"Playa Del Niño" Top 5 Page for this destination Cancún Off The Beaten Path Tip by Kaspian

Playa Del Nino is a local public beach about 10 minutes north of downtown Cancun in the Puerto Juarez neighbourhood. It is a little further up the road past the ferry terminal.
On a very hot Saturday or Sunday it can be swarming with locals swimming, sunbathing, playing guitars, fishing, and having picnics. A local's idea of beach weather and a tourist's are two different things, so even when it's hot for us it may still be cool for them and the beach may be empty. It's busier in summer.
There are a few rustic beach restaurants (specializing in seafood) where you can order food or sit and have a drink. I'd be very careful eating anything in these restaurants, they're definitely not meant for a tourist's stomach. These places are also bars in the evening.
I think it's named after an "El Nino" storm which ravaged this area and destroyed lots of buildings several years ago. Translated literally it means "Beach of the Boy."