Cancún · With kids

On the sheltered bay side of the hotel zone, shallow and almost waveless, with a ferry dock and food at the back. Ages 2+.

Ferries from Puerto Juárez take twenty minutes; hire a golf cart and swim at Playa Norte, which stays waist-deep a long way out. Ages 3+.

Small, air-conditioned and manageable, with the San Miguelito ruins and iguanas in the grounds attached to the ticket. Ages 6+.

An hour south, an ecological park built around underground rivers, a wildlife aviary and an evening show that runs late. A full day. Ages 5+.

Seaweed lands on the Caribbean-facing beaches from around April to August; the bay-side beaches stay clear. Keep children out of the sun 11 to 3.