Cancún International Airport (CUN) is one of the busiest in Latin America and has been through significant expansion and reorganisation in recent years. A few things consistently catch first-time arrivals off-guard.
Terminal layout
CUN currently operates across multiple terminals. Most international flights from North America and Europe arrive at Terminal 3 or Terminal 4, which are connected airside. Terminal 2 handles domestic and some regional international flights. The terminals are not all connected landside — if you need to change between some of them after clearing immigration, it requires going outside and using airport shuttles.
The arrival gauntlet
After clearing immigration and customs, you'll pass through a corridor where timeshare and tour companies aggressively approach arriving passengers. None of these are official airport services. The official transfer desks, taxi stands, and ADO bus counters are past this area, clearly signposted once you clear it. Keep walking.
What to have ready on arrival
Your FMM tourist card details (digital or paper), your accommodation address for the customs form, and enough local cash or a working card to cover your first transfer — ATMs in the arrivals area exist but charge fees, and the exchange desks there offer worse rates than in the city.
Terminal layouts and airlines' terminal assignments change — confirm your specific terminal with your airline close to your travel date rather than relying on older information.