For calm water, choose Playa Langosta or Playa Caracol. For wide, dramatic sand, Playa Delfines, with the Cancun letters, or Playa Marlín. All are public, so you need no pass for the sand.
Every beach in Mexico is public, which means you can use these whichever hotel you stay at. They are not all alike. Here is how they compare in front of a camera, north to south.
North Shore: Calm Water
Playa Las Perlas (km 2.5) is small and local. Playa Langosta (km 5) has shallow water, a breakwater and a pier. Playa Tortugas (km 6.5) is lively, with a pier. Playa Caracol (km 8.5) is calm and close to the point.
Open Sea: Wide Sand
Playa Chac Mool (km 10) is broad and bright. Playa Marlín (km 13) and Playa Ballenas (km 14) have real waves. Playa Delfines (km 17 to 18) has the colourful Cancun letters at its lookout.
Cancun Hotel Zone, Through Our Lens
Real IVAE Studios work on this coast, so you can see how this light and water look on camera. It shows our work in the area, not necessarily at Cancun Hotel Zone.
The Best Hour
Open-sea beaches suit sunrise and the last hour of daylight. On the bay side, summer evenings can bring the sun near the water.
| Month | Sunrise | Golden | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:27 am | 5:54 pm | 6:26 pm |
| February | 7:17 am | 6:15 pm | 6:45 pm |
| March | 6:56 am | 6:27 pm | 6:56 pm |
| April | 6:28 am | 6:36 pm | 7:06 pm |
| May | 6:09 am | 6:47 pm | 7:18 pm |
| June | 6:05 am | 6:58 pm | 7:30 pm |
| July | 6:14 am | 7:00 pm | 7:32 pm |
| August | 6:26 am | 6:47 pm | 7:17 pm |
| September | 6:34 am | 6:21 pm | 6:50 pm |
| October | 6:43 am | 5:53 pm | 6:23 pm |
| November | 6:57 am | 5:34 pm | 6:06 pm |
| December | 7:16 am | 5:35 pm | 6:08 pm |
From First Message to Gallery
Booking takes a few messages. Tell us your dates, your hotel and who is coming. We come back with the best hour that week at Cancun Hotel Zone, a place to start and the collection that fits, usually the same day. During the session we direct you in English or Spanish, and you keep moving, which is why the photos feel natural. One to three business days later, your private gallery is ready.