When you arrive to Cancun International Airport you are issued an FMM form (Forma Migratoria Multiple). This form is your Tourist Visa. The Immigration agent at the Cancun Airport will stamp it and give you half of it to keep until you leave Mexico. Most visas are valid for 30, 60 or 90 days. You MUST keep up with this important document. Put it with your passport and your [Read more…]
Lost Tourist Visa Card – What happens if you lose your tourist visa while in Mexico?
January 1, 2013 by
5K race on Isla Mujeres Feb 9, 2013
January 1, 2013 by
There is a 5K Run / Walk race on Isla Mujeres on February 9th to benefit the stray dogs and cats on the island. The money raised will help provide the spay and neuter clinics, as well as animal adoption efforts.
The race will start and finish at JAX Bar & Grill, the starting time is 8:00 AM.
Categories:
Adult women
Adult men
Girls 17 and under
Boys 17 and under
Teams – 5 person
Entry Fee: $30.00 USD
Come over to Isla Mujeres to run for this wonderful cause.
Duty-free shopping at the Cancun Airport
December 31, 2012 by
When you leave Cancun Airport to head home after your vacation in Mexico, you may want to take a few things back with you. Almost everyone has a list of friends, co-workers, nieces and nephews for which to buy souvenirs. There are some good markets in Cancun, like Market 28, however it is handy to grab these items on your way out of Cancun at the Duty-Free shops at the Cancun Airport.
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The shops are located in all the departure terminals. It is not possible to access these stores upon arrival. Duty-Free Shops are accessible on departures only. Some of the most popular shops are Sr. Frogs, Sunglass Island, Hard Rock Cafe, Oprendi & Ocean Blue. You can buy liquor, cigarettes, t-shirts, and souvenirs of all kinds.
Map of the Cancun Airport Stores: http://www.asur.com.mx/asur/ingles/aeropuertos/cancun/map.asp
Cancun Airport Departures Area
There are also food court areas at both terminals, including a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., California Pizza Kitchen, Johnny Rockets, Starbucks (of course), Margaritaville, Domino’s Pizza, Peking Xpress, Guacamole Grill (fast food), Burger King, Baskin Robbins, TGI Friday’s, drug store and convenience store.
Now, there are limits to what you can take back with you when you leave Cancun. Each person can bring back $800 USD worth of items purchased in Mexico, duty-free, including:
- One liter (33.8 ounces) of alcohol (provided the resident is 21 years or over)
- 200 cigarettes or 100 cigars that are not of Cuban origin (1 carton)
Items brought from the duty-free shop may [Read more…]
Chichen Itza Light & Sound show renovations
December 30, 2012 by
The Light & Sound show at Chichen Itza ruins closed down back in August of 2012 for renovations. Their expected down-time was 6 months. It is a shame that the show was closed during the winter solstice when Chichen Itza saw record numbers of visitors.
In my opinion this was a long-overdue renovation. For many years the light & sound show was sub-par by most people’s standards. It was not a laser light show, instead they just lit up the main pyramid with different colored lights. The “sound” portion of the show was a looped recording in Spanish. There were translator headsets available for rent for 25 pesos each, however they were first-come-first-serve and were not guaranteed to work. Seating was very limited with most people having to sit on the ground. Many visitors to the light & sound show were disappointed over the last several years.
There is still no reopen date for the Light & Sound show, but when it does open we will go check it out for you. I will post photos and video of the new show. I hope to be amazed. It would be wonderful to recommend this tour to people traveling to Cancun or the Riviera Maya.
Road Trip to Mayan Ruins – Part 2 Chichen Itza
December 23, 2012 by
Chichen Iza
We left Ek Balam and headed back to the toll road, Hwy 180, and headed west toward Merida. There will be another toll plaza, where the right lane exits to Chichen Itza and pay $59 pesos. You have 10-15 minutes to go and just follow the signs. We encountered some road work in the town and it was hard to see the sign. But you make a left where you must go left or right. This trip is roughly 50 km / 35 mi. and just under an hour. Parking was $22 pesos.
Chichen Itza Ruins
Entrance tickets to Chichen Itza were $177 for Foreigners, $125 for Nationals and Students with an FM2 or FM3, and $38 if you have the INAPAM (basically a Mexican AARP card). Students must have serious proof to get the lower rate, being Estudiante on your FM2 or 3, or a valid student ID from your school. Sundays are free for Nationals, Students and those with INAPAM cards. This is quite a commercial place as you will see. Guides are available and the prices are posted. $60 US but you can share that with a small group. We were approached by a man, 84 years old, who was not an official guide and offered to guide us for $400 pesos, came down to $300 and, after we visited the restrooms, came at us again for $200. We later saw him with a group of four people so free enterprise seemed alive and well.
Chichen Itza is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and is most depicted in photos of the majestic El Castillo (The Castle), and is 25 meters/82 feet high. It is straight ahead as you enter the park and you are drawn to it. It is a captivating experience and we could not get enough pictures of this marvelous site. You can no longer climb El Castillo. If you stand in front of the pyramids as you travel around Mexico, you will often see guides and visitors clapping in unison. The acoustics reflect the sounds back [Read more…]
My name is Trina. I moved to Cancun in 2005 from the United States. It was not an easy move and I had to overcome many challenges, but along the way I met some awesome people. I worked for many years for a travel agent here in Mexico before I decided to go out on my own and offer travelers the best service and advice about Cancun that I had learned over the years. This is my dream come true.