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Cancun |
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Resorts |
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Quick Facts |
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Shopping |
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Dining |
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Nightlife |
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Activities & Attractions |
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Destination
Weddings |
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Cancun is divided
into two distinct areas. The first area is an island known as the hotel
zone. The island is in the shape of a number 7 connected to the mainland by
two bridges, north and south. In the interior is the Nichupte Lagoon. The
outer banks of the island face the beautiful Caribbean Sea. The second area
of Cancun is a modern city full of shops, restaurants and entertainment.
In the 1970’s Cancun became an exclusive tourist destination after the
construction of the first hotels. The government chose Cancun in the 1960’s
as an optimal place to develop by using complex computer analysis of such
factors as climate, beach availability, culture, natural treasures,
proximity to major markets and fabulousness. It seemed to be an unlikely
choice, due to its distance from Mexico City and Merida and the fact that
there were no roads or infrastructure of any type.
Cancun is now the heart of the emerging Mexican Caribbean, which now
stretches beyond Tulum 75 miles to the south. With the help of Cancun and
its neighbors, the Riviera Maya and Cozumel, Mexico is on the top ten list
of most visited countries worldwide. The state of Quintana Roo, within which
Cancun is located, is the largest source of foreign currency for the entire
country earning 9% of Mexico’s gross national product. Of Mexico’s 20
million annual visitors, 11 million came to Quintana Roo, 3 million of which
were from cruise ships and 3.4 million to Cancun alone.
Discover why Cancun has grown in popularity and has now surpasses the
Bahamas and Puerto Rico as the Caribbean’s main tourist resort.
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 Cancun has
recovered splendidly from a bad 2005 hurricane season. All but one resort
had to close due to damage, so the overwhelming majority of the resorts have
been extensively renovated over the last two years. A few were even imploded
and rebuilt from scratch. Many new resorts emerged among familiar friends.
Cancun’s resorts range from 5-star elegance to budget, family-friendly to
adult-only, and all-inclusive to a la carte. There is something for everyone
here.
VIEW THE RESORTS
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Cancun’s exciting draw cannot be
diluted to a list of numbers. Here are some interesting digits:
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Location: |
Northeastern tip of
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
In the state of Quintana Roo |
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Population: |
800,000 and growing
(only Playa del
Carmen is growing faster) |
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Annual visitors: |
3.4 million and
growing |
| Currency: |
Mexican Peso. U.S. currency is widely
accepted as well as all major credit cards. |
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Days over 80
degrees Fahrenheit: |
330 |
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Annual Days of Rainfall: |
58 |
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Driest months: |
February to April |
| Wettest
months: |
June, September and October |
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Average temperature: |
Lower 70’s to Upper 80’s Fahrenheit
year round
(20 to 32 Centigrade) |
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Number of hotel rooms: |
27,000 + |
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Number of restaurants: |
180 + |
| Number of
clubs: |
Just try to count them: Hundreds.
The
Travel Channel asserts more than 500 |
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Bank hours: |
8 AM to 4 PM
weekdays |
| Money
exchange hours: |
10 AM to 1 PM, which a few exceptions
in hotel zone |
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High season: |
January to April |
| Low
season |
June to November |
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 You will want
to take something home with you to remember your time in Cancun. Many fine
shops, both local and international are home in Cancun. The enormous
selections range from funky boutiques to state-of-the-art shopping centers,
from Mexican markets to air-conditioned malls.
| Downtown
Markets
with distinctive Mexican atmosphere. In many of the markets,
shoppers will bargain with the shopkeepers for price. Don’t be shy:
This is your chance to shop alongside many locals. Visitors will
find many fun shops and restaurants along Yaxchilan Avenue and Tulum
Avenue, Cancun’s main downtown street. |
Plaza
Bonita – features Mexican colonial architecture resembling a small
town with corridors, gardens, kiosk and even a town square. Many locals
shop here.
Ki-Huic – (pronounced Key Wick) open-air flea market with 100
shops is the city’s oldest.
Mercado 28 – one of Cancun’s largest open-air markets with local
shops featuring Mexican wares.
Plaza las Americas – nice downtown mall with indoor and outdoor
parking. Boasts large department stores like Sears and Liverpool, small
boutiques, supermarket, large food court and many restaurants, two movie
theaters with 18 screens between them. The Mambo Café Salsa Club is
located here.
Plaza las Avenidas – has many fast food restaurants, a drugstore,
Hallmark shop GNC and a bakery.
| The Hotel
Zone has
quite a collection of shopping, eating and entertainment venues.
5-star shopping and dining or fast food and t-shirt shops: It is all
here. So are many of the Cancun’s hottest clubs. |
Mercado Coral Negro – open-air flea market in hotel zone across from
Forum by the Sea
 Kukulcan Plaza – Cancun’s most exclusive shopping mall near
several of the 5-star hotels. Shops include Luis Vuitton, Mont Blanc,
Hugo Boss, Harley-Davidson, Cartier and many others.
Forum by the Sea – across from the Cancun Convention Center with
over 80 stores and restaurants located on the ocean is adjacent and
anchors Cancun’s nightlife district. Coco Bongo is home here as is Hard
Rock Café, Carlos and Charlies, and the Rainforest Café, plus a beach
club and boutique shops selling everything from jewelry to clothes and
electronics.
Plaza Caracol – in the heart of the hotel zone has 200 outlets,
entertainment venues and some of Cancun’s favorite restaurants. Stores
include Benetton, Ultrafemme, Jean Piere and many more.
Plaza La Isla – one of Cancun’s newest mall and entertainment
centers with 150 shops among stunning architecture featuring a river and
Cancun’s Interactive Aquarium. Other shops include Guess, Nine West,
Tommy Hilfiger, Bvlgari and DKNY.
LuxuryAvenue – a duty-free boutique mall spread out over 6,000
square meters, where each vendor presents its brand’s unique style in
its own small space. Brands include Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo,
Swarovski, Louis Vuitton and Cartier.
Flamingo Plaza – single floor shopping mall with 100 outlets and
restaurants like Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Planet Hollywood and
Outback Steakhouse.
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 Your vacation should not stop when
you are finished swimming, touring and playing. Eating out in Cancun will
extend the pleasures of the day into the evening with over 180 diverse
restaurants from which to choose. The world has come to Cancun and evidently
started cooking as evidenced in the many international menus and chains.
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Many fine Mexican restaurants are located in downtown Cancun and in the
hotel zone as well. Downtown there are a couple of legendary fine dining
establishments such as El Mexicano in its 19th century-style hacienda and La
Habichuela, which has been a favorite since 1988. There are upscale dining
experiences and local cantina restaurants with a uniquely Mexican ambiance
in the streets surrounding Avenida Tulum, Parque de las Palapas and Mercado
28.
In the hotel zone authentic Mexican cuisine is also served up in restaurants
located in La Isla and El Embarcadero. Also in the hotel zone: Carlos’N
Charlie’s, Senor Frogs and El Shrimp Bucket.
Yucatan cooking which is a mixture of the Mayan and European traditions is
some of Mexico’s finest. It would be a shame to visit the region where this
rich heritage lives on and not get a taste of it. |
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Some of the many American chain restaurants in Cancun include Ruth’s Chris
Steakhouse, Hard Rock Café, T.G.I.Friday’s, Planet Hollywood, Outback
Steakhouse, Pat O’Brien’s, and the Rainforest Café. Fast food is also
represented with the world’s largest McDonald’s and also Johnny Rockets,
Burger King, KFC, Subway and pizza parlors like Domino’s, Papa John’s and
Pizza Hut. |
Fresh Seafood, Cajun, Italian, Sushi, Thai, Pan-Asian, Caribbean,
Multi-Ethnic, Brazilian and many other world palates are represented in
Cancun’s endless dining choices. |
There are several dinner cruises from which to enjoy the lights of Cancun
from the water. One leaves the dock for a daily lobster cruise. Two others
sail to Isla Mujeres where a lavish buffet feast awaits. There is even a
paddlewheel boat which tours the lagoon for a nostalgic leisurely dinner
cruise. |
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 The entertainment possibilities are much broader than most people realize:
live salsa and jazz clubs, multi-million dollar dance clubs, Mexican folk
ballet in beautiful new theaters, presentations in Xcaret Park with casts of
hundreds, ancient games and rituals, first run movies in Spanish and
English. If you are bored in Cancun, it’s your own fault.
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This internationally renowned ballet performs in various venues around
Cancun and the region. Their productions feature lavish sets and costumes
and traditional dances. Many dinner shows have sprung up that include ballet
folkloric shows such as Teatro Cancun and the two theaters of Xcaret one of
which holds 6,000 diners and features 250 musicians, athletes and
performers. |
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The traditional Mexican local bar has a 100-year history. The first cantinas
were crude bars located next to the liquor store. The name refers to the
opening between the store and the sitting area. Much has changed over the
years as cantinas have adapted to modern life, but some things remain the
same. Most of Cancun’s cantinas serve local food in a quaint setting and are
scattered in the neighborhood surrounding Cancun’s bullring. They are most
lively after the bullfights on Wednesday afternoons. |
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 Roots Jazz Club was Cancun’s only Jazz club for 15 years. It is the main
spot for local and international artists to meet in Cancun. They serve up
great food, great music and also provide a venue for local painters to
display their talents. Jazz lovers will also enjoy the Havana Club in the
hotel zone. Both of these unique clubs feature a soothing blend of Latin,
Cuban and jazz vibrations. |
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Most of the dance clubs open at 10 PM, but don’t get really going with
intensity until 1 AM. The variety is overwhelming. The choices rival those
of any major city in the world.
Latin America’s number
one rated club is Coco Bongo with a capacity of 1,800 with
multilevel floors and fifty performers on stage including acrobats
and light shows to dazzle you. Music will feature music from 70’s,
80’s , 90’s, trance, dance, hip hop and rave.
Other discos include Daddy’O and La Boom. If you tend more to rock
and roll, there is Daddy Rock, Bulldog, Tequila Boon and, of course,
the Hard Rock Café. Ask around, new clubs spring up from time to
time and locals will know what is current and hot. |
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Five movie theaters with multiple screens are scattered among various
shopping areas including downtown, Plaza las Americas, La Isla and Plaza
Kulkulcan. Their movies will include American films in English as well as
Spanish. The newest theater Cinepolis VIP downtown offers a full menu that
includes sushi, crepes and bar service brought to your seat by waiters. The
Cinemark at La Isla shows art films as well as mainstream movies. |
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You cannot be bored in Cancun.
There is simply too much to do. Here is a short list:
Aquarium
The new interactive aquarium
at La Isla shopping center is already a favorite destination.
Museums
The Museo Arqueologico de
Cancun located next to the Convention Center and the Museo de Arte
Popular Mexicano at the Embarcadero are located in the heart of
Cancun’s tourist zone.
Wet N Wild
Water park with slides, pools,
beach and swimming with the dolphins.
Water sports
The dock in Cancun is the
springboard for ferries to Ilsa Mujeres and Contoy where you can
snorkel, dive, swim with the dolphins or just chill. The pier is also
home to sport fishing charters, dinner cruises, catamaran trips and
booze cruises. Many outfits offering parasailing and jet skis for rent
can be found along the beach. Water skiing is available in the lagoon.
OTHER
AREA ATTRACTIONS
Tours to Mayan cities, Cave Diving, Eco-Parks and much more is within a
short drive. For more information about area activities and attractions
such as Chichen Itza, Xcaret and Tulum
click
here.
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