Long Weekend Getaway in Cancun!

Gosh guys, it’s truly been forever since my husband and I took a real vacation. Ever since moving to Florida, we honestly convinced ourselves we didn’t need beach trips anymore… and wow, were we wrong!

If the secrets not out of the bag just yet, we’re officially getting ready for a cross-sate move back to New Jersey! As much as we’ve loved our little life in the sunshine, work is pulling us back north for this next chapter of life. We’ll definitely miss the palm trees and year round warmth, but being closer to friends and family again makes it all feel a little sweeter.

Before packing up our Florida life, we decided to squeeze in one more little celebration getaway and brooked a trip to Cancun, Mexico! Honestly, a few beach days and unlimited food and frozen drinks before the chaos of moving feels exactly like what we need.

My husband had never been to Cancun before, and honestly, it wasn’t high on our list of places to visit either. But for a quick weekend getaway, it checked all the boxes. Then within the first hour of arriving and seeing those unreal turquoise waters that genuinely looked photoshopped our entire perspective started to change.

We stayed at the Secrets Mirabel Cancun Resort & Spa, finally putting some of the travel points we’d been hoarding for years to good use. Our first night came with a small hiccup: the sink in our room was leaking, which meant we had to switch rooms while already dressed for dinner. At the time, I was slightly irritated (mostly because I was hangry), but it ended up working in our favor. Our new room came with the most stunning ocean view, and suddenly the inconvenience didn’t feel so inconvenient anymore.

We had breakfast outside at the Market Cafe every morning. We piled our plates high with tropical fruit, fresh pastries, and all the local Mexican breakfast eats from the incredible buffet. And of course, we had to start each day with one of their fresh juices (from detox blends to tamarind and papaya). Every single one was so refreshing!

After breakfast, we booked it straight to the main pool to claim our chairs in the shade for the day. We our afternoons chit-chatting, laughing, and walking the beach with mojitos in hand. The activity team kept the energy high with everything from making ankle bracelets while you tanned to water aerobics, pool + beach volleyball, and fun trivia games.

The weather was seriously gorgeous it rain once for less then 30 minutes the entire trip. Honestly, May feels like the perfect time to visiting Cancun. It wasn’t unbearably hot or overly crowded.

During our stay, we enjoyed lunch a couple of times right on the beach by ordering with our server from the Barefoot Grill. The nachos with guacamole were a standout! Fresh, flavorful, and honestly one of the best poolside bites I had on the trip.

One thing that surprised me though was how rare guacamole or even avocados were across the resort overall. For a tropical destination, I expected to see them featured a bit more often on menus.

In addition to eating beachside, we also made a habit of stopping by the Market Cafe during the day to try different desserts. The passion fruit tart I had on day one was genionelly unforgettable! Easily one of the best I’ve ever had. I’m still thinking about it!

We also tried a sit down lunch at Ollio’s, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a hit for us compared to the other dining options on the property.

After living in Florida for two years, applying sunscreen has basically become a non-negotiable part of my daily routine. I stayed consistently throughout the trip and ended up with a light, bronzy glow, no burns, thankfully!

Many guests we met at the resort weren’t as lucky, with quite a few dealing with noticeable sunburns.That honestly made me even more diligent about reapplying throughout the day.

My go to sunscreen combo for the trip was:

Dinner was where the resort really shined, with several standout restaurants. Here are my favorites, ranked in order:

  1. Himitsu Absolutely a must visit, especially around sunset! The views alone make it worth it, and the ambiance is unforgettable. If you choose to make a reservation you can sign up for a hibachi table, unfortunately we tried too late.

  2. Bordeaux Elegant, romantic, and filled with the kindest servers! A great option for a slower paced elevated dining experience.

  3. El Patio A solid choice with flavorful dishes and a beautiful atmosphere. The desserts were a huge hit, to be honest get all 3 you won’t regret it!

  4. Blue Water This one was a miss for me personally, though my husband enjoyed his meal. I ordered the ribeye well done and it came out extremely tough, so much so that I only managed a few bites. I ended up sticking to the sides while he enjoyed a tender and flavorful beef tenderloin also cooked well done.

No night was complete without a stop at Coco Cafe for ice cream. If you go, start with the coconut flavor - its absolutely DELICIOUS.

My goal was to try every flavor during the trip, and I made it about halfway through the display… which honestly still feels like a win in my book LOL.