Cancún, Mexico
Introduction
Situated on the Yucutan Peninsula of Mexico, Cancún is a holiday city like no other. Warm, white powdery sand beaches and turquoise crystal clear waters together with the famous Mexican hospitality make this the ultimate holiday destination. You will enjoy the incredible watersports, excellent food, superb shopping and delectable food while relaxing in one of the most beautiful places on earth. If you’d like to do surfing, kayaking, fishing, sailing or parasailing, rest assured you will be able to rent everything you need. For watersports enthusiasts, Cancún offers some of the best scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing in the world, owing to the Great Mesoamerican Reef – second in size to the Great Barrier Reef. Should you want to take home a trophy fish, there are professional sportfishing charters to get you out there to make sure the big one doesn’t get away.
Things To Do
- Wet ‘n Wild Waterpark is great family entertainment with slides, snorkeling and lots of dolphins.
- Go-Karts Cancun is perfect for children and adults who like driving fast cars.
- Go to Isla Mujeres – the bay is calm and perfect for boat trips and swimming with dolphins.
- Parque Nizuc offers dolphin swims, water slides, rides and you can even go snorkeling with tropical fish, rays and tame sharks.
- Aquaworld offers scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and even jungle tours on 2-seater boats.
- Visit Xcaret, an “eco-archaeological theme park, to see the amazing local flora and fauna as well as learn about the history and culture of the ancient Mayans. There is a wild bird breeding aviary, a nursery for tiny sea turtles and an aquarium. There are authentic ruins for exploring as well. After the sun goes down, the park offers a performance of Mexican dance, music and drama.
- See a real bullfight complete with matadors as well as performances with dancers in colourful costumes, and fabulous music before the show.
- Go horse-riding on the beach at Rancho Loma Bonita.
Shopping
Duty free are the two most important words to remember when it comes to shopping in Cancún. You can visit handicrafts markets to buy handmade Mexican items and, because of the rich cultural diversity of this region of Mexico, you can find all kinds of unique items such as high-quality woodcrafts, jewellery, Mexican handcrafts, pottery and clothing as you stroll through the markets or street stalls. For some real first-world shopping, go to super modern shopping malls where you’ll find an impressive array of imported goods and brand names including European jewellery, perfume and cosmetics.
Dining
If you want to go to a different restaurant every night of your holiday you will need six months in Cancún as there are over 200 restaurants. There is a varied choice of cuisine – everything from traditional Mexican restaurants to ultra-chic bistros. You will find something to suit all tastes and budgets and will get fantastic service with a smile wherever you go.
Culture
Cancún’s Mayan Culture is its crowning glory. The aura of mystery and majesty still lingers around the Mayan ruins and archaeological sites. Just south of Cancun, surrounded by the Hilton Cancun golf course is Ruinas del Rey. You’ll find Yamil Lu’um in the gardens of the Sheraton Hotel and Pok ta Pok is an isolated temple nestled amongst the fairways of Golf Cancun. The bigger, more impressive ruins at Tulum, Cobá, or Chichén Itzá are really worthwhile day trips from Cancun. Museo de Arte and Museo del INAH are two art museums that offer a rotating collection of Mexican and foreign exhibits.
Nightlife
Downtown Cancún is the place to go with numerous bars and nightclubs that pulse to the beat of everything from salsa and cumbia to club mixes and disco. But it’s not all neon and strobe lights, there are jazz or piano bars, as well as those with traditional mariachi music. Alternatively head to Cancun’s Hotel Zone which is renowned for some of the biggest and best nightclubs in the world.
