There is a lot to be said for a non-stop service. Not having to connect makes things very convenient, so I was pleased when it was announced that Aer Lingus is flying to Cancún for four months from January to April 2026.
This is the first time the Irish carrier has served Mexico and it will be interesting to see if it becomes popular. It will be one of the longest flights in the airline’s network, after Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Flying to Cancún should be fun!
Services are being operated three times per week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Ever the bargain hunter – and not willing to sit in economy for 11 hours – I found business class return tickets for €1,776.76 all in. That was out on a Thursday and back on a Tuesday and I booked it just before all the prices went up.
Where to stay?
Flying to Cancún and spending five nights in Mexico sounds good to me. I’m quite interested in the Mayan civilization, and there’s plenty to see from there. I blame the 1980s animated series The Mysterious Cities of Gold for that, not to mention the 1987 computer game Pirates!
Overall Thoughts
Since Aer Lingus are flying to Cancún non-stop from Dublin, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I considered it for quite a while before I decided to take the plunge and book, and I am glad I have.
Even if I don’t stay elsewhere, there are plenty of tours available from the city. I will get to see everything I want to see, and enjoy some rest and relaxation along the way. Now all I have to do is avoid the Spring Break crowd, as I hear March is that time!
Have you been to Cancún before? Any recommendations or things I should know? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
Like planes? See my “Does anyone remember” series.
Flight reviews your thing? Mine are all indexed here.
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Chichen Itza is the first place you should be heading to, and you should also check out other ancient Mayan sites like “Uxmal”
I found Playa Del Carmen and Akumal to be nice, more manageable than Cancun. There is a new train that goes across the Yucatan West and South from Cancun.
I love Merida as well.
Thanks a lot for the advice there! I’ll have plenty of research to do when I’m next off work. I’ll check all of that out – appreciate this!
I’ve been to the area a few times with my better half. Since you don’t mention anything specific besides interest in the Mayan culture I’d suggest a day trip to Chichen Itza (touristy but very impressive) with a stop to swim in a cenote if possible. Mexican buses are surprisingly nice.
There’s also Tulum which is a bit of a mixed bag: It started as an ecotourism haven (think generators turned off at night) but has morphed into more of a Cancun lite. The ruins on the beach are instagram heaven but otherwise there’s not a whole lot there to differentiate the place.
If you have the chance I’d suggest staying at or at least visiting Isla Mujeres off the coast of Cancun. It’s pretty, surprisingly charming for a heavily touristed area, and well priced. Isla Holbox is a possibility for whale shark watching during the season but has very little else going on.
Playa del Carmen and the surrounding area has superb beaches and the town itself has a good cluster of bars and restaurants along with shops etc. This is less of a party/all-inclusive area than Cancún but still is happening.
Unless you’re the type to do the frenetic fomo thing, which doesn’t seem your way, I’d avoid Cozumel on a first trip.
Pardon the dissertation. My travel agent past in Miami is peeking out. A great deal depends on your pace and interests. Unless you’re looking to party hard I’d advise avoiding the all-inclusive scene. I’d be perfectly happy to go into more specifics if you’d like to email me but if not I’m certain that you’ll have a lovely time regardless.
You are a star! Thank you so much for all of this – this is supremely helpful!
One of the girls at work mentioned she had been to Isla Mujeres and had recommended that as well. Some of the tours I’ve seen on the website “Get Your Guide” mention Chichen Itza and cenotes, so I think I’ll definitely be doing that. I’ll also check out Playa del Carmen – I’ve not yet chosen where to stay. You definitely have me sussed out as Cozumel wasn’t even on my radar for this trip.
Travelling on my own means it’ll be unlikely to be partying hard. Normally that only happens when I’m with people – I’m rather more sedate on my own.
You’re very good to take the time to put this together for me! Thanks a million!