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| Ranking Among Int'l Cities/Regions: #8 |
| Venturers: 9 |
| Mid-Venturers: 8 |
| Centrics-Venturers: 8 |
| Centrics-Authentics: 7 |
| Mid-Authentics: 8 |
| Authentics: 10 |
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| • Cancun originated as a Mayan name meaning serpents’ nest. |
| • The resort opened for business in 1972. |
| • Cancun boasts the world’s second-largest barrier reef. |
| • The City, Latin America’s largest discotheque, accommodates 5,000. |
| • The Manatee Sanctuary has world’s largest population of manatees (200). |
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It’s as if some deity of leisure travel pointed a finger at the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and decreed, “Thou shalt build here the perfect sun ‘n fun destination for vacationers.”
In the 1970s, mortals did in fact build Cancun on a small island abutting the mainland, and the people came. It’s probably the most popular destination in Mexico. The colors of Cancun contribute visual delights of white, white sand, green-to-turquoise translucent waters, lavender sunsets, buildings of white and pastels, plus inland jungle greens forming a backdrop for ruins of brown, slate and amber. The weather is semi-tropical, ideal for any kind of water activity, for lounging on the beach or sipping a drink on the balcony of your hotel or timeshare. Visitors often describe Cancun as an almost American town that happens to be in Mexico. And the resort city wants to attract American tourism and to make visitors feel at home.
The combination of beautiful scenery, a wide range of lodging and dining experiences, and excellent service has worked so well that the red flag of overdevelopment has now become a local issue and potential problem for city government.
Cancun offers a range of options for the very active traveler and for those with special interests, such as archaeology. Water sports like fishing and diving can be as strenuous as your personality and circumstances decree. And the Mayan civilization bequeathed its history to Mexico in the form of ruins and artifacts that are on display in museums or in situ on the peninsula. Those who bemoan the loss or pollution of natural areas can involve themselves in saving them, or saving threatened wildlife such as sea turtles or some bird species. Although scores for all three personality groups are strong, venturers tend to see Cancun as a jumping-off point to explore the rest of the Yucatan, or as a base for adventures like deep-sea fishing or investigating coral reefs and marine life in scuba gear. Cancun itself is a little too Americanized for venturers’ tastes, but foreign enough in flavor to please centrics and authentics who are happy to cruise the surrounding islands, swim and snorkel, enjoy varied meals and conduct more limited forays to Mayan ruins. Travelers see Cancun as good value for the money, and find that locals make them feel welcome. |
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Go windsurfing. If it is new to you, take lessons.
Nightlife in Cancun means discos, and the action starts late. Most places open at 9 p.m., and things really start to swing after 10. Reggae is also popular. Check with your hotel or guide for suggestions as to what places are “in” when you go.
Try Tyrolean traverse (which involves sliding over rivers and trees aided by a strong rope) or climbing stone columns or vertical walls (such as the 180-foot Cenote Cocodrilo Dorado). Alternatively, try bungee jumping into the turquoise sea.
Descend into caves and sacred pools, as in Aktun Chen; at the end of this cave is a pool that is approximately 40 feet deep.
Take your nature excursion by bicycle. More ambitiously, take a multiday cycling journey along the Yucatan’s Mayan route.
Take a jungle tour by canoe or kayak.
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Choose one of the several daily cruise tours to see the nearby islands. Warning: cruise operators usually exclude children from cruises where they serve alcohol
Get up close to the Cancun barrier reef and its marine life: Go snorkeling or diving. You can snorkel with whale sharks.
Arrange horseback tours to the interior and to the archaeological sites.
You may see some of the following on nature excursions: white-tailed deer, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi, collard peccary and the Jabiru stork. Also, there are 300 swamp crocodiles at Crococun Crocodile Park and Regional Zoo a few miles outside Cancun.
From a proper distance, watch sea turtles lay their eggs in the same places used by their ancestors for thousands of years.
Head north of Cancun a short distance, and fish for marlin, barracuda and other fish.
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Visit one or more of the archaeological sites. The easiest to get to (but not the best) is El Rey, which is right in Cancun.
Visit the Museo de Antropologia e Historia which houses skeletons, sculptures and other artifacts.
Go shopping (returning visitors often say it’s great), but be aware that Cancun is not one of Mexico’s bargain areas. Local crafts are best sought away from the main hotel area, and shoppers should bargain carefully and be discriminating.
Play golf. You’ve got 253 days of sunshine each year.
You may want to consider buying a timeshare. As a popular place, you can exchange it easily for other destinations on future trips.
Attend a dinner that includes a folkloric show.
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For more information, consult the Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.cancun.info
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