honestly the hidden cenotes thing is half true. there are a bunch of small ones scattered around the ejido land near leona vicario, like 20 mins west. but most are on private property and you need to know someone or pay a guide. the ones you can just walk up to are usually the touristy ones with rope swings and loud families.

for nightlife, i'd skip the hotel zone clubs unless you want to drop 200 pesos on a cover and fight for a seat. instead check out parque las palapas in downtown cancun on a friday night. it's got food stalls and live music, way more local vibe and cheaper drinks. just take an uber from arsgan house, should be like 150 pesos each way

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fwiw the whole "hidden cenote" thing around arsgan house is kinda overblown on social media. most of those spots are either on private land or require a guide who charges like 500 pesos to take you through someone's backyard. the one exception i know of is a tiny pool called xcacelito, about 15 mins south near the biosphere reserve, no entrance fee just a dirt path past some coconut trees.

for nightlife i'd actually recommend staying in and doing a late dinner at la santa in puerto morelos. it's a pizza place that turns into a mezcal bar around 10pm, the owner is a local guy who makes his own infused spirits. way better than dragging yourself back to cancun at 2am. uber from arsgan is like 180 pesos each way and the road is well lit.

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ngl i've driven past arsgan house a few times on the way to puerto morelos. it's definitely more of a "sit by the pool with a margarita" spot than a party hub. if you want nightlife you're looking at a 25-30 min cab into the hotel zone, which gets old fast tbh.

the cenote thing is real though. there's a small one called santa cruz about 10 mins south that most tourists skip because it's not on the main highway. you'll need pesos for the entry fee, like 150 per person. just bring bug spray, the mosquitoes there are no joke after 5pm

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i'd also say check out the public library in centro, biblioteca municipal on avenida bonampak. they have free wifi and air conditioning, which is a lifesaver during the hot afternoons when you're waiting for a bus or just need a break from the sun. for a cheap meal, the tortas at tortas el faraon on avenida tulum are like 30 pesos and they load them up with avocado and chipotle, way better than the hotel zone junk. one thing nobody mentions is that the r2 bus goes all the way to the puerto juarez ferry dock for isla mujeres, so you don't need a separate taxi if you're heading there for the day

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mercado 28 is good advice but honestly the real move is the early morning market on avenida tulum near the ade hospital, stalls set up around 6am and u can get a full breakfast of huevos motuleños and fresh papaya juice for under 40 pesos, the ladies there have been doing it for decades. for the bus thing, don't forget the r1 also runs a night route until like 1am but it's less frequent, i've waited 30 mins at 11pm before so keep that in mind. one spot i never see in guides is the small public pier at punta cancun, it's free to walk out and u can watch the ferries come in, way quieter than the hotel zone beaches

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this is solid advice, especially the bus part. the r1 bus is a lifesaver and honestly runs more frequently than u'd expect for 12 pesos. one thing i'd add is to hit up the local tiendas or a tortillería for breakfast instead of even hostel food, a few pesos gets u fresh tortillas and some salsa. also for the ADO bus, if u're going to playa or tulum, buy ur ticket a day early from the downtown terminal, the popular morning ones sell out fast and then u're stuck waiting an hour. mercado 28 is good but don't skip the smaller stalls on the side streets near parque de las palapas, i found better cochinita pibil there for like 40 pesos and the old ladies running them are way friendlier. the scenic tower is not worth the 10 bucks tbh, just walk to the beach by the ritz-carlton for a free sunset that's just as good

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