Cancun

Cancun is Mexico's most well known tourist destination and its Hotel Zone is one of the few locations in the world that was developed exclusively for tourism.   The Cancun area is famous for its white sand beaches  lapped  by turquoise-blue water with gentle surf.  In addition, Cancun is known world-wide for the quality of its hotels, high- energy night-life and a broad range of water sports that is hard to  top (paragliding, waverunners, snorkeling, scuba, sport fishing to name just a few).

Offshore is the Mesoamerican Reef, the world's second largest barrier reef, which stretches from the northern tip of Quintana Roo (the Mexican state that includes Cancun and the Riviera Maya) to  Belize and, then, northern Honduras.  The reef is  home to over 500 species fish and more than 50 species of Coral.  Diving is a popular pastime with many visitors to Cancun, although Cozumel is generally regarded as the best location for snorkeling and diving along Mexico's Caribbean coast.

Cancun's Hotel Zone is shaped like a 7 and molded around  Boulevard Kulkulcan, a highway that provides easy access to all hotels.  The Hotel zone provides lodging that ranges  from the ultimate in luxury to hotels that are more affordable.  The gentlest surf can be found at the top of the "7" in the Hotel Zone, since this section of the barrier island is sheltered by the nearby Isla Mujeres (Island of Women), a few miles off the coast. 

By the way, Isla Mujeres is a popular, upscale destination with fine beaches and an attraction in its own right.  the island is known for its beauty,  a small but interesting  Mayan temple, a sculpture park and opportunities for underwater exploration.  It's Garrafon Natural Reef Park offers a wide variety of activities sure to please all family members. 

Note also that over four-hundred life-sized statues have been sunk in an artistic installation as part of the National Marine Park of Cancun, Islas Mujeres and Punta Nizuc and this is a dive that is growing in popularity.  See the MUSA website for more details (Google translator suggested as most of the site is in Spanish). The island can be reached by a 25 minute cruise from the Hotel Zone.

Three major Mayan ruins are within a days drive of Cancun and you can arrange a tour to see one of more of these attractions.  The Mayan civilization left a strong imprint on this area, even though this civilization reached its peak over a thousand years ago.  Known for their unique architecture and knowledge of astronomy, the Mayans were the only civilization in the Americas to a developed a formal system of writing.

Chichén Itzá in the neighboring Yucatan (state) is one of the best-preserved and most interesting of the  Mayan sites. We describe it in detail here. 

Tulum is the name for the fabulous coastal, Mayan ruin about 80 miles south of Cancun on the Riviera Maya.  Finally, Cobá, a large, but relatively unexcavated Mayan city, is a modest distance to the northwest of Tulum. 

We discuss a number of  day-trips  from Cancun in our guide to the nearby  Riviera Maya.    If you like Cancun, but are a little tired of the crowds, you might find a trip to the Riviera Maya just the ticket for a great change of pace.

If you decide to wander outside of Cancun, you might be interested in visiting Isla Cozumel, (reached by a short flight or taking a ferry from Playa del Carmen).  Cozumel is world renowned for its diving and beautiful setting.

We think you will find Cancun an attractive destination both for individuals and for families.  While it does have an active nightlife, Cancun is, in all senses of the phrase, a family vacation destination - it even has a water park to prove it. 

Vacationing in Cancun can be expensive.  While you can find some great bargains on hotels, there are so many things to do  that you could easily break your budget before you run out of new things to try.  It's easy to get caught up in the lure of the Cancun's unique  attractions, but don't forget  that the those beautiful, white sand beaches  are the best bargain in town.

Of course, if  you haven't run out of money, there is plenty of quality shopping in Cancun.  If you need a quick shopping fix, you might be interested in visiting Kulkulcan Plaza,  the area's  glamorous shopping mall. (By the way, Kulkulcan is one of the most prominent of the Mayan gods and the name translates as "feathered serpent".)

You might also be interested in taking a look at the official tourism website for Cancun , as it provides details on attractions, hotels, restaurants and more.
 
    

Next - The Riviera Maya

Or - Chichen Itza

Or - Cozumel

Or - Return to Best Places to Visit in Mexico

If you need information about another travel destination, try our Destination Guide Index  or Googling ThereArePlaces.

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