Postal Services in Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean

When traveling, its sometimes necessary to send or receive important letters and packages. Here is some basic information on postal services throughout the Mexican Caribbean.

Sending Mail: Public Post Office

Most hotels will allow you to send your letters and postcards from reception desks. Stamps are easily found wherever postcards are sold, such as most hotel gift shops and souvenir stores. Delivery time on letters and postcards from Mexico to the United States is approximately 10 days.

Sending Mail: Private Services

Private mail services are available throughout the Mexican Caribbean. These businesses, in addition to basic mailing services, also offer packaging and package wrapping.

Receiving Mail

Mail from the United States takes about 10 days to three weeks to clear through borders and the Mexican post system. Unless you are planning a longer trip, ask friends, family, and co-workers to send letters and packages to your home address. If this is not possible, it is best to send mail via USPS Express mail. This service, though more expensive, is safer and more likely to reach its destination within two weeks. This is the most secure way to send mail to Mexico.

If all else fails, mail can be sent via the Lista de Correos. In this situation, have mail addressed the following way:

Packages and letters sent to a local post office in this way will be held for you. Each day, the post office will post a list of all new arrivals. If your mail is not claimed within 10 days, it will be returned to the sender.

Packages

Sending packages from Mexico is best handled by a private service such as DHL or FedEx, which you can access through private mail services. Incoming packages face the possibility of customs taxes, which are approximately 40 percent of the dutiable value. This deters many people from shipping into Mexico because the duty on the package plus the cost of shipping as well as the cost of a customs broker usually end up exceeding the value of the package in the first place.