Who says that going on vacation also means ditching your healthy lifestyle? It may seem hard, especially if you are on an all-inclusive plan where you can be tempted to want to eat all the delicious food and try all the different varieties of ice-cold tropical cocktails with pineapple, coconut, and passion fruit. But having a healthy vacation in Cancun is a lot easier than you might think, since Cancun offers a great variety of fun and healthy activities that you probably can’t do back home.
Starting with the basics, most hotels and resorts in and around the hotel zone in Cancun offer a variety of options for you to enjoy a healthy vacation in Cancun.
Take a Relaxing Spa Day
Most beach resorts such as Villa Del Palmar Cancun, offer first class services and amenities for their guests. You can start your day by arriving early in the morning to the pool and swim a few laps, followed by a workout session in a fully equipped gym, and then finish up with a moment of pure relaxation at your resort’s spa, like the Village Spa at Villa Del Palmar, where you can get one of the many tailored treatments like relaxing massages, couple’s massages, body wraps, and facials. The Village Spa also offers a hydrotherapy circuit that takes advantage of the healing properties of water to leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
Most all-inclusive resorts also organize fun activities throughout their premises like aqua Zumba in the pool, aerobics on the garden, or even volleyball tournaments by the beach. While at the beach, for those who love CrossFit, how about a running session… did you know there are many benefits to running on the beach? You burn more calories, it reduces impact, boosts your cardiovascular fitness, and the most important benefit: A beautiful view.
Every resort in Cancun is thinking about their guests’ different profiles, whether you are looking for more active moments or just looking to relax by the ocean, Cancun is the perfect fit for you.
Explore the Outdoors
If you are more of an outdoor free-spirited type of person, you will love the activities waiting for you in Cancun. Try an escape to Isla Mujeres, a great name for a beautiful place, it’s the perfect spot for practicing scuba diving and snorkeling. What makes it so perfect and unique for such activities? The amazing underwater sculptures and ruins only reachable through scuba diving and snorkeling.
If underwater activities are not for you, Cancun also has a wide variety of water sports you must try like paddle boarding over the crystal-clear waters, surfing white-capped waves, or increasing the speed with some jet skiing or kitesurfing. Lessons are available for everyone, you don’t have to be a pro to enjoy sports in the turquoise waters of the peninsula.
The region is also home to thousands of cenotes, which can be described as nature’s underground pools. These swimming holes are beautiful places for exploration, a true natural gift.
Looking to explore downtown Cancun while also getting some exercise? Cycling through the streets is a fun addition to the healthy activities, with some of the city’s roads being adapted with bike lanes, you will surely feel safe while riding and people gazing.
Meditate to Relax Your Mind
It’s really important to keep a healthy mind in order to have a healthy body, and there’s no better setting to exercise your mind and spirit than Cancun. Starting with a visit to a Temazcal, a pre-Hispanic ancient ritual for a full body and spirit healing, the ceremony takes place inside a sweat lodge, which represents the womb and Mother Earth. The ceremony uses volcanic rocks and medicinal herbs while your body sweats, improving your circulation and loosing stress. A truly spiritual place perfect for meditating in a setting away from the city’s noise.
If you are obsessed with yoga, you won’t be the only one in the region, the peninsula has plenty of options for you to choose from, it may be a yoga retreat or a short yoga session. The Riviera Maya’s yoga retreats may be as short as a couple of days long and may go up to 30 days long accumulating more than 200 hours of pure yoga in breathtaking locations like the Bacalar Lagoon or in the fully energized town of Tulum. Sessions are taught by experienced instructors in both English and Spanish.
A perfect spot to find yourself through meditation is Isla Mujeres, so after your day of diving and snorkeling adventures, give yourself a little time to meditate by the sea surrounded by nothing but nature and tranquility.
Eat Healthy
It’s expected to be super tempting for those who follow a healthy diet to be vacationing in Mexico surrounded by delicious food choices such as tacos, guacamole, or sopes. But as long as you have some willpower, having a healthy vacation in Cancun and eating right is actually super easy and tasty, since the Riviera Maya is considered an organic lifestyle hub. Because Cancun is a sea city, fresh seafood and fish are the most easy to get proteins in the Yucatan Peninsula, mixed with the amazing preparations and regional spices, you will ask for seconds for sure, just make sure not to order your food fried.
Cactus, nopal in Spanish, is widely popular in Mexico, it may be prepared in a variety of ways, and it has numerous beneficial properties, and best of all… it’s delicious. People in Mexico are starting to use cactus as a substitute ingredient instead of many unhealthy ones without damaging the taste, some of the preparations using cactus as a substitute ingredient are: cactus tortillas, cactus cookies, cactus bread, and cactus tostadas. Another healthy option is to choose corn tortillas over the flour tortillas or even substitute the whole tortilla with a lettuce leaf.
The Mexican Caribbean is rich in natural resources, the colorful fruit that grows here has a unique sweetness, many tourists get amazed by the size of the Mexican fruit and its abundance. If you get a little hungry while hiking or exploring, don’t be afraid to just extend your arm and reach for a delicious mango or banana, or how about going to your nearest juice bar to get one of the many smoothies they prepare with freshly picked fruit.
Healthy restaurants are also widely popular across the city, Mero Toro restaurant is a place where everyone in your family will leave satisfied since they have a wide menu with many healthy options, but also the choice of heavier dishes for your not-so-healthy-aware friend. Some other healthy options are Peter’s, or NAVIOS restaurant. If you are looking for vegan places some good options might be El Huerto Del Edén, Vegan Planet, or Natura.
Spend Some Quality Time with Your Loved Ones
The best remedy for a healthy soul is to spend some fun, quality time with someone you care about. Whether you are traveling with family or friends, there are a lot of things to do in Cancun.
Cancun is a great destination with many different family-friendly activities. You may plan a day trip to nearby towns such as Tulum or Playa Del Carmen and visit some of the best archeological sites in the world, including one of the seven wonders of the world… Chichen Itza. Or maybe a day of fun at a theme park, the Mexican themed Xcaret, filled with activities and fun water attractions.
Having a healthy vacation in Cancun is definitely not as hard as you may think. So plan your trip and partake in all the wonderful outdoor activities, exercise, eat healthy, and enjoy getting in shape or staying fit in one of the most magical destinations in the world.
