One of Cancún's main draws is its active nightlife. The hottest centers of action are the Centro Comercial Maya Fair, Forum by the Sea, and La Isla Shopping Village. Hotels also compete, with happy-hour entertainment and special drink prices to entice visitors and guests from other resorts. (Lobby-bar-hopping at sunset is one great way to plan next year's vacation.)
The Club & Music Scene
Clubbing in Cancún, still called "discoing," 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 (usually discos) or schedule live music in their lobby bars. At discos, expect to stand in long lines on weekends, pay a cover charge of $15 to $25 per person, and pay $5.50 to $8.50 for a drink. Some of the higher-priced discos include an open bar or live entertainment. The places listed in this section are air-conditioned and accept credit cards (AE, MC, V).
A great idea to get you started is the Bar Crawl Tour offered by American Express Travel Agency (tel. 998/881-4050; fax 998/884-6942). For $49, it takes you by bus from bar to club -- generally four to five top choices -- where you'll bypass any lines and spend about an hour. The price includes entry to the clubs, 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.
Numerous restaurants, such as Carlos 'n' Charlie's, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, Señor Frog's, TGI Friday's, and Iguana Wana, double as nighttime party spots, offering wild-ish fun at a fraction of the price of more costly discos.
Bulldog Café, in the Hotel Krystal, Paseo Kukulkán, Km 7.5 (tel. 998/848-9800), is a former hotspot's attempt to lure back the crowds (it used to be the opulent disco Christine). To the impressive space, signature laser-light shows, infused oxygen, and large video screens, the club added updated music and a funkier ambience. The music ranges from hip-hop to Latino rock, with a heavy emphasis on infectious dance tunes. Bulldog is open nightly from 10pm until the party winds down. The cover charge is $12 per person, or $25 for an open bar all night (national drinks).
Carlos 'n' Charlie's, Paseo Kukulkán, Km 4.5 (tel. 998/849-4052), is a reliable place to find both good food and packed-frat-house entertainment in the evening. There's a dance floor; live music starts nightly around 8:30pm. A cover charge kicks in if you're not planning to eat. It's open daily from 11am to 2am.
With recorded music, Carlos O'Brian's, Tulum 107, SM 22 (tel. 998/884-1659), is only slightly tamer than other Carlos Anderson restaurants and nightspots in town (Señor Frog and Carlos 'n' Charlie's). It's open daily from 9am to midnight.
Maintaining its reputation as the hottest spot in town is Coco Bongo in Forum by the Sea, Paseo Kukulkán, Km 9.5 (tel. 998/883-5061; www.cocobongo.com.mx). Its main appeal is that it has no formal dance floor, so you can dance anywhere -- and that includes on the tables, on the bar, or even on the stage with the live band! This place can -- and regularly does -- pack in up to 3,000 people. You have to experience it to believe it. Despite its capacity, lines are long on weekends and in high season. The music alternates between Caribbean, salsa, techno, and classics from the 1970s and '80s. It draws a mixed crowd, but the young and hip dominate. Choose between a $15 cover or $25 with an open bar.
Dady'O, Paseo Kukulkán, Km 9.5 (tel. 998/883-3333), is a highly favored rave with frequent long lines. It opens nightly at 9:30pm and generally charges a cover of $15.
Dady Rock Bar and Grill, Paseo Kukulkán, Km 9.5 (tel. 998/883-1626), the offspring of Dady'O, opens early (7pm) and goes as long as any other nightspot, offering a new twist on entertainment with a combination of live bands and DJ-orchestrated music, along with an open bar, full meals, a buffet, and dancing.
Hard Rock Cafe, in Plaza Lagunas Mall and Forum by the Sea (tel. 998/881-8120 or 998/883-2024; www.hardrock.com), schedules a live band at 10:30pm Thursday through Tuesday night. At other times you get lively recorded music to munch by -- the menu combines the most popular foods from American and Mexican cultures. It's open daily from 11am to 2am.
La Boom, Paseo Kukulkán, Km 3.5 (tel. 998/883-1152; fax 998/883-1458, www.laboom.com.mx), has two sections: one side is a video bar, the other a bi-level disco with cranking music. Each night there's a special deal: no cover, free bar, ladies' night, bikini night, and others. Popular with early-20-somethings, it's open nightly from 10pm to 6am. A sound-and-light show begins at 11:30pm in the disco. The cover varies depending on the night -- most nights, women enter free, and men pay $15 to $30, which includes an open bar.
The most refined and upscale of Cancún's nightly gathering spots is the Lobby Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (tel. 998/885-0808), with live dance music and a list of more than 120 premium tequilas for tasting or sipping.
Planet Hollywood, Flamingo Shopping Center, Paseo Kukulkán, Km 11 (tel. 998/885-3003; www.planethollywood.com), is the still-popular brainchild of Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. One of the last remaining branches of the chain, it's both a restaurant and a nighttime music and dance spot with mega-decibel live music. It's open daily from 11am to 2am.
Performing Arts
Performances of the Ballet Folklórico de Cancún (tel. 998/849-7777) are held at the Teatro de Cancún, at the El Embarcadero Pier. The show, Voces y Danzas de México (Voices and Dances of Mexico) takes place Monday through Friday at 7pm. The cost is $29 per person, and includes an open bar of national drinks. American Express, MasterCard, and Visa accepted.
Another show, Tradición del Caribe (Caribbean Traditions) also takes place at the Teatro de Cancún (tel. 998/849-7777), Monday through Friday at 9pm. Over 80 performers showcase the dance and music of the Mexican Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. At the conclusion of the show, guests are welcome to dance to the tempting tropical rhythms. The cost of $29 per person includes an open bar of national drinks.
Several hotels host Mexican fiesta nights, including a buffet dinner and a folkloric dance show; admission, including dinner, ranges from $35 to $50. In the Costa Blanca shopping center, El Mexicano restaurant (tel. 998/884-4207) offers a tropical dinner show every night and has live music for dancing. The entertainment is a folkloric show that starts at 8:30pm. Cover charge is $5.
You can also get in the party mood at Mango Tango, Paseo Kukulkán, Km 14.2 (tel. 998/885-0303), a lagoon-side restaurant and dinner-show establishment opposite the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Diners can choose from two levels, one nearer the music and the other overlooking it all. Music is loud and varied but mainly features reggae or salsa. A 45-minute floor shows start nightly at 8:30pm. A variety of packages are available -- starting at $40 per person -- depending on whether you want dinner and the show, open bar and the show, or the show alone. For dancing, which starts at 9:30, there's a $10 cover charge.
Tourists mingle with locals at the downtown Parque de las Palapas (the main park) for Noches Caribeñas, which involves free live tropical music for anyone who wants to listen and dance. Performances begin at 7:30pm on Sunday, and sometimes there are performances on Friday and Saturday.
