Cancun is one of our favorite places to travel to. We decided to travel to Mexico the day after my birthday which is in July.  We normally do not go anywhere tropical in the summer because Chicago is such an amazing place with so much to do in the summer months.  However with the kids out of school we decided to be spontaneous and take a trip there.  It is an easy flight from Chicago and although you are in a foreign country it still feels like you are in the US, which for me makes me feel safe.   I know there is often a travel advisory for Mexico but I have always felt safe and have never been concerned or afraid of anything happening to me or my family.  I feel like with anything else always be cautious and aware of what’s going on around you.  My husband can tell you I watch my kids like a hawk!

Where We Stay

The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort is a great place for a family to stay.  We all know that with having kids, especially young ones, they tend to be hungry all the time.  We can all relate to eating a meal with the kids, them taking a bite and saying  they are full and ten minutes after lunch telling you they are hungry.   The rooms are equipped with a mini or full kitchen which for parents is a bonus!  When we arrive at the hotel we go to Walmart and/or the local grocery store within a day and stock up on food and drinks for the family.  It’s worth the trip and saves you money. We normally take the bus there and cab it back.  Don’t worry about where to get cabs because there are a ton of them waiting at Walmart. We still have some meals, and margaritas(which are very good here)at the pool but it’s nice to have the option to eat outside or go back to the room.  There are also bbq grills available for guests which are used mainly for dinner because it gets so hot during the day.   The staff  at the hotel are very friendly and are there to assist you and in case of an emergency, hopefully you don not need one, but things happen and there is a doctor staffed or on call at the hotel (we used the infirmary on two trips, one an emergency injury and one an ear infection a day before flying home).  All of the employees speak English so there is no language barrier.   The hotel has a car service to and from the airport which I recommend since it is nice knowing who is picking you and your family up at the airport. It is very reasonable and you can schedule it through the hotel before arriving to Cancun.

The hotel also has a great pool and a water slide which was a hit with my kids.  In July the temperature in the pool water was about 85 degrees by 3pm.   One thing that changed is that they do not allow for you to hold pool chairs.  In some  resorts people wake up early to try to save the best spots by the pool then go off to breakfast or go back to their rooms or whatever they do and not return until noon or even later.  At the Westin they will put a tag on your items and wait for 15-30 minutes and if you do not return within that window they will remove your belongings.  We saw this happen to a few people and they were not happy about the situation.  Before this was implemented it was hard to find chairs even at 9am, now that has changed and I think it is for the better.  My sister and I went down at  10am and found chairs for our big group without any problems.

 

One thing we noticed on the beach in front of the hotel is that they have an area where is fenced off around a series of sticks and tags.  I asked an employee at the hotel who told me it is a sea turtle’s nesting section that they protect from predators.  The dates indicate  when the eggs were laid.  This was very cool and I have never seen anything like this.  I thought it was great for my kids to see how humans can help and protect our sea and wild life.

 

What to do

Besides the obvious ocean activities  of parasailing,  jet skiing or any other water sports there are other things to do in Cancun.  On our previous trip we took the kids to a zoo called Croco Cun Zoo.  It’s really fun and kids loved it.  The hotel car service takes you there and they even wait for you.  The tour is about an hour long.  They let you pet, hold and feed some snakes, monkeys and crocodiles.  It is a must see!

 

There is a cool mall directly across the street from the hotel.  We always take the kids there to wear them out after dinner.   The stores stay open late and they have all kinds of activities at the mall.  Lots of shops and restaurants so whether you are shopping for souvenirs or looking for somewhere to eat that’s not going to cost you a lot the mall is the place to be.  There are movie theaters and other entertainment, such as the trampoline pictured below.

Because of the BBQ grills the hotel provides we normally cook and eat dinner at the room to save money but there has been times where we have gone out to eat.  Since it was my birthday we decided to go out for dinner and celebrate.  There’s a lot of good restaurants in Cancun.  We have only been to a few because it can get expensive especially with kids.  La Habichuela downtown is a must!!  It’s been around for 30 years and been a staple in Cancun.  The restaurant is located in the owners previous home.  The place is beautiful with great ambiance with trees and plants and great sculptures.  Again, the hotel van will wait for you while you’re having dinner.

This time around we wanted to try something different.  We took a taxi to Trattoria Limoncello.  If you’re in Cancun this place is really fun.  It is on the lagoon and as we were about to sit the waiter called us over to see a crocodile swimming towards us.  Yes, you heard right!  We saw this Crocodile just swimming in the lagoon and should I remind you people do swim and jet ski in this lagoon.

This was our view at dinner.  It was a great experience and our kids loved it!!  Now lets get to the important stuff like the food and atmosphere.  The food was great and the service was excellent!  We had a couple of waiters attending to our large party.  I had a fish dish that was amazing!  The place is spacious and can accommodate large parties.  I book our reservation 2 days before and had no problems.  Great time and something our kids will remember for a long time.

Overall

I love Cancun!!  It is a place where for us is easy to get to but always feels like you are far away.  Again, I have never experienced anything that made me feel uncomfortable and like I mentioned before always be aware of your surroundings.  We will always go to Cancun because we have so many memories.  It will always be our special place.