Travel

Understand [ edit ]

There are two possibles meanings of Cancun. according to the Mayan language, the first translation is "nest of snakes or pot." The second version (and less accepted) is "place of the gold snake".

Papaya tree

Resting on the northeast corner of the Mexican Caribbean, Cancun was built on a site selected as the ideal spot for a new tourist development by the Mexican federal government. The state of Quintana Roo was still a federal territory and the area had few inhabitants when construction started in 1970. It is composed of fourteen miles of pristine white beaches shaped like a number "7", home of the Mayan archaeological wonders, turquoise seas, a bountiful underwater world, and world-class vacation amenities. It is still considered the gateway to the Mayan World (El Mundo Maya ). Mayan temples and ritual sites are everywhere, some smothered by lush jungle, others easily accessible.

The Cancun hotel zone is almost entirely built around the tourist industry. It abounds with all-inclusive resort hotels. Stay there if you don't mind spending your vacation with many other tourists. Most tourists are primarily from English-speaking North America and there are also many tourists from Europe, but many tourists also come to Cancun from the rest of Mexico.

Downtown Cancun, especially once you get away from the ADO bus station and nearby hostels and hotels, is where most residents live. There are many restaurants (La Parrilla, Los Pericos, Los Arcos, El Timtnhehdon de Cancun, Va que Va; all of them are really good restaurants, and the best much cheaper than Hotel Zone, and Mexican cousin), shopping centres (Plaza Las Americas, Plaza la Isla in Hotel Zone, Plaza Outlet), markets (Mercado 28 y 23) and clubs in the downtown area that you can visit during your stay (Cocobongo, Dady'O, Palazzo, Mandala).

Those mostly seeking beaches and scuba diving, or who are a bit adventurous, can easily find rooms on equally beautiful and less crowded beaches along the coast just an hour or two south of Cancun. Some Spanish language skills may aid in finding better deals. You can rent a car, or take the bus to Puerto Morelos (about 20min) or Tulum (1h). Playa del Carmen (45min, MXN80) 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.

Weather [ edit ]

The climate in Cancun is tropical, with consistent hot and humid weather throughout the year, and very warm sea temperatures.

Late June is especially hot, so come prepared or try the off season. Hurricanes can be a major threat in late summer and autumn: Cancun Weather Forecast

Like most resort areas in the Caribbean, Cancun gets hit with a really severe hurricane every 10 to 20 years. The last really bad one was Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which obliterated many of Cancun's famous beaches. Thousands of hapless tourists spent their precious vacations jammed into hurricane shelters waiting for Wilma to pass, then waited days in the humid tropical heat (with no air conditioning) for transport home. As a result, from 2005 to 2008, most of Cancun's tourist traffic went to Cabo San Lucas (triggering a massive construction boom there) while Cancun painstakingly rebuilt its resorts and dredged the ocean to bring the white sand back to its beaches. The moral of this story is to buy really good trip insurance if your trip is scheduled during hurricane season, have a backup vacation (or staycation) plan, and cancel promptly if a hurricane is forecasted the week before your trip. Hurricane season is typically from August through October or November and can happen outside those times too.

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ]

Cancún International Airport (IATA. CUN ) is Mexico's second busiest airport and is about 10km (6 mi) from south end of the hotel strip (Zona Hotelera) and 16km (9 mi) southwest of downtown.

One of Cancun's best features is its transport links, as most major air carriers in North, Central, and South America, have services to Cancun. There are some extremely cheap charter flight deals available from the UK (from around GBP150) as well as commercial flight deals from several European carriers. International flights within Latin America are usually expensive such as those coming from Central and South America.