One of Cancún's main draws is its active nightlife. The hottest centers of action include Plaza Dady'O, Forum by the Sea, and La Isla Shopping Village. These places transform into spring break madness for most of March and April. Hotels also play in the nightlife scene, with happy-hour entertainment and special drink prices to entice visitors and guests from other resorts. Lobby barhopping at sunset is one way to investigate where you might want to spend next year's Cancún vacation.
The Club & Music Scene
Clubbing in Cancún is a favorite part of the vacation experience and can go on each night until the sun rises over that incredibly blue sea. Several big hotels have nightclubs or schedule live music in their lobby bars. At the clubs, expect to stand in long lines on weekends, pay a cover charge of about $40 (£22) with open bar, or $15 to $25 (£8.25-£14) without open bar and then pay $8 to $10 (£4.40-£5.50) for a drink. Some of the higher-priced clubs include live entertainment. The places listed in this section are air-conditioned and accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa.
A great idea to get you started is the Bar Hopper Tour with tickets available at Señor Frog's or various travel agencies around town. For $65 (£36), it takes you by bus to the Congo Bar, Dady Rock, Señor Frog's, and CoCo Bongo, where you bypass any lines and spend about an hour at each establishment. The price includes entry to the bars, one welcome drink at each, and transportation by air-conditioned bus, allowing you to get a great sampling of the best of Cancún's nightlife. The tour runs from 8pm into the wee hours, with the meeting point at the Congo Bar.
Numerous restaurants, such as Carlos 'n' Charlie's, Hard Rock Cafe, Señor Frog's, and T.G.I. Friday's, double as nighttime party spots, offering wildish fun at a fraction of the price of more costly clubs.
The Performing Arts
Several hotels host Mexican fiesta nights, including a buffet dinner and a folkloric dance show; admission, including dinner, ranges from $35 to $50 (£19-£28), unless you're at an all-inclusive resort that includes this as part of the package.
Tourists mingle with locals at the downtown Parque de las Palapas (the main park) for Noches Caribeñas, which involves children-oriented performances (such as clown shows) and free live tropical music. Performances begin at 7:30pm on Sunday, and sometimes there are events on Friday and Saturday.
