Epic 4-Day Bachelor Party in Cancún

We arrived at the airport and took our pre-booked transportation to our all-inclusive resort. We chose to stay at the Hotel Emporio in the southern part of the Hotel Zone. They also offer an all-inclusive package that includes food and drinks, allowing for a very budget-friendly four-night stay in Cancun.

That evening, I had prearranged a limousine for all the guys to have some pre-party drinks, welcome everyone to the bachelor party, and take us to the party center of the Hotel Zone to explore the restaurants and bars.

Insider tips

• Pre-book transportation before arriving in Cancun. When exiting the Cancun airport, you will be bombarded by dozens of transportation companies trying to pull you aside and sell you on their transportation. This can be overwhelming and often ends up being more expensive. I highly recommend booking transportation prior to arriving to relieve the stress of trying to figure out how to get to your hotel or resort.

• Limo service: Xul Ha Cancun Transfers, appx. $159/hour, and Cancun Limo, appx. $200/hour.

• Talk to the concierge for dinner recommendations. The party zone has a lot of restaurants, but they cater to tourists. I highly recommend talking to your concierge at your hotel or resort for the best restaurant recommendations.

After having breakfast at our resort, spending some time at the beach and pools, we booked a hip-hop boat party with RockstarCrawls, which organizes bar crawls, other themed boat parties, catamaran trips, and private yachts. This was a three-hour party that included champagne, bottle service, a DJ and dancing, jumping from the boat into crystal blue water, and jet ski rides (only $100).

After an epic day party on the water, we went back to our resort to relax and have dinner. It was a beautiful night, so we decided to sit out on the beach. What happened next was truly a National Geographic moment as we watched several sea turtles come ashore and lay eggs. Once the mother left, resort staff collected the eggs and reburied them in a protected location.

Insider tips

• We booked all of our excursions prior to leaving for Cancun. I recommend booking early, or at least when you arrive with the concierge team at your hotel or resort to ensure availability.

• There are many excursions and adventures near Cancun for diverse interests. For history and culture, visit the Mayan ruins in Tulum (1.5–2 hours from the hotel zone) or Chitzen Itza (2.5 hours from the hotel zone). For adventure, head out to the jungle to ride ATVs, zip-line, and swim in a cenote. Many of these trips are half-day or day trips, provide food and drinks, and/or combine other activities.

• The best time to see sea turtles nesting is from June to October. The best time to see them hatch is in October and November.

We decided we needed a little of a relaxing day, so we took a trip out to explore Isla Mujeres, a small island (a little over 4 miles long) with lots of local shops to explore, beach clubs, water activities (snorkeling and scuba diving), and restaurants.

We decided to take the Ultramar Ferry from Puerto Juarez, which was 35 minutes from our resort ($65 roundtrip). After walking through many of the shops, we talked our way into Zama Beach Club for fresh seafood, drinks, and a relaxing beachfront atmosphere.

That evening, we headed out for the Bongo Tour in the party zone ($171). The tour included all of our drinks with stops at Coco Bongo (amazing shows), Congo Bar (fun atmosphere for dancing and acrobats), and the Beach Party (live music and party on the beach).

Insider tips

• Taxis: Bring cash. The taxi drivers do accept USD.

• The Ultramar Ferry has multiple locations near Cancun. The ones closest to Cancun are Puerto Juarez and one in the Hotel Zone (El Embarcadero). In Puerto Juarez, ferries leave every half-hour, while they leave every hour at the El Embarcadero location.

• Isla Mujeres is very walkable, and golf carts are available for rent. There are several beach clubs that fit all budgets. I’m always happy to provide recommendations.

• Drink plenty of water! I can’t emphasize this enough, especially if going to Cancun in late July. I’m pretty sure we all lost at least ten pounds just sweating it out on the Bongo Tour alone. We still laugh about how much we (well… how much I) sweat that trip.

For our final day in Cancun, we got out of the Hotel Zone to explore Downtown Cancun. I always enjoy building in time to explore the culture and find the best local cuisine. We took a taxi to Downtown Cancun. There are also buses that can take you downtown.

We went to two markets downtown: Mercado 28 (touristy flea market but great for souvenirs and gifts), and Mercado 23 (smaller and less touristy, great for a more authentic and local vibe). The food at Mercado 23 was absolutely amazing!

After exploring downtown, a few of us headed to La Isla Cancun (an open-air mall) for a tequila tasting at the Lighthouse Restaurant through the Cancun Tequila Tasting Company ($80). The tasting included about eight different tequilas and mezcals and a welcome cocktail.

Finally, we took some tequila we purchased downtown and spent one last night on the beach watching the sea turtles, rehashing all of the laughable moments we had during the trip, and not wanting to go back to work. We definitely made unforgettable memories and have plenty of stories to tell our grandkids!

Insider tips

• Don’t be afraid to respectfully negotiate and haggle over prices, and I highly recommend shopping around to compare prices at the different markets before buying.