Travel Info
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Arriving in Cancun
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Puerto Aventuras
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When you first arrive at the airport in Cancun, Mexico, you will have several options available to secure transportation to your Condo in Puerto Aventuras:
The fare is usually a fixed price somewhere between US$60-$80 for a ride directly to the condo in Puerto Aventuras. A cab can carry a maximum of 4 people, but the amount of luggage you have may limit this option due to a lack of taxi trunk space.
Several Van Shuttle Services exist, all of whom will have booths at the airport close to the exit: Grey Line, Green Point/Line, etc. The price is approximately US$30 per person. These van services typically try to group together different guests traveling to up to 3 different destinations along the same route. Sometimes you may wait outside in the "van shuttle" area for the vans to circulate and pick up guests. Since these vans will typically make one or two more guest drop-offs, the trip will probably take about 1.5 hours from the airport to Puerto Aventuras. We had a very good experience with the Green Point Shuttle. On our last trip, we were able to negotiate with Green Point Van Service to take only our group of 4 for $30 per person, instead of having others join the van. We recommend this service for a large group.
One nice habit we’ve discovered among the van drivers is the ritual of stopping at Pemex for gas at the beginning of the trip, which enables us to walk into the Pemex store to buy a 6-pack of Modelo Especial to celebrate our arrival in Mexico.
As in many countries, a publicly run bus service travels regularly to and from the Airport to most major cities along the Mayan Riviera, including Puerto Aventuras. The bus is by far the most inexpensive way to travel, costing around US $8-10 per person. The only disadvantages to traveling by bus are as follows:
Practically every car rental agency maintains a booth at the airport, which would enable you to book a car upon arrival if you chose. However, having compared prices previously, I would highly encourage making a reservation (online or by phone with a known car rental agency) before your trip to Mexico. Rates will be much more reasonable if booked previously. Be sure when booking a reservation that the car pick-up point is actually at the Cancun airport. Some car rental agencies have a city location for rental car pick-ups and drop-offs, which can be very inconvenient.
Walk the pretty 10-15 minute walk to the gated front entrance of Puerto Aventuras, walk to the right and wait along the side of the main road. Every few minutes a big white van with a label on the door "Servicio Colectivo Foraneo" will drive along the road. Simply flag it down as you would a taxi, and hop in. These shuttle vans are run by the Local Department of Transportation and cost US $1-2 per person. They travel a loop which heads north into the center of Playa del Carmen and then back down south to the ruins at Tulum. The van will frequently indicate its final destination with a sign in the windshield. To go to Tulum, you would need to cross the street and flag down a van traveling south. If you know at what point you’d like to be dropped off, simply let the driver know and he will pull the van over and let you out along his route. It’s a very inexpensive way to get to Playa del Carmen for a day of shopping on 5th Avenue or relaxing on the beach at Mamita’s. We haven’t yet determined how early or late these vans operate, but we estimate from about 8am to 7pm everyday. However, reconfirm the van schedule with the driver if you decide to venture to a particular destination for an extended period of time.
One useful note for the sake of convenience: the monstrous supermarket Chedraui, which is located on the main road in Playa del Carmen, is a quick 10 minute ride from Puerto Aventuras on the van, which makes grocery shopping pretty easy and inexpensive.
Similar to the white vans, a large white bus labeled "MAYAB" travels up and down the main road. This bus travels also travels a very similar route as the vans and costs about the same (US$1-$2 per person). These are simply less frequent than the vans, and may be a more daring choice of transport, since people are packed in like sardines without hesitation. Next time I will probably wait for the next van instead of taking the Mayab Bus.
Taxis are usually pretty easy to locate in Puerto Aventuras. The Sunscapes Resort, which is at the end of our street, always has a taxi ready and waiting in its parking lot. Taxi fares are a set price according to where you are traveling and do not vary according to the number of people in the cab. Taxis will hold a maximum of 4 guests (with the exception of the occasional minivan taxi), and a ride from Puerto Aventuras into downtown Playa del Carmen along 5th Avenue should cost US$14-15. We recently learned from a few locals that tips are already built into the price of the cab fare. However, for excellent service or whatever suits your fancy, you can always tip on top of the fare if you choose. A list of taxi fares to popular destinations from Puerto Aventuras can be found in the entrance of the Omni Beach Resort, which is another place to find a taxi when you are down by the central harbor area in Puerto Aventuras.
Typical Fares from Puerto Aventuras:
Fares within Playa del Carmen:
If you take a taxi somewhere during your stay, you can often times negotiate a $50 fare ahead of time for your return to the Cancun Airport. We befriended a cab driver during our last stay and were able to save money and stress in arranging our ride with him before our departure date. It worked out beautifully.
As I mentioned above, car rentals are best booked before arriving in Mexico, because it will likely save you a lot of money. However, if you arrive in Puerto Aventuras and decide you’d like a car for a day or two, just outside the Puerto Aventuras entrance gate by the Pemex Gas Station, there is an Executive Car Rental Shop. We rented a minivan on our last trip and were very pleased with the car and the service we received. Be cautious of the insurance clauses you may be asked to sign, because sometimes you are required to sign a statement that you will be help liable for a minimum amount (e.g. $2,000) if anything should happen to the vehicle you’re renting. Otherwise, the vehicles they had available all seemed to be in good condition, and we had no problems.