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. Hurricanes can be a major threat in the summer and early fall.
Peak Season: Peak season in Cancun tends to run from December to April. Prices in both airfare and hotel increase dramatically during these times, while dropping in the summer and early fall months.
Understand
Cancun itself was built on a site selected as the ideal spot for a new tourist development by the Mexican government. A story that it was chosen by a computer is not true. The state of Quintana Roo was still a territory and this area had few inhabitants when Cancun was built. The Cancun hotel zone is almost entirely built around the tourist industry. It abounds with all-inclusive resort hotels. Stay here only if you don't mind spending your vacation with many other tourists.
Downtown Cancun, especially once you get away from the ADO bus station and nearby hostels and hotels, is a real Mexican city. If you have an early flight from Cancun, staying in the downtown area is not all that bad.
Those mostly seeking beaches, scuba diving, or who are a bit adventurous can easily find rooms on equally beautiful and less crowded beaches somewhere an hour or two drive south along the coast for much less than the cost of major Cancun hotels. Some Spanish language skills may aid in finding better deals. You can rent a car, or take the bus to Puerto Morelos (about 20 minutes) or Tulum (1 hour). Playa del Carmen (45 minutes, MXN$80) is between the two, but caters to the all-inclusive crowd. Taxis are also available.
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.
Get in
By plane
One of Cancun's best features is its transport links, as most major air carriers in North America, Central America, and South America, have service to Cancun. There are some extremely cheap charter flight deals available from the UK (from around £100) as well as commercial flight deals from several European carriers.
The hardest part of the journey to Cancun (aside from your initial airport check-in) is getting from the luggage carousel to your transportation. Make sure you know who your transport is and find them on the outside, as that is where they will be! Unless you are looking for a timeshare, free meal or looking to burn time and money on your vacation don't stop to chit-chat about booking tours and such. There is plenty of time for that after you get settled in.
There are 2 companies officially licensed by Cancun Airport to provide the transfer service to the hotels in Cancun or the Riviera Maya. One is Gray Line and the other one is T.T.A. Both have a selling booth right after the Customs Service. Prices are fixed by the Airport and are not negotiable. The two companies offer shuttle service and also private transfer.
There is also a first class bus service from the airport to both the ADO bus station in Cancun and to the one in Playa del Carmen. If you are going to Puerto Morelos, you can arrange being dropped at the appropriate intersection on the way to Playa. To get to the buses, go outside the main building and turn right. Head up past the end of that building and find the appropriate bus for you.
Beware leaving Mexico without enough money. The Mexican Government charges a travel tax of around 500 pesos/46 U.S. Dollars to leave the country from the airport. Most major air carriers may already have the travel tax charged to the price of the ticket; though it is highly recommended that travelers check this before leaving to/from Cancun.
Also beware going through security too early. Food and drink prices almost double and you can't easily go back.
By car
For safety purposes, it is not recommended that visitors rent a car. Police officers may sometimes pull you over, even for a minor violation, and ask for a bribe to let you off the hook. If you are pulled over, be respectful to the police officer and don't do anything that would worsen the situation.
If you plan on parking in the nightlife area of Cancun or in downtown Cancun, it can be frustrating to find a parking spot.
A common rule of thumb for night driving is not to drive in the first place. Driving at night can be very dangerous especially in areas that are well away from the city. These areas may not be lit very well or may be completely unlit. Some of the common scenarios can be cars without their headlights on, robbery, potholes, and even jaywalkers among others.
By Bus
Traveling by bus is the most preferred way of getting around. Bus fares are cheap and come frequently. Most bus drivers are very courteous and will stop for you; even if you are not waiting at a bus stop. After paying the fare, which is on a per person basis, the driver will hand you a ticket/receipt which are usually printed with advertisements. Just so there are no surprises, do not expect buses to be filled with amenities such as air conditioning and/or seat cushions. Also, most bus drivers speak enough English just to help people visitors get around.
When you are ready to get off, you can do one of two things. On these buses there is a square button on top of the hand rail, usually yellow but can be of any color. Pushing this button will cause a light to turn on near the bus driver and create a buzzing sound. This signals the bus driver that you would like to get off at the next bus stop. The other method, if you're not sure of your destination, is to either tell the driver where you would like to get off or point to the destination using a bus map. Most bus drivers speak enough English to understand non-Spanish speakers.
As a sign of appreciation, it is a local custom to hand the ticket/receipt back to the bus driver before getting off the bus. This is seen as tipping the bus driver for getting to your destination.
Getting around
Cancun is very easy to navigate. To the South is the airport, to the North is the city and in between are all the hotels, beaches and bars. Buses head up and down the main thoroughfare (Blvd Kukulcan (from the Mayan Kukul/Bird - Can/Snake "The Feather Serpent - The Main Deity of the Mesoamericans) constantly and are cheap, but be prepared for a cramped and rough ride. Taxis are plentiful, but a bit expensive. By far, the best mode of transportation is by bus. The bus fare is cheap and getting from Point A to Point B doesn't take very long.
Be very careful if you choose to drive in Cancun. The police seem to pull tourists over at the drop of a hat. At night it looks like Christmas with all the red, blue, and yellow flashing lights. When you pick up a rental, check that all the lights work! Also when you are pulled over for a light violation do not be surprised if the police holds out an open palmed hand, while holding your drivers license hostage in the other. Most police officers are underpaid and will for the most part demand a small bribe to let you off the hook.
See
Do
Nightlife
Cancun's nightlife is unlike any other destination on Earth! For some a day in Cancun doesn't start until tasks like an 11AM breakfast, nap on the beach and siesta are arduously completed. This is your place to shine.
Make sure to check out Carlos and Charlie's, Coronaville and Coco Bongo. Don't be surprised to find yourself dancing in a conga line, laughing your cares away and speaking whatever espanol you managed to pickup. A must for the first timers, and always good fun next too. Coco Bongo's entertainment includes a show, complete with girls swinging from the ceilings.
Señor Frogs is another destination you need to add to your nightlife to do list. A restaurant by day and a dance club by night, is one of the most popular spots for vacationers to visit. The restaurant opens up for lunch serves international types of food such as pasta, chicken and pizza as well as mexican cuisine all day until midnight. A cover charge of five dollars will get you into the party after 8 pm and includes a souvenir yard glass which you can then pay to get filled with your drink of choice. One of Señor Frogs famous attractions is the water slide that leads from the club out into the lagoon, just for a little bit of fun!
For some deeper nightlife The City, O Ultra Lounge and Daddy'O are excellent. The City is a huge venue and gets top entertainers and DJs. Don't be surprised to see Vegas like shows spontaneously erupt while you are sipping your pina colada. O' Ultra Lounge is a very sleek NYC type club and can take some time getting in and out of, but has had some great acts like "Infected Mushroom" rock the crowd till the wee hours.
Buy
Eat
Taquerias
For vegetarians there is 100% Natural, which serves delicious vegetarian food (as well as chicken and fish dishes) and claims to be, as its name suggest, 100% natural. Even for non-vegetarians, this is a great restaurant with excellent prices and a nice open atmosphere. A very large dinner with a fresh fruit smoothie is about $6, and highly recommended if you want to be feeling your best for a hard night clubbing.
Restaurants
• La Cantina Jalisco is reminiscent of a traditional Mexican kitchen with coal "comales" and is decorated with various kitchen tools. Here, you can watch as tacos and snacks are prepared right in front of you. La Cantina also houses "el Tequilero", our tequila bar featuring more than 100 kinds of tequila.
• Salón Michoacán, located in the central part of the restaurant, creates an atmosphere of old world Mexico combining vibrant colors with the intoxicating sounds of Latin music.
• Patio Oaxaca offers outside patio dining in a romantic and peaceful setting. Separated from the main area by archways that form four courtyards, each with a small fountain in the center.
Paloma Bonita is open daily from 6:30PM to 11:30PM for dinner.
Drink
Do not drink the water unless your hotel has a water purification system. Most of the resorts in Cancun have purified water at all of the facilities located inside the resorts including the bars and restaurants. The upper scale restaurants usually have purified water as well, but the water outside of these areas is not safe to drink. Even if the water is safe to drink, it is highly recommended that you buy bottled water. Bottled water, depending on size, typically costs 30-50 pesos ($2.77-$4.62 USD).
The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18.
Sleep
Hotels
Cancún has a large range of 3 to 5 star hotels in the "hotel zone" and some more economical hotels in the city center.
You'll enjoy shimmering pools and fully-equipped fitness center & spa offering massage, beauty and facial services. There are four excellent restaurants, plus friendly lounges and bars, all part of your Unlimited-Luxury package.
Visit www.dreamsresorts.com for more information!
Hostels
Camping
Get out
There are bus services to the coastal ruins of Tulum (2 hrs, 60 pesos), which are literally on the water, well excavated, and framed by powder white beaches.
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. Please note that El Castillo, the pyramid structure, is closed off to climbing due to erosion.
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.
Cancún (pronounced as ) is a coastal city in Mexico's easternmost state, Quintana Roo. It is the municipal seat of Benito Juárez municipality and a world renowned tourist resort with modern beachfront hotels surrounded by Isla Mujeres ("Women Island"), the Caribbean Sea, and the Nichupte and Bojórquez lagoons. The mainland downtown commercial section (Cancún City), connected to the island by two bridges, has broad avenues lined with shops, restaurants, and hotels.
The older section of the city, which follows the original master plan, consists of neighborhoods called supermanzanas (superblocks) that are formed by the intersections of the boulevards. They are characterized by winding streets with cul-de-sacs that tend to keep out the main flow of traffic, and usually have one or more parks and other green spaces.
In order to save on the cost of installing sewage systems and other public services, the design of much of the rest of the city reverted to the grid plan after Hurricane Gilbert (1988). The newest upper-middle-class residential areas reflect the original plan, but are much less initimate. Less expensive developments are comprised almost entirely of identical one- or two-story small row houses, sometimes built around interior plazas. Almost all buildings on the mainland are under four stories high.
History
Development of Cancún started in 1970 and was established as a city in 1972. It grew rapidly in the 1980s. According to American journalist Jules Siegel, who has lived in Cancún since 1983, the original master plan was repeatedly modified and, on the mainland, often ignored. He reports that despite initial skepticism that forced the Mexican government to finance the first eight hotels, Cancún soon attracted investors from all over the world. Approximately 70% of the Hotel Zone properties are owned by Mexicans — many of them local residents — but the figure is close to 100% for the mainland, he says. Hotel operating companies are international companies that supply administration and marketing services and these companies do not usually own the hotels themselves, Siegel explains. Even outlets of restaurant chains such as McDonald's and Domino's Pizza are Mexican-owned, he says.
The city has grown rapidly over the past thirty years to become a city of approximately 600,000 residents, covering the former island and the nearby mainland. Most 'cancunenses' here are from Yucatán and other Mexican states. A growing number are from the rest of America and Europe, according to Siegel, who was the translator of Fernando Martí's "Cancun, Fantasy of Bankers." He says that municipal authorities have struggled to provide public services for the constant influx of people, as well as to control squatters and irregular developments, which now occupy an estimated ten to fifteen percent of the mainland area on the fringes of the city. Siegel goes into more detail about common misconceptions concerning Cancun in a three-part article Cancun Bashing Is in Season, a brief portion of which was published in The Nation on October 20, 2003 as a letter in response to what he considered an inaccurate report by journalist Marc Cooper.
The city Cancún and its flourishing tourism industry were heavily damaged by Hurricane Wilma, which hit the area on October 22, 2005. As of January 31, 2007, the resort is almost completely repaired and operating normally, although minor pockets of damage still remain.
Tourism in Cancún
There are about 140 hotels in Cancún with 24,000 rooms and 380 restaurants. Four million visitors arrive each year in an average of 190 flights daily. The Hotel Zone of Cancun is shaped like a backwards 7 with bridges on each end connecting to the mainland. Hotels on the vertical or long side of the 7 tend to have rougher beaches and beach erosion can be a problem. Resorts on the horizontal or short end of the seven tend to have more gentle surf because the waves here are blocked by the island of Isla Mujeres which lies just off shore. The Hotel Zone offers a broad range of accommodations, ranging from relatively inexpensive motel-style facilities in the older section closest to the mainland, to high-priced luxury hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton in the later sections. Many of the hotels are time-share condominiums with kitchen facilities. Some all inclusive hotels where all meals, drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic, hotel activities, entertainment, non motorized water sports, tips and taxes are included in the price of the hotel rooms. There are also upscale private residences and lavish condominiums for rent that cater to the rich and famous. Restaurants, bars and shops in the hotel zone tend to be rather expensive compared with the downtown area and other Mexican resorts. Here travelers will find many recongnized theme restaurants and clubs. Although the Hotel Zone is frequently described as "posh" or "exclusive" the main Cancún tourism market is middle- and upper-middle-class, according to government statistics, which also report that more than 37% of Cancún visitors are Mexican.
On the opposite side of the island from the Caribbean Sea is the Nichupte Lagoon, which is used for boating excursions and jet-ski jungle tours.
Downtown is home to less expensive places to shop, including supermarkets such as Walmart, Comercial Mexicana and Soriana, not to mention several flea markets like the one in the Hotel Zone.
Restaurants
Three of the most popular restaurants to dine at while at your stay in Cancún, Mexico are Ok Maquey Cantina and Cocina Grill, Splash Restaurant, and Zandunga Cantina Beach and Mexican Grill. Each offering a variety of traditional Mexican cuisine, beef, and seafood alone with exceptional service.
Nightlife
Downtown Cancún offers a more cultural aspect, there are cuban/salsa type bars/restaurants. There are also many clubs for all types of people, but the hotels are more accessible to all types of travellers, including some with lower rates. International brands in Downtown area include Radisson Hacienda Cancún, Best Western Plaza Caribe, Oasis America.
Weather
The temperature of the city is warm, moderated by the marine breeze which circulates through its avenues. The temperatures are typically between 26°C and 36°C (78.8°F and 96.8°F) all year round. All hotel rooms in the Hotel Zone and most on the mainland are air conditioned. Weather is highly variable. During winter nortes (northerly storms) temperature drops sharply. In the course of a single day, the weather can turn from bright sunshine to dark and stormy and back again. It's not uncommon to look out one window and see sunshine, while rain is falling on the opposite side. Sun showers and rainbows are frequent throughout the year, but especially during the summer rainy season.
Ancient Mayan ruins
There are some (relatively) small ruins of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Cancún. Ruinas del Rey is located in the Hotel Zone. El Meco, a more substantial site, is found on the mainland just outside the city limits on the road to Punta Sam.
Colleges and Universities
Although Cancun is better known as a travel and tourism destination, in recent years some colleges and universities have been offering higher educations to both Mexican and foreign students.
The first higher education institution established in the area was the Instituto Tecnológico de Cancún. Some other followed such as Universidad La Salle Cancún, Universidad Anahuac Cancún, Universidad Tecnológica de Cancún, Universidad del Caribe, and more recently the Universidad Interamericana para el Desarrollo and the Tec Milenium.
Hurricane Wilma
On October 21, 2005, Hurricane Wilma made landfall on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, with strong winds in excess of 150 mph. The hurricane's eye first passed over the island of Cozumel, and then made an official landfall near Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo at around midnight on October 22 EDT with winds near 140 mph. Portions of the island of Cozumel experienced the calm eye of Wilma for several hours with some blue skies and sunshine visible at times. The eye slowly drifted northward, with the center passing just to the west of Cancún, Quintana Roo. Some portions of the Yucatán Peninsula experienced hurricane force winds for well over 24 hours. The hurricane began accelerating in the early morning hours of October 23, exiting the northeastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula and entering the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 storm.
Wilma made several landfalls, with the most destructive effects felt in the Yucatán Peninsula, particularly in Cancún. At least three deaths have been reported, numerous people have disappeared, and the insured damage is estimated at between US$5 and US$8 billion. The devastation was almost total with many of the principal roadways from the Hotel Zone completely flooded and damaged. It has been estimated that 95% of the tourism infrastructure was seriously damaged. Once the storm left the peninsula, some of the beautiful beaches of Cancún had been washed away. Thousands of local and foreign tourists were hosted in improvised refuges. All airport and harbor operations were cancelled between October 21 to the 25 due to the worst weather conditions.
It is estimated that after Wilma left Cancún, the local tourism industry lost over US $15 million daily. Many houses were devastated, and many jobs were lost. However, thanks to the aid and support of local and state governments, the federal government, the Red Cross, and civic associations, reconstruction has been possible. There was an exhaustive campaign by the media that featured public figures, including Mexico's President Vicente Fox, actors and musicians to aid people who suffered.
Recovery from Hurricane Wilma
When Hurricane Wilma finally passed, an 8-mile stretch of Cancun's beach was almost washed away, exposing a line of jagged rocks. Cancun's recovery from the storm, however, has been noteworthy, so much so that the United Nations World Tourism Organization has declared it a model to emulate in future disasters.
The Mexican government paid US$24-million to the Belgian firm Jan de Nul to vacuum up offshore sand roughly 20 miles off the coast of Cancún and pump it back to resort-front beaches. The result of the completed beach restoration is that Cancún's beach front is now roughly twice as wide as it was before the storm (going from roughly 70 feet wide to the present-day 140 feet). Beach erosion remains a serious problem despite the restoration. Some stretches have lost approximately 30 feet of sand. A few very problematical areas are now back to about 30 feet or less. The new sand is much coarser and somewhat darker than the powdery white original Cancun beaches.
Roughly $2.3-billion in insurance claims were filed in the aftermath of Wilma, but many hotel and resort owners took the opportunity to upgrade the quality of their rebuilt properties and add more condos to the mix of accommodations. As of early 2006, about 10 percent of Cancún's hotels were still having work done, with the last scheduled to be finished by the end of 2007.
