Two Different Waters, One Short Walk
A family of six wrote to us last season from a room at Occidental Tucancún with a question we get a lot: "Is there anywhere near the hotel that does not look like everybody else's Cancun photo?" There is, and it is the reason this address is worth knowing — you are standing on the narrowest part of the hotel zone, with the Caribbean in front of you and the Nichupté lagoon a few steps behind. Which means your photographs can come home looking like two different trips.
We have shot thousands of sessions across Cancún, and this is one of the few spots where we never have to ask anyone to get into a car. Turquoise water and white sand at sunrise, facing east; or the lagoon side at the end of the day, where the sun goes down behind the water and the sky does the work for us. No session fee: $15 USD per photo with a 10-photo minimum, or a group package from $200 USD for larger families.
What We Photograph Most at Occidental Tucancún
Guests here are practical travellers who came for the beach and the value, and who want the photographs to be easy. These are the three sessions we shoot most often at this end of the hotel zone.
Families With Little Kids
An hour, and honestly the useful part is the first forty minutes — we plan around that instead of pretending otherwise. Simple physical directions, fast work, and the pictures that come from the gaps between poses. Our family session guide has the practical notes on naps, meals and sunburn.
Couples and Honeymoons
Two people need less time and get more out of it, and this is where the lagoon side earns its reputation — the twenty minutes after the sun drops behind the water are the best light of the day here. See our sunset couples session guide for how we plan outfits and pacing.
Everyday Vacation Memories
No occasion, no anniversary, nothing to celebrate except being here together for a week. These are the sessions people are most surprised by, because nobody had to perform. Our vacation photography guide shows the rhythm.
Where We Meet You: Km 13, Marlin and the Lagoon
Occidental Tucancún sits on Blvd. Kukulcán around km 13, in the middle stretch of the hotel zone, roughly 20 minutes by car from Cancun International Airport. We meet you at the public beach access by Playa Marlin, a short walk from the lobby, and the lagoon side is reached on foot from the same address. By resort policy the session is held on public land — and that is exactly what keeps the price where it is.
Playa Delfines and its lookout are 12–15 minutes by car and Playa Fórum about 8, if you want a third backdrop. Most guests stay put, though: with two opposite views already within walking distance, the whole hour goes into photographs instead of travelling.
Sunrise East, Sunset West — and Why It Matters Here
The rule at km 13 is unusually simple, and knowing it is worth money to you. If you want the turquoise Caribbean, come at sunrise: soft light, empty sand, the water at its best before the wind picks up. If you want the sun going down over water, it has to be the lagoon side, because the beach faces east and simply will not give you that. Send us your dates and we will give you the exact times for that week — and if you cannot choose, we have done both in the same hour more times than we can count.
You can see how we work, and hundreds of recent families and couples, on our Cancun photographer page. If you are travelling with a larger party, the group session guide explains how we handle it.
Tell Us Who’s Coming and We’ll Pick the Side
Send us your dates and how many you are. We will tell you which side to shoot and at what time — sunrise slots go first.
The Advantage of Being at Km 13
Two opposite backdrops within walking distance is not a detail — it is the reason a single hour here produces photographs that do not all look alike.
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Two looks, one session
Start on the Caribbean sand and finish facing the lagoon. Almost no other address in the hotel zone lets us do that without a transfer.
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The emptiest sand of the day
Facing east, the beach by Playa Marlin gets first light with almost nobody on it — the cleanest backgrounds you will get all week.
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Everything on foot
No transfers, no taxi with a car seat, no meeting point twenty minutes away. You walk out, we photograph, you walk back.
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You pay for what you keep
No session fee. $15 USD per photo with a 10-photo minimum, or a group package from $200 USD. The price does not change with the backdrop or the hour.
Photo Sessions at Occidental Tucancún — FAQ
How much does a photo session near Occidental Tucancún cost?
There is no session fee. You pay $15 USD per photo with a 10-photo minimum ($150 USD), or choose a group package from $200 USD for larger families. The price does not change with the backdrop or the time of day, and you only pay for the images you want to keep.
Can we really photograph both the beach and the lagoon in one session?
Yes. Occidental Tucancún sits on one of the narrowest parts of the hotel zone, so both are within walking distance. We usually start on one side and finish on the other — very few addresses in Cancun allow that without a transfer.
Where do we meet?
At the public beach access by Playa Marlin, a short walk from the hotel, or on the lagoon side if that is the backdrop you have chosen. By resort policy the session takes place on public land, which is part of why the price stays where it is.
Sunrise or sunset — which should we book?
If you want the turquoise Caribbean, sunrise: soft light, empty sand and the water at its best before the wind picks up. If you want the sun going down over water, it has to be the lagoon side, because the beach faces east.
We have small children. How long does it take?
Plan for about an hour, and know that with young children the useful part is often the first forty minutes. We work fast, direct in simple instructions and photograph the moments between poses — which is where the pictures families actually print tend to come from.