Cancun

From Imakoopedia

Cancun (Spanish: Cancún) is a planned tourist city on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It is a popular vacation spot on the Caribbean coast. There is much to do in the city, and if you're willing to take an hour or two bus trip, there is more to explore than you could possibly fit into a single vacation.

One word of warning, late June is especially hot, so come prepared or try the off season.

Table of contents

1 Understand 2 See 3 Do 4 Buy 5 Get out 5.1 Trips from Cancun

Understand

Cancun itself was built on a site selected by computer (yes, really) as the ideal spot for a new tourist development, by the Mexican government. The state of Quintana Roo was still a territory and this area had few inhabitants when Cancun was built. Cancun and the surrounding area is almost entirely built around tourist industry. It abounds with tacky, overpriced all-inclusive resort hotels.

Stay here if you wish to spend your vacation with other tourists and minimize your contact with any of the Yucatan's local culture.

Those mostly seeking beach, scuba, or diving who are a bit adventurous and rent a vehicle can easily find rooms on equally beautiful and less crowded beaches somewhere and hour or two drive south along the coast for 1/10th the cost of major Cancun hotels; those able to communicate in a bit of basic Spanish may find even better deals.

Those looking for a base of operations who want good or luxury hotels and the advantages of urban life but prefer more local flavor may wish to stay in the Yucatan's main city of Mérida; many international flights in to Cancun continue on after a stop to Mérida's international airport.

See

• Xcaret. A nice nature preserve park with some good swimming / snorkeling opportunities. One of the highlights of this location is Xcaret de Noche (Xcaret at Night) a wonderfully produced song and dance show detailing the history of Mexico. http://www.xcaretcancun.com/

Do

• The Ocean and Beaches. For the more advanced swimmers, the edge of the open ocean can make for a challenging and fun swimming experience. For less advanced swimmers, or those with little ones, pick a resort facing into the bay for a gentle and relaxing aquatic experience. The sand found here is ground up coral and doesn't get hot like you might expect.

Buy

• The markets. Bring you haggling skills and get ready for a vast shopping experience in any of the city markets. Great buys can be found, but you need the nerve to get the price right.

Get out

The best feature of the city is undoubtedly its transport links, with extremely cheap charter flight deals available to the UK (from around £100) and elsewhere, including the USA and Cuba.

Trips from Cancun

There is luxurious first class bus services to the pleasant small ruins of Tulum (2 hrs, 60 pesos).

The large ruins of Chichen Itza are often visited on a day trip from Cancun, but are rather distant and only a small portion of the site and attractions can be seen this way. If you find the ancient Maya of interest, spend a night at one of the hotels at Chichen so you needn't have a rushed incomplete visit.

The ruins of Tulum are another relatively nearby extraction. They are similar to Chichen Itza but are built beside a beautiful beach. Unlike Chichen Itza, you are not allowed to go inside or climb on the pyramids. Of the two sites, most people tend to prefer Chichen Itza.

Distant places include Palenque (14hrs approx, 450 pesos) and San Cristobal de las Casas (a nasty 17hrs, 500 pesos, well worth the journey); these are better visited using somewhere else much closer as a base.