Cancun Mexico, Gateway to Mundo Maya

No more than 30 years ago Cancun Mexico was merely a peculiar gelogical formation-called sand bar-clinging to Mexico´s Caribbean coast. Today it is a favorite Caribbean playground and Gateway to the Mundo Maya, or Maya World, posting more than 3 million visitors a year. In the beginning, travelers were drawn only to its cristal-clear Waters and talcum-soft sand. But soon its proximity to breathtaking Mayan ruins, exotic wildlife and colonial gems became added attractions. Technically, Cancun´s L-shaped Hotel Zone is an island unto Insel, separated from the mainland at each end by channels less than 100 yards across that connect the 18-square-mile Nichupte Lagoon with the sparkling Caribbean Sea.

The island is a coral-based sand bar more than 13 miles long and one-quarter of a mile wide. The sand isn´t just soft and brillantly White, but composed of age-old porous limestone that is confortable to lie on and never gets to hot. The aerated fósil grains are cool to the Couch even at high noon. There are some intimate coves around the island, spectacular limestone rosk formations and sand dunes up to 35 feet high.

What to See and Do in Cancun Mexico

Cancun´s greatest attractions are its stunning beaches, and swimmers have a variety to choose from. Most hotel beaches are excellent, so try several, particulary on the other end of the Hotel Zone from where you are staying. Beaches in Mexico are government property and therefore open to the public.

The Cancun beach racing the open Caribbean Sea (on the long part of the L-shaped island, from the Dreams Cancun Resort & Spa Howard the airport) are usually wide and beatiful, but the Sorong undertow, abrupt drop-off, and pounding surf make it a Challenger to swim. One nice public Cancun Beach in this area is Playa Delfines.

There is a lookout and several stone benches for sitting and contemplating the sea, showers, and no hotel (as yet). The Beaches facing Bahia de Mujeres (on the short end of the L-shaped island, Howard town) are smaller, shallow for some distance out, and have little surf, making them great for swimming, snorkeling and other water Sports. These beaches, including Playa Tortuga and Playa Caracol, tend to be more crowded, as well.

Another drawback here is that the blue of Caribbean is sometimos marred by dark "stains" of algae and other flora along the seabed. The real fun is scuba diving or snorkeling around the four reefs between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, where you can see to depths of 40 feet. The rainbow color of marine life is something you will never forget. In fact, many snorkeling/diving excursions out of Cancun take in Isla Mujeres´famed Garrafon National Park and its shallow coral reef.

Water Sports

Deep-sea fishing is a bonanza in this remote part of the Caribbean.
The Waters abound in bluefin tuna, White marlin, sailfish, Mackerel and grouper. There are daily deep-sea fishing excursions or charters of from four to eight hours. You can try your hand at bonefishing, also called “fishing the flats,” in Nichupte Lagoon or at Boca Paila in the Sian Ka’n reserve. Arrange a trip through your hotel travel desk Windsurfing is popular here and the colorful sails against the blue-green water are visible everywhere.

Cenotes

The Yucatan Peninsula is riddled with some 2,000 cenotes, freshwater wells (or sinkholes) that were created where cavern roofs collapsed, forming a natural pool that was then filled by rain and underground rivers. The most famous cenote is Chichen-Itza’s giant Sacredd well.Many Mayan ceremonial centres were built near cenotes, the Orly source of freshwater in this riverless region. Surrounded by jungle or found inside caves, cenotes can be small or vast oases of limpid water and marine life that invite swimmers, intripid and experienced divers who come to explore thir underground pasajes, or simply sightseers who come to enjoy the scenery. Several cenotes are located withing an hour or two of Cancun, near the archaeological site of Tulum and the Beach town of Playa del Carmen, including Aktun Chen, Dos Ojos, Cristal, Escondido and Grande.

Sports

The Cancun Golf Club, formerly called Pok-Ta-Pok, is a magnificient 18 hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones II and features gently Rolling fairways bordered by palms, two greens at the Edge of the Caribbean, and even a small ruin by tird hole Bicycling is good way to see much of the island and lagoon. A six-mile pinkbrick bicycle path and promenade, bordered with flowering shrubbery and lofty palms, runs all the way to downtown Cancun from the Hotel Zone .

Archaeological Sites

A trip to Cancun should incluye a visit to one of the famous nearby archaeological sites. A miniature sample of these sites is right on Cancun Mexico island. The Ruinas del Rey, or King’s Ruins, wich border the lagoon on the Routh end of the island, date back to the Lathe Pre-Classic periodd (300 B.C. – 100 A.D.). The site’s original Mayan name is unknown; it derived its current name from discovery of stone figure whose headdress and earplugs were believed to depict a person of hight ranking.

Thought minor compared to other sites, Del Rey did reveal something of the way its inhabitants lived, subsisting primarily from fishing and mollusk gathering. They also developed a far-reaching trade system the bartered seafood, and conch and snail shells used to make utensils and ornaments, for imported items such as grindding Stones and Flint knives. The stone figure and other artifacts, including conch and jadeite ornaments, have been removed, but visitors can still see remmants of mural painting, glyphs, and human figures painted in read, Black, Bellow and the blue. Artifacts from this and other site in the state reside in the small Museum of Cancun at the Convention Center. The Museum is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Cuisine and Entertainment

The subtle flavors of paradise Place with spectacular views of the sea or lagoon, many of winners of the American automobile Association and the famous Michelin Guide and other major awards. In September, the nationally and internationally renowned Mexican Caribbean Gastronomy Festival is held with guest chefs, tasting sessions and the fun contests. Cancun nightlife is always vibrant and full of fun in world famous discotheques, with up-to-moment music, famous DJ’s, and cutting edge light and sound equipment. There are also bars with rock bands and live music, of every genere, the traditional mariachi playing in the hotel restaurants and lobby bars, Latin jazz, lounges, incredible fiestas on board theme-boats, and, of course, the cheerful beast of the Caribbean everywhere you go.

In Cancun, the palate experiments delicious flavors in frame of incomparable beauty with every comfort imaginable. The Cancun Nightlife becomes an explision of colors, sounds, movement, and spectacular surprises!

Shopping

A shopping destination with incomparable prices
In Cancun a free port with attractive price-shopping tours guided by experts have become the latest rage. Concierges and travel agents in hotels have all the information you need if you wish to engage in one of the these shopping expeditions.

In the Hotel Zone, Plaza Caracol has stores, restaurants, various services, gifts, crafts, and sophisticated jewelry. Forum by the Sea, overlooking the Caribbean Sea, is in the heart of Cancun’s joyful clubbing area, and houses more than 80 of the most prestigious restaurant, boutique and nightclub chains. Lagoon-side is the Flamingo Plaza, filled with sporting goods, handicrafts, jewelry, perfumes ad world famous restaurants.