Day 3 (February 14, 2026): A wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine's Day 2026!

After a deep sleep that allowed us to make up for the night before, we enjoyed a great omelet (one of the things we love most about resorts) and then installed ourselves on the hotel’s beach. A late morning walk was followed by lunch, and then we ventured off-resort, taking one of the ramshackle buses (by Canadian standards) to an archaeological site we had read about. After discovering a stunning beach that we will explore tomorrow, we took the bus back to the resort for some late afternoon beach time. We had a 5:30PM Valentine's dinner reservation at the hotel’s seafood restaurant, which proved to be a 10/10 dining experience. We weren’t into the evening magic show, so we skipped that and called it a day. Looking back at the day, with its sunny skies and high 20s, we couldn’t have asked for a nicer Valentine’s Day. 

Resorts in the morning hours, before they really come alive, are a joy to photograph; they are clean, organized and read for a new day of fun to unfold. Such was the case on our way to breakfast, just before 9AM.

The staff set up a wedding backdrop on the beach this morning.

By 10AM, we were sitting on the beach. At 11:15AM, we decided we needed to get some exercise, so we started a 2.3KM walk along the beach.

We passed this guy on our walk. He had no problem balancing a tray of coconut drinks on his head!

El Rey Archaeological Zone

This is the most extensive archaeological site on Cancun island. It dates back to 1200-1500 AD.  It comprises 47 structures, including a civic ceremonial centre formed by two plazas, as well as two roadways, running north to south. The residents were mainly fisher-people. 

This is a residential platform. Those who lived on this site built such platforms, a maximum of 60cm high, upon which they built their living quarters of wood, vines and palm fronds. They buried their loved ones in the foundations, in a sitting position! See below for a rendering of what historians believe these residential quarters looked like in daily use. 

This pyramid is a definite highlight of the site. It’s like a mini Chitzen Itza! It is 5.5 meters high and has three stepped sloping bodies with rounded corners. A temple was erected on the upper part. 

The Iguanas of El Rey

We had read that we would likely see iguanas, but we didn’t realize just how prolific they would be! We had the entire site to ourselves - except for the resident iguanas. Sorry for all the pics - we went a little iguana crazy!

Across from El Rey, we found an incredible public beach with extensive white sand and iconic Caribbean turquoise water. We decided to go back there tomorrow. For now, this Valentine’s pop-up display provided the backdrop for a photo appropriate to the day. 

Cancun’s rickety public buses aren’t fancy, but for 95-cents (CAD) per ride, they are popular, frequent and get the job done. Can you imagine seeing a crucifix on a public bus in Canada?

On the way back to the resort, we passed the Fiesta Americana Cancun, where we spent our honeymoon, back in July 1992. It brought back a lot of nice memories!

Back at the resort, David did an afternoon swim, near the point where the Nichupte Lagoon opens into the ocean.  The water was pretty cold. And it was important to be very wary of crocodiles!

David’s seafood grill (above) contained octopus, squid, salmon, shrimp, scallops and mussels. Pam’s salmon dish (below) was equally delicious.

Near the embarkation point for the ferry to Isla Mujeres, there are 12 incredibly detailed models of tall ships, showing the evolution of tall ship sailing technology and desgn, from 1628 to 1981. 

Here is a close up of the earliest model in the collection, reflecting a ship from 1628. 

And the sun sets on a wonderful day in Cancun.