Cancun's Waters: Caribbean Sea, Not Gulf of Mexico

Cancún's famous beaches face the Caribbean Sea, not the Gulf of Mexico.

• Cancún sits on the northeast tip of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo.
• The Caribbean Sea (part of the Atlantic Ocean) borders the peninsula's eastern shore—where Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum are located.
• The Gulf of Mexico lies to the north and west of the Yucatán Peninsula, bordering states like Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco, and Veracruz.

While the Yucatán Channel connects the Gulf and the Caribbean, Cancún's turquoise waters, coral reefs (part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef), and white-sand beaches are distinctly Caribbean. The Gulf's influence is felt further west and north.