story by Kayte Deioma
There are many places to shop in Cancun, but Kukulcan Plaza is top of the line. It is an all-purpose enclosed, air-conditioned mall including restaurants, a bowling bar, a casino, and a designer shopping paradise.
Art
The shopping center incorporates some beautiful public art including a 75-foot stained glass atrium by Clemente Cameo Misrahi and Erika Almazán Quintero based on the sacred Mayan book, the Popol Vuh. During the day, the colors are lit by the sun. At night, a narrated light show draws attention to this visual representation of Mayan history. Temporary art and culture exhibits are held regularly on the upper level of the mall.
The Main Mall
In the main mall, look for unique shops like Xbaal (woman in Mayan), which sells beach and casual-wear, hats and tote bags designed and made by a Mexican women’s coop in the outlying areas of Cancun. You might find artist Dante at work sculpting or creating one-of-a-kind jewelry at Dante’s Studio. If you’ve always longed for your own suit of armor, complete with lance or sword, you can stop in at La Ruta de las Indias, where you’ll also find replica canons and all things nautical.
Luxury Avenue
At one end of the mall is Luxury Avenue, where you’ll find familiar names like Cartier, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Coach and Salvatore Ferragamo. But since many of those are the same all over the world, be sure not to miss Mexican-themed silks and leathers from Pineda Covalin, and men and women’s clothing and unique handbags by Spanish designer Purificación García.
Entertainment
If shopping isn’t your thing, you can bowl or play a few games of pool at the bowling bar 2.02. You can do your bowling to live music in the evenings.
A great place for the whole family is Chocolate City. In addition to great chocolate confections, there are video games and dozens of table games to play. Check the schedule to plan your visit during one of the Chocolate Circus Dinners or Sunday Cartoon Kids Shows. Visit anytime to make your own pizza.
If your little ones need to run wild for a while, take
them to Kukulkids, a great children’s center on the 2nd floor of the mall. It includes separate play areas for babies and bigger kids, an inflated maze, a games and crafts area, a kid-size movie theatre, a mini-climbing wall and a sit and scoot race track where kids wheel themselves around the track on low hand carts. For the best of both worlds, let your kids stay and play under the supervision of trained child-care staff, while you hit the shops.
Kukulcan Plaza also offers free wireless internet access if you happen to be toting your laptop or other internet-enabled device. Access codes are available at the Customer Service desk in the central atrium on the ground floor (below the stained glass ceiling).
Kukulcan Plaza
Boulevard Kukulcán Km 13
Hotel Zone, Cancun
Quintana Roo, Mexico