If you are looking for a relaxing getaway with beautiful scenery and great weather Cancun is the perfect spot. It’s an easy flight from the United States. Even with a layover, I arrived at the resort with time to hang by the pool for a couple of hours before dinner.
Live Aqua Resort
This was my first time at an all-inclusive and Live Aqua Resort did not disappoint. The rooms were large and elegantly designed, but my favorite part was the view. Every time I walked into the room the curtains would open and I would be greeted with the stunning view of the resort pools and the beach.
The resort has three pools including an infinity pool and a swim-up bar. There is a bar on the beach, and the barstools are swings. It was definitely an experience being able to go up to the bar and order whatever I want. I don’t usually go on lounging vacations, but I have to admit, it was nice.
As a lover of Mexican food, I was a little disappointed that the resort didn’t have a Mexican restaurant, but they did serve tacos by the pool during lunch. They have Asian, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine available for dinner. The portions are a little smaller than what is served in America, so don’t be afraid to order all three courses. Breakfast is a buffet and they serve everything. They even have a smoothie bar.
The resort also offers a lot of activities. They have morning yoga, beach volleyball, cornhole, cooking classes, live music and karaoke. You just have to ask the concierge for a list of the weekly activities. Then there is the tour desk where you can book your excursions while in Cancun. We choose to spend a day at Xavage – the brand new adventure park, and also booked a tour to Chichen Itza – the ruins of the ancient Mayan city.
Xavage and Chichen Itza
Xavage is an adventure park. They have 4 “main” attractions that you can only complete once, and then some smaller ones you can ride as many times as you’d like. We only had time for the 4 big ones and one round on monkey. The “main” attractions are a jet boat ride, an off-road rock crawling course (you’re the driver), river rafting, and zip lining. Monkey is a rope course. It offers 4 levels, and the highest level is reserved for professional climbers. The easiest level takes about 45 mins to complete, and the hardest can take up to three hours. It is definitely an adrenaline pumping activity.
Lunch is included in your ticket. I suggest bringing sturdy shoes you can walk in but don’t mind if they get wet. Same with your clothes. You can wear a bathing suit or comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting wet. Life jackets are provided at the water rides, and you are given a helmet at check-in. Lunch is a buffet. Since the park is “wild” they also have “wild” food. They have alligator, boar, ostrich and rabbit for you to try and a collection of less exotic foods.
Most people have heard of Chichen Itza – some sites even consider it one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World. Chichen Itza is located in Yucatan State which is about 2.5 hours away from Cancun. It’s a 12-hour tour, and a lot of it is spent on the bus, but they try to give you an all-encompassing tour of a different part of Mexico in a short time. You make 4 stops. The first stop is at a Mayan Village where you have lunch. There is a little shop, a tequila tasting and you meet with a Mayan Shaman. You can also purchase your own Mayan Calendar if you wish.
The second stop is Chichen Itza. To help tourists pronounce it, they call it Chicken Pizza. The ruin site is extremely hot, so bring lots of water, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. You spend about 2 hours at the site and will walk around a lot. The grounds were quite a bit larger than I originally thought. There are a lot of tents set up along the side with little knick-knacks to buy. The guide will walk you around the ruins and give you some history for about 45 mins, and then you can explore on your own. The third stop is a Cenote – basically an open cave with water in it. This particular Cenote is 150 ft deep. In that part of the country, the Cenotes are Mexico’s water source. After a long day in the sun, the water is very refreshing. The 4th and final stop is a small colonial town. This stop is about 20 minutes long – basically enough time to walk around the plaza and grab a snack from a vendor. It was a long and exhausting day, but I enjoyed seeing a different side of Mexico outside our resort.
All in all, the trip was fantastic. I like the idea of 5 days at the resort (keep in mind two of those are travel days). I’m sure Live Aqua won’t be my last all-inclusive. I would do 5 days again, but I would only do one excursion. I think 3 lazy days is perfect and refreshing for someone like me who is always on the go. Have you ever been to an all-inclusive? What do you think of them? What about Cancun? Do you have a favorite resort or excursion there? Leave me a comment below because I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time…
Cheers!
Keelie
Adventures and Life with Keelie 