Cancun vs. Cabo – How to Pick a Winner

To the virginal Mexico traveler, the difference between the two [Cancun and Cabo] can be murky, infinitesimal at best. They’re both synonymous to oceans and unruly partying, but other than that, there is much left to the imagination. For things to do, places to visit, and sights to see, my only suggestion would be to visit TripAdvisor.com and any travel blog and begin some investigatory work of your own.

But what about the basics, the snippets of useful information that will inevitably dictate your vacation whether you’re aware of it or not, and will help you to choose one location over the other?

Airfare

• A roundtrip flight on a Friday in May, New York City (JFK) to Cancun - $306
• A roundtrip flight on a Friday in May, New York City (JFK) to Cabo - $400

Hotel Rates

In a mock stay at two Sol Melia resorts, an average night in similar-style suites were about the same.

• Deluxe Lagoon View @ ME Cancun in May - $180/night
• Deluxe Garden View @ ME Cabo in June (May was booked) - $254/night

First Impressions

• Cabo had been gentrified into a Miami-esque party zone with fast-food restaurants, a BlockBuster, and even a Home Depot. The city seemed geared more toward the 18-35 crowd and was fairly busy.
• Cancun slowed things down, just a bit, and offered more to do in terms of eco-tourism.

Language

• Generally, everyone in Cancun and Cabo spoke English

Weather

• Compared to Cabo, the weather in Cancun was a bit more tepid and muggier during the summer.

Oceans

If you ever get the opportunity to travel to both—and I recommend you do—you will notice the oceans are opposite shades of blue.

• In Cancun, the waters were generally a bright and clear all along the shore.
• In Cabo, the ocean is medley of blues, greens, and grays.

If you are one of the picky breeds, meticulous in everything you do, even down to the fine tuning of your vacation, then these are the tidbits worth knowing; the ones that won’t lead you to flimsy expectations but, instead, set you up for making the most of your first visit to Mexico.