Punta Nizuc, Cancún
Overview
Punta Nizuc is the southern tip of the Cancún Hotel Zone, the point where the long Caribbean beach of the Hotel Zone ends and the coast turns west towards the mouth of the Nichupté lagoon. It is close to Cancún International Airport and has a quieter character than the central Hotel Zone.
The point is occupied by two resorts, NIZUC Resort & Spa, at Kilometre 21 of Boulevard Kukulcán, and Club Med Cancún at the tip itself, so the sand here is used mainly by their guests. Our photographs show the resort frontage, with rows of loungers under the palms, and a low sandy spit at the point.
What draws most visitors is the water rather than the beach. The reef off Punta Nizuc is part of the Mesoamerican Reef, and it is shallow, warm and usually clear. The Nizuc gallery of MUSA, the underwater art museum, lies here at a depth of about four metres, and includes Jason deCaires Taylor's sculpture "The Gardener of Hope", a young figure lying in a garden of coral.
Our current condition score for this beach is .
Photo summary of last month
Each photograph is published unedited and in date order, and is replaced as newer submissions arrive, so what appears here is the most recent view of the beach rather than a promotional photograph.
Punta Nizuc closes the Hotel Zone to the south, so its photographs are best read alongside those of Playa Delfines and Playa Coral on the same day.
Position relative to the Atlantic sargassum belt
Sargassum reaching the Mexican Caribbean crosses the tropical Atlantic, enters the Caribbean and is carried north along Quintana Roo by the Yucatán Current. The Cancún Hotel Zone faces east into that flow along most of its length. At Punta Nizuc the coast turns towards the lagoon mouth, and conditions here can differ from those on the open beaches further north on the same morning, which is why the point is photographed and scored separately on the live map.
The sargassum season
The regional season runs from roughly May to August, with the heaviest arrivals usually in June and July, and the coast is generally quieter from late autumn into spring. The wider picture is set out in our Riviera Maya sargassum season guide.
Snorkelling, the reef and MUSA
Most visitors reach the reef and the MUSA sculptures by boat. Tours leave from the Hotel Zone, cross the Nichupté lagoon and its mangroves and anchor at a snorkelling platform over the reef, often combining the sculptures with the natural reef in a single trip. Visibility of the sculptures depends on the sea on the day.
It is also possible to snorkel from the shore in front of Club Med, but reaching the main coral heads requires a long swim, which suits only experienced and fit swimmers. Reef-safe sunscreen is the rule here, and the coral should not be touched or stood on.
Swimming conditions and safety
The water around the point is shallow and generally calm, protected by the reef. Boat traffic from the snorkelling tours operates over the reef, so swimmers should keep to the areas the resorts mark for swimming and away from the tour boats.
Choosing where to stay
NIZUC Resort & Spa and Club Med Cancún are the two hotels on the point, and both have their own beach frontage. Visitors staying elsewhere in the Hotel Zone usually see Punta Nizuc from the water, on a snorkelling tour.
Access and getting there
Punta Nizuc lies at the southern end of Boulevard Kukulcán, a short drive from Cancún International Airport. The R1 and R2 buses run the length of the Hotel Zone, and taxis serve the whole route. Since the frontage on the point belongs to the two resorts, the reef is most easily visited by boat tour from the Hotel Zone. We do not publish a car park for this beach.
Check live conditions before you go
On the live map we track Punta Nizuc with dated photographs and a current condition score, which makes it easy to compare with Playa Delfines and the other beaches of the Hotel Zone on the same morning.
See live conditions, photos & cams →