Running - Better in Aruba or Cancun?

Aruba. I've been to both.

Cancun is a sh!thole. Feels like a tourist trap and you're sort of stuck on a peninsula when you get there. Hookers and drugs offered in every cab ride you take. Most hotels are gated, and for a reason. It's not like you'll get attacked by a drug cartel or anything, just has a skeevy feel.

Aruba is a safe, relatively clean island. You can rent cars and drive around without any worry (except for one small area in the main city). It is also way less built up. There are goats running all over the place though, so if you're afraid of goats don't run.

When are you going? If prior to November remember that it is hurricane season and Cancun is in a hurricane prone area. Aruba less so (part of the A-B-C islands - Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) as it is pretty far south.

I've never been to Aruba.

South of Cancun, towards Puerto Morelos, you have big all-inclusive resorts that are off Highway 307. You will have little to no options to run if this is the scenario, unless you want to run on the beach, or there is some sort of trail on the property. Usually it's just a road connecting the resort to the highway.

Knowing where you are staying would be easier to say.

In Cancun's Hotel Zone proper, particularly at the top of the zone, there are actually paths that are decent enough for running.

Thanks for the comments. We are going in early December and I don't mind running on the beach if the sand is packed and/or the tides are lower (but refuse to run in soft sand)

Rivera Mayan or El Dorado Royale if Cancun

Riu Palace if Aruba

Thanks again!

I can only speak of Cancun,

1) It's hot as balls even at very first thing in the morning. Like 80 Degrees with a dew point of 80 at 7AM. It's a heat like I've never experienced in my life.

2) There are some nice running paths, but in the morning they are clogged with hotel workers. Any other time of day they are clogged with tourists. Either way, not good for fast running as everyone zigs and zags about.

3) I've tried running on the beach and it's all sloped at a pretty good angle. I've only covered a few miles in the North Middle area, further away might be better.

4) The roads are not runnable, to much traffic.

5) The sidewalks tend to have a lot of tall curbs, so it is about like training for a steeplechase.

6) Best Bet is to find a treadmill to run on.

Just go to Holbox instead. Fly into Cancun, taxi to the ferry, then enjoy an island with no cars and sand roads. Just golf carts, miles of beaches perfect for running, and some wild flamingos on the run if you're lucky.

Seriously, look into it.

Aruba is consistently very pleasant, weather-wise, year round, although often windy on the west coast around all the resorts. You can run along the beach across many of the resorts on paved walking paths, although you can't get a whole lot of mileage that way. But it's easy to branch out along the roads and get some nice running in. Also, if you rent a car, you can go to other areas of the island and run around other coastal areas.

Aruba is a former Dutch colony. I felt totally safe all over the island, even in the rougher parts of the main city (during broad daylight mind you).

Never been to Cancun, so I have no basis to compare. I did, however, enjoy running in Aruba.

Aruba. Can be a bit windy but depending on where you're staying, map an out and back from your resort to the California Lighthouse.

Definitely Aruba...you can run all over the island.

Aruba.

Recommend staying at the northern end of the island. Skip the resorts. Rent a car and find an AirBnb north of Malmok Beach. Traffic is much lighter at the northern end of the island. Running is mostly going to be out-and-back routes on any island, but the northern tip of Aruba has some nice dirt roads once you reach the area around California lighthouse. Very scenic with very little development. Never felt unsafe running anywhere in that area.

Of course, if you have a choice, I would suggest not going to Aruba, and instead, highly recommend Bonaire instead. Bonaire has a lower population, less congestion, a great reef system with excellent snorkeling that is accessible right from the shore, surrounded by a marine park to protect the reef, a cool national park, and a fun donkey sanctuary you can drive through. In my opinion, Aruba is at the bottom of the ABC islands: (Bonaire > Curacao > Aruba). I understand that is often cheaper to flying into Aruba though. Our family has spent a week on all three islands on separate trips. We enjoyed Aruba, but all agreed that Bonaire was much better. And, of course, I still felt guilty traveling to Aruba and supporting the economy because of the whole Natalee Holloway thing.

Aruba.

Convexity wrote:

Hookers and drugs offered in every cab ride you take. .

...so you won't even need to run. Cancun baby!