Cancún
From MyVacationsTo
Cancun is Mexico’s most important tourist destination and one of the world’s most well-known resorts. Located in the state of Quintana Roo in the Yucatan Peninsula region, it has a subtropical climate, with average temperatures ranging between 27º C (81º F) and 35º C (95º F) and sunny days throughout most of the year.
Cancun offers the unparalleled beauty of the Caribbean Sea’s turquoise-blue water and white-sand beaches. During your stay, you can do water sports or other activities: snorkeling, scuba diving, parachuting, or you can take a spin on a waverunner. You’ll also find plenty of time to relax and enjoy the fine services offered in the hotel zone. Along the hotel strip, which spans more than 30 kilometers (nearly 19 miles), you’ll find everything from villas and five-star hotels to exclusive resorts and spas. You’ll also find modern shopping malls, more than 500 restaurants offering the best in national and international cuisine, and numerous bars and discos where the parties rage all night long.
Nearby Cancun, you can tour the Mayan Riviera and check out Playa del Carmen, Xcaret and Xel-Ha, ancient Mayan ports that have been converted into modern-day paradises. Also nearby is Tulum, a fascinating archaeological zone by the sea. It was the only walled city built by the Mayans. Finally, you’ll want to visit Isla Mujeres and Cozumel to live the unforgettable experience of snorkeling and scuba diving along the coral reefs.
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[edit] Transportation
[edit] Orientation
[edit] Practical Information
[edit] Accomodation
[edit] Camping
Cancun and its surrounding areas are beautiful and full of life, allowing them to offer close contact with nature and the Mayan culture.
Punta Bete - Located 66 kilometers (40 miles) south of Cancun on Route 307, it has gorgeous beaches with gentle waves, providing ideal conditions for scuba diving and snorkeling. This place offers camping grounds, a restaurant, and cabana rentals. Near Punta Bete, you can also go camping in Xcalco, which has breathtaking scenery and a small archaeological site on the beach
[edit] Food
Cancun has more than 500 restaurants that offer the best in national and international cuisine. Because it is a beach resort, the specialties are fish and seafood dishes. Still, you’ll find many places that offer vegetarian dishes or delicious Mayan cuisine like spiced pork, chicken and rabbit dishes. The staples are beans, corn, and Serrano and Habanero chili peppers.
You’ll also come across tasty rice dishes and deserts. As far as Cancun’s fish and seafood dishes, you can eat lobster, sea snail, grouper, snook, and red snapper. The region is also known for such exquisite traditional dishes as el Tikinxic (fish prepared Mayan barbeque style), pan de cazon (shredded shark baked in tomato sauce and served on a tortilla), and curry shrimp.
[edit] Beaches
Without a doubt, Cancun’s strongest draw is its crystalline blue water. In these waters, or on the beaches, you can do all kinds of activities. You might want to take a spin on a waverunner or a banana boat. Or you can play some volleyball or simply bask in the sun on a white-sand beach as you take in the spectacular scenery of the hotel zone. The following beaches are located along Kukulkan Boulevard:
Playa Langosta – Located at Km 5 in the hotel zone, just west of Punta Cancun, it is one of Cancun’s most visited beaches. From Playa Langosta’s pier, there are several tour boats that will take you to Isla Mujeres.
Playa Tortugas - located at Km 6, west of Punta Cancun. This beach has calm and shallow waters, making it the ideal family vacation spot. In front of the pier, there is a platform for bungee jumping.
Playa Chac-Mool – Located at Km 10 in the hotel zone, in front of the Bojorquez Lagoon, this beach with moderate surf is a great place to sunbathe while sipping on a drink and looking out onto the Caribbean Sea.
Playa Marlin – Located at Km 13 in the hotel zone and half a kilometer south of archaeological site Yamil Lu’um, this place is a great romantic getaway for those looking to get away from noise and crowds.
Playa Ballenas – Located at Km 14 in the hotel zone, north of Punta Nizuc, the blue-green waters of the Caribbean Sea invite you to do water sports. Has one of the best panoramic views of Cancun.
Playa Delfines – North of Punta Nizuc at Km 18 in the hotel zone, it is a great beach to soak up some sun and it has a lookout point that will give you an excellent opportunity to take some photos of the Caribbean Sea.
Playa Gaviota Azul – Just behind Plaza Forum and south of Punta Cancun at Km 18 in the hotel zone, the beach has decent surf, making it a good place to swim and do other water sports.
San Miguelito – Located in the hotel zone at Km 16.5, between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc, at this beach you can visit ruins at a small archaeological site, which is also called San Miguelito.
Yamil Lu’um – At Km 12.5 in the hotel zone, south of Playa Chac-mool, this beach has two Mayan structures. The more noticeable of the two is a construction that probably served as a lookout post for a temple.
Playa Las Perlas – At the beginning of the hotel zone and west of Punta Cuncan at Km 2.5, you’ll find this beach with balmy weather, ideal for doing such water sports as sailing, surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving and swimming. This spot also has ferries that depart to Isla Mujeres.
Playa Linda – Located at Km 4, where the hotel zone begins, and 1 kilometer (less than a mile) west of Playa Langosta. Mujeres Bay is known for its calm waters, making it a safe place to swim. It is also a main stopover and departure point for cruise liners and other boats going to Isla Mujeres.
Playa Caracol – Located at Km 8.5, between Playa Langosta and Punta Cancun. The shallow waters at this beach make it an ideal swimming spot for children and beginners. It is also a fabulous place for water-skiing.
[edit] Sights
In Cancun and its surrounding areas, many ruins and ceremonial grounds have been discovered, where the Mayans used to pray and pay homage to their gods.
El Rey – Located at Km 17.5 on Kukulkan Boulevard in Cancun’s hotel zone, just in front of Nichupte Lagoon. It was one the first archaeological zones discovered in Cancun. Many of the objects found there are now on exhibit in the Cancun Archaeological Museum, next to the convention center. According to experts in the field, El Rey was an important ceremonial center that reached its height during the Postclassic period (1250-1521). The architectural style resembles those found in other nearby sites such as Tulum, Xel-Ha and El Meco. On your tour of the site, you’ll notice that the constructions, like structure 3B, are very well conserved. Inside, you’ll find traces of an original painting in what was presumably a king’s tomb, which explains why the site is called El Rey (The King).
El Meco – Located 6 kilometers north of Cancun along the state highway that goes to Punta Sam, this archaeological zone was opened to the public in April 2001. There you can find ruins of several temples and remains of columns, a large square, and a well-conserved pyramid construction.
[edit] Museums
Cancun has two museums in the hotel zone, where they exhibit archaeological pieces and regional arts and crafts.
Museo Arqueologico de Cancun – Located next to the convention center. This museum, in a joint effort with the National History and Anthropological Institute, known as INAH, displays more than 100 archaeological pieces that were excavated from some of the state’s most important pre-Hispanic sites.
Museo de Arte Popular Mexicano – Located at the Embarcadero, next to the Cancun Theater, this museums exhibits many examples of popular arts and crafts made in different cultural regions throughout the nation.
[edit] Entertainment
[edit] Nightlife
Cancun is the best place to have fun at night. If you’re looking to dance to the beat of Latin rhythms, we recommend the Cocobongo, located in Plaza Forum. For those who like pop and electronic music, The City, El Alebrije and La Boom are good options. For live music, check out Dady Rock, El Bulldog, or The Hard Rock Café.
Nearby, along Kukulkan Boulevard, you can listen to Latin and Caribbean sounds at Mango Tango, a place with ten years of tradition. If you want to do something totally different, you can take a cruise on a replica of a Spanish galleon, where you’ll be waited on by pirates and enjoy a delicious meal, an open bar and dancing. There are also other boats that offer romantic night tours and dinner on the Caribbean Sea.
[edit] Daytrips from the city
Isla Mujeres – Located 14 kilometers (9 miles) off the coast of Cancun, it is one of the most beautiful spots in the Mexican Caribbean. The island is 8 kilometers (5 miles) long and 1.5 kilometers (about 1 mile) wide. To arrive there, you can take a ferry or speedboat from Puerto Juarez, Punta Sam and Playa Linda. You can arrive by taking the Garrafon Cruise, which departs from the Embarcadero in Cancun’s hotel zone at Km 4. It arrives at Parque Natural Garrafon on the southern part of the island. You can do all kinds of aquatic sports at this beach, which offers waverunner rentals and banana rides.
Tulum – An ancient Mayan city located 128 kilometers south of Cancun. It was one of the region’s main cities and was built by a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. It is surround by a wall on three of its sides and has five entryways and two watchtowers. Its important structures are a castle, two temples and the house of the ruler, who was known as the Halach Uinic (the True Man).
Chichen Itza – Located 200 kilometers from Cancun and 120 kilometers from Merida, on Highway 180 in the northern region of the Yucatan Peninsula. It was the most important regional capital of the Mayans from 750-1200. Things to see include a castle (the Pyramid of Kukulkan) with 365 steps, a ball court, la Plaza de Mil Columnas (the Plaza of a Thousand Columns), el Cenote Sagrado (the Sacred Sinkhole), and the temples.
Coba – You can arrive there by taking the Cancun-Chetumal Highway. When you reach Tulum, take the Km 47 turnoff, which will take you directly to the town and the archaeological zone. An important political and commercial center, Coba was one of the most populated Mayan cities. You’ll appreciate its grandeur when you see a temple that is 25 meters (82 feet) high within the Coba Group, a cluster of urban structures. Another important structure is the Nohoch Mul, one of the highest Mayan constructions ever built, which towers 42 meters (138 feet) high.