CANCUN
Cancun, the world-famous and favorite Caribbean playground of them all,
in the 1960s was still a small fishing village on a coral-based sand bar
when developers saw the appeal of its shimmering turquoise waters and
sparkling white sand. Until then, it had remained largely untouched since
the mysterious decline of the Mayan empire in the 13th century. Today what
was once an exclusive resort for Mayan rulers is an exotic, vibrant and
modern city called “The Gateway to Mundo Maya” (Mayan World), which hosts
3 million visitors a year. Even with its well-developed tourist
infrastructure, an indigenous presence is still felt among the imposing
modern hotels, just as the echo of the conch still vibrates among the
pyramids of age-old Mayan cities.
Visitors to Cancun are often astonished to discover an international
city created by man and yet so dominated by nature. Its L-shaped hotel
zone is an island unto itself, connected to the mainland at each end only
by narrow channels over which one passes on low bridges. These channels
connect the beautiful 18-square-mile Nichupte Lagoon with the sparkling
Caribbean. On the 13-mile-long narrow island, bounded by the Lagoon on one
side and the Caribbean on the other, sit some of the most prestigious
hotels in the world, all connected by the beautiful, manicured Boulevard
Kukulcan which is lined with many parks and gardens as well.
Cancun’s beaches have strikingly white, talcum-soft sand that is always
cool to the touch. Its average temperature is 80 degrees, varying only
about five degrees year-round, and it has an average of more than 200
sunny days a year--ideal for tennis, golf, sunning, swimming, snorkeling,
parasailing, diving, boating or exploring the depths of the sea in
submarines or glass-bottomed boats. There are restaurants for every taste,
offering some of the world’s finest food—both Continental and Mexican. A
range of bars and clubs come alive at nightfall and do not close until
dawn. Visitors can also sample Mexican culture through the folkloric
ballet or sail under the stars on a cruise boat. Cancun’s modern malls
offer wonderful shopping, while Mexican craftwork can be found in the
plazas and markets.
Cancun’s proximity to breathtaking Mayan ruins, exotic wildlife and
colonial gems has made it an ideal base from which to explore numerous
remnants of the extraordinary Maya civilization that flourished more than
a thousand years ago. Nearby are the ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum and Coba.
Archeology buffs will want to visit the more distant sites of Uxmal, Labna,
Sayil and Kabah—all part of Western Yucatan’s Puuc Route, located outside
its capital city of Merida, one of several colonial towns, including
Valladolid and Izamal, which are totally worth seeing.
In Cancun, you can fulfill all your fantasies, from dancing under the
stars to walking its white sand beaches, discovering ancestral Mayan
pathways, or simply nourishing body and soul through daydreaming and
relaxation. Everything is here to support your every wish.
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