10 Things to Do in Cancún When it Rains

Museo Maya de Cancún is one of the most important art and anthropology museums in the city with nearly 400 artifacts on display to educate about Mayan culture. This ancient empire was one of the most advanced of its day, and a visit here will give you a breadth of knowledge about its history and culture.

The museum is located next to the San Miguelito Archaeological Site in the Archaeological Zone, about a half hour from downtown Cancún. If the rain lets up, this site can be considered a practical part of the experience and is also worth a visit.

The Interactive Aquarium of Cancun lets you get up close and touch creatures like stingrays while viewing local sea life, and it's all in a shopping mall. Here you can see dolphins splashing and playing as well as nearly 2,000 other marine species. Take the Sea Trek and meet sea lions and feel starfish, sea cucumbers, urchins, and others.

Perhaps best of all, the museum is located inside a huge shopping mall, so before and after you view the animals, you can hit up your favorite stores for an ideal souvenir. It's just about 30 minutes from downtown in the Hotel Zone.

Rio Secreto offers an astonishing journey through the underground along the Riviera Maya, which offers over 7 miles of cenotes, underground rivers, and cave formations. Many of the areas underground require diving equipment, so you'll want to bring an experienced scuba guide along. You can also explore the area on foot, which takes a few hours to get through.

One of the more interesting aspects of Rio Secreto is that it's still being mapped and explored, so visiting multiple times might reveal new areas you've not seen before.

Xcaret Eco Park is a theme park and wildlife preserve that lets you get to know not only the natural ecology of Mexico but also its history and culture. The park exists on top of archaeological ruins, so as you walk through, you'll also experience the way ancient cultures lived in harmony with the natural world.

The park is located between Playa del Carmen and Cancún along the Riviera Maya. While most of it is outdoors, it does offer quite a few indoor attractions, including the ability to explore underground rivers, visit an aviary, and more.

Cancún cinemas let you get out of the inclement weather and stay entertained on a rainy day by catching the latest in local films and Hollywood blockbusters. You can visit any of several cinemas in Cancún, such as Cinépolis at the Plaza Las Americas, which is one of the most popular theaters in the city.

You can enjoy reclining comfy chairs and even have wait staff bring food to you in the theater. It's a true VIP experience to make you feel like royalty on a bad-weather day. This particular theater, though, is about 2 hours south of downtown, so plan a day trip to Plaza Las Americas.

The Cancun Wax Museum is a fun and exciting experience that lets you get photos of (and with) celebrities you might never meet in person. Here you can explore more than 100 lifelike wax statues of celebrities from all over the world, from sports icons to rock bands and movie stars. Get a selfie with Elvis Presley and get up close to Barack Obama. It's a unique and exciting attraction to occupy you on a rainy day.

The wax museum is in La Isla Paradise Experience in the Hotel Zone about 20 minutes from downtown. That means you can spend the day shopping before and after visiting the celebrities.

La Isla Cancún is an open-air shopping complex with dozens of stores and restaurants, winding canals, fountains, and family-friendly establishments like ice cream parlors. You can also grab photo ops of the entire area overlooking Nichupté Lagoon between rain showers. Many of the shops are designer and boutique outlets, ideal for those who want a luxury touch.

While the plaza is outdoors, the stores and shops let you get in out of the rain. You might just have to dash from one to the next. It's about 20 minutes from downtown in the Hotel Zone.

Mexican cooking classes can give you an entirely different perspective on the cuisine of this region, which encompasses a lot more than tacos and enchiladas. You can learn about Mayan influences on Cancún's culinary tradition, get hands-on with locally sourced produce, visit traditional mercados to learn how to choose the right ingredients, or learn how to make a tortilla from scratch and discover the utensils used.

You can learn how authentic guac is different from what you get in the states, and change your entire outlook on Mexican food. There are many such available cooking classes, often included with food tours of the area.

Ka'Yok' Planetario de Cancún offers a 360-degree visual experience of walking through the stars with interactive exhibits, virtual reality attractions, and flying through space. Here you can see the sun and moon up close. You can walk the surface of Mars. You can look at the planets through a massive interplanetary telescope. You can even visit an attached Water Museum to see the alien world right here on Earth.

The entire family can have a unique, up-close experience with other worlds and the entire cosmos. It's all located right in the heart of downtown Cancún.

Cancún day spas give you the chance to get truly pampered when the weather won't cooperate and you want to just lie back and feel pampered. You can get a massage from a trained therapist, hit a sauna, enjoy a healthy meal, and get a workout in. Spas exist to make you feel like royalty, and they're a great way to soothe your muscles when you're recharging your batteries for the next day's adventures.

The options for day spas in Cancún are endless. You're sure to find a great option whether you're at a resort in the Hotel Zone or you're staying in the heart of downtown.