For both local and long-distance calls in and around Cancun, you are charged by the minute. Local calls cost a few cents, but long distance is usually expensive. Calls at hotels are the most convenient and therefore quite costly: Service charges are always high. (Hotels usually warn guests that international calls cost a lot.) Least expensive are those made from public pay phones, most of which require a prepaid phone card. You can buy phone cards at newsstands, malls and some shops for about US$3 for 12 minutes or US$5 for 20 minutes to call within Mexico. Long-distance calls to the U.S. or Canada are around US$0.45 per minute. Beware of phones that allow you to charge calls to a major credit card: Rates are always exorbitant. Canadians can call home using the Canada Direct service, which will put them in contact with a Canadian telephone operator. The toll-free Canada Direct numbers for Mexico are 800-123-0200 or 800-021-1994. Although using a cell phone with a roaming agreement is the most convenient way to call, bear in mind that the charges are high. Most U.S.-based carriers have good coverage in the region.
Internet Access
Internet cafes are widely available. You'll find them in most of the malls and throughout Ciudad Cancun. Usually there will be one or two within a block or two of any hotel. Most of the four- and five-star hotels have Internet access, but at a price. Budget hotels also tend to have Internet access in the foyer. Prices for computer time vary, depending on the area. In the Hotel Zone, prices range US$2-$5 for 15 minutes. In the downtown area, prices are US$1-$2 per hour.
Public wireless access (for a fee) can be found mainly at the airport and in Cuidad Cancun at the Plaza Las Americas, Avenida Tulum between SM 4 and SM 9. Try Sanborn's and Infonet.
There are several Web sites with continually updated lists of Internet cafes. One of the best is http://www.world66.com/northamerica/mexico/cancun/internetcafes.
Newspapers & Magazines
The
Miami Herald publishes a special Cancun edition. It's available for free at hotel newsstands. Some U.S. newspapers and magazines also are sold in hotel newsstands and in Sanborn's stores.
Cancun Tips, a pocket-size guide published twice a year, is distributed free at the airport and in hotels and has been the best source for entertainment information in Cancun for many years. It is also available online at http://www.cancuntips.com.mx.
