of this street, you will find everything from bars and restaurants to outdoor markets and shopping malls. If you enter the city on the R1 bus, the first stop on Tulum Avenue will put you in the heart of Market Ki-Huic. This bustling market is one of the best places in Cancun to find locally made products and souvenirs – including beautiful silver jewelry and handmade blankets.
To complete your shopping experience in downtown Cancun, you should also visit Market 28 – known locally as Mercado Ventiocho. This marketplace is full of local artisans selling their paintings, pottery and jewelry. As it is customary for shoppers to bargain with vendors, you are unlikely to find better prices on souvenirs anywhere in Cancun. Next to Market 28, you will also find Plaza Bonita – a rustic collection of small boutiques and galleries.
As most tourists visit downtown Cancun for a taste of an authentic Mexican city, restaurants featuring local cuisine are very popular. Within a short walking distance you will find such celebrated restaurants as La Parilla, Pericos and La Habichuela. Many of these authentic Mexican restaurants also feature dinner entertainment, typically incorporating music and dance performances by local artists. Most importantly, such eateries won’t break your family’s budget. If you have had your fill of Mexican cuisine, you can also try several highly rated restaurants serving everything from traditional Italian and fresh seafood to Chinese fare.
Unlike many restaurants in the Hotel Zone, several establishments also open for brekafast in downtown Cancun. For example, Los Bisquets de Obregon serves a family-style breakfast in a casual setting. If you get to downtown Cancun in the morning, you can also beat some of the crowds to the popular markets and still have plenty of time to return to the beach in the evening.
If you stick around downtown Cancun after the sun sets, there is plenty to do in the streets surrounding Yaxchilan Avenue. Located near Market 28, this stretch of bars and clubs is one of the best areas in all of Cancun to experience the nightlife. You can sample some local tequilas or just kick back and enjoy live music. Though there is plenty of excitement for even the most party-oriented travelers, Yaxchilan Avenue remains a family-friendly destination – evidenced by the multitude of all-ages cafes and boisterous mariachi bands on the street.
Getting to downtown Cancun is simple. From the Hotel Zone, you can take a taxi – a fare that usually averages only a few dollars – or the R1 bus. The reliable Cancun public transportation system visits stops near all the major resorts and rides within downtown cost less than a dollar. To help you get around downtown Cancun, you can pick up a map of the area from your resort or visit one of the shops or restaurants downtown.
Justin Burch writes articles about travel in Cancun and Mexico tourism for the Marriott Resorts.
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