Cancún (map) is a popular Caribbean tourist destination on the northeast tip of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, which also is called the Mexican Caribbean.

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.

Peak season in Cancún tends to run from December to April. Airfare and hotel prices increase dramatically during these times, while dropping in the (northern hemisphere) summer and early autumn months.

Cancun consists of two very distinct and separated areas. One of these is the Hotel Zone (map), entirely built around the tourist industry. It abounds with all-inclusive mega hotels with stunning Caribbean beaches. Stay here only if you don’t mind spending your vacation with many other tourists.

Downtown Cancún in contrast is a pure Mexican city, though it has very wide roads designed for cars, no real center to speak of, and is overall quite unremarkable, given its lack of any history before the 1970s. Do not expect to see Mexican historical culture here.

Unfortunately, the downtown area also has no beach access. Due to this, Cancun is very much a tourist town, with tourists and the beautiful beaches completely separated from real Cancunians. If you find this setup unappealing, you should probably skip Cancun altogether and go to *Playa del Carmen (map) or Puerto Vallarta instead, where locals and the beaches are in the same area.

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 *Isla Mujeres (map) for a gentle and relaxing aquatic experience. Be aware that the island becomes extremely hot during day and there are few, if any opportunities to cool off.

Xcaret (ecopark, map). Xcaret is an eco-archaeological park located about 76 km (46 mi) south of Cancún and less than 7 km (4 mi) south of Playa del Carmen, in the Riviera Maya. In its facilities you can find an archaeological site, snorkeling in underground rivers, beach, butterfly pavilion, orchid greenhouse, regional fauna breeding farm, Mayan village, jaguar island, among others.

Market 28 (map). This is the local market in downtown Cancún. Great shopping for souvenirs. It also has some great Mexican outdoor restaurants.

La Isla Cancún Shopping Village (map). Shopping mall in the hotel zone.

Timeshare and condos are a big business all over Yucatan, especially Cancún. “Tourist information” is another word for sales representative. If someone is offering you an “free” tour to anyplace or at a discount this means a 90-minute or longer presentation about condos and time-shares.

ADO is the main long distance inter-city bus carrier in the Yucatan Peninsula.

+ AutoCar S.A. de CV / RutaDirecta.com

BUS: mexicoautobuses.com • ClickBus. If traveling by bus, be sure to take the express (first class) buses (directo, sin escalas, primera clase), if available ⇒ ADO, Primera Plus, and ETN.

TRAIN: Amtrak (San Diego, Yuma, Del Rio и El Paso). The only available passenger train is the Chihuahua al Pacific Railway (CHEPE) operated by Ferromex between Los Mochis and the city of Chihuahua, through the Copper Canyon.

AIRPORT: aeropuertosgap.com.mx – operates 12 airports in the Pacific region of Mexico.

FERRY: Baja Ferries – Provides ferry services between Baja California and the mainland (La Paz ⇔ Topolobampo). Ultramar – Offers ferry services to popular destinations like Cozumel and Isla Mujeres. Ferries Mexico – Offers information on ferry services in Mexico, including routes, schedules, and fares.

Cancun is located in the northeast on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico and borders the Caribbean Sea. It is known for its white sand beaches, turquoise sea, numerous resorts, and nightlife. In this video we’ll show you the top 10 things to do in and around Cancun.

⇒ video source: World Wild Hearts / youtube.com /

A foreign national wishing to enter Mexico must obtain a visa unless they are a citizen of one of the 68 eligible visa-exempt countries.

Chichén Itzá is the largest of the archaeological cities of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.

The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pray for and to remember friends and family members who have died.