Cancun City Guide

Cancún is perhaps one of the most popular vacation destinations in Mexico. This gorgeous coastal city is located on the eastern most tip of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Cancún is actually situated on the Yucatan Channel that separates Cuba and Mexico.

History of Cancún can be traced back to the time of the Mayan civilization, which existed more than a thousand years ago. The area comprising Cancún today was once a deserted jungle, which was overrun by dense jungles, mangroves and marshes and was called ‘Ekab’ or Black Earth though it was rechristened by the Mayans as Cancún or Kankan, which translates as a ‘nest of snakes’ or ‘pot of snakes.’

The Mayan civilization in Cancún continued to prosper and grow until the Europeans (the Spaniards) arrived here in 1519. The arrival of the Europeans triggered the decline of the Mayan civilization. The first colonial settlement was then established at Xel-Ha but population growth was hampered for several years due to frequent pirate attacks and the problems caused by the dense jungle terrain. As a result, Cancún remained a relatively unknown destination until the late 1960’s, when the Mexican government undertook several development initiatives to promote this stunning region as a tourist destination.

Cancún was officially established as city in 1974 and this resort city with its miles of pristine beaches, surrounded by crystalline seas, quickly became a celebrated tourist destination especially popular with American tourists who arrive here in droves during the annual spring break vacation in April. The city of Cancún today is a bustling tropical Eden and has much to offer for all types of vacationers: historic buildings, ancient sites, museums, beaches, shopping centers, nature reserves, nightclubs and bars.

Cancun like most beach resort destinations is equipped with a wide assortment of hotels that include luxury hotels, spa hotels, resort hotels, discount hotels and budget accommodation. The last mentioned category consists largely of all-inclusive resort hotels and beach communities, which are immensely popular with package tourists especially families looking to have nice vacations in Cancun.

Since Cancun was specifically built for tourism, it has a rather unique layout and most of the hotels in Cancun, including the many luxury hotels in Cancun are located within its Zona Hotelera or Hotel Zone, which is located on a narrow peninsula that has the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Laguna Nichupte on the other.

This hotel zone is connected by bridges to the mainland and besides hotels; it is populated by nightclubs, shopping malls, entertainment complexes and restaurants of all types. Most visitors on trips to Cancun choose to stay at the many diverse hotels located within this zone as it is relatively safe and has a distinct international feel.

Outside the hotel zone is the city’s EL Centro or downtown, which is home to much of the local population; though it also offers a decent selection of dining and shopping opportunities.

Yet another prominent neighborhood of Cancun is the district of Punta Sam, which is located north of the main city. Punta Sam is a beachfront suburb less commercial than the other districts of Cancún and it can be reached via a twenty minute cab ride from El Centro.

Cancún is world famous for its many miles of white sand beaches; all of which are touched by the clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. In Cancún, the beaches seem to go on forever and if you are a beach lover then vacations to Cancún will perhaps fulfill your vision of paradise.

Many of Cancún beaches offer a number of water sport activities like parasailing, banana boat riding, jet skiing, snorkeling and wave running. Some of the most popular beaches in Cancún are Playa Langosta, Playa Caracol, Playa Tortugas and Playa Ballenas.

If scuba diving is your passion, you may want to head out to the neighboring islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres; both of which are ringed with excellent coral reefs and provide great opportunities for diving and snorkeling. Several local tour companies offer scuba diving tours to these islands from Cancún. They also offer regular tours, which are conducted in glass bottomed boats for those tourists who don’t wish to get wet but yet want a chance to observe the fascinating marine life of these islands.

Additionally, Isla Mujeres is home to the Garrafon Natural Reef Park, which offers a wide variety of aquatic recreational facilities like snorkeling, kayaking, swimming with dolphins along with various other attractions like a dolphinarium, a hammock garden, zip lines and a seaside trail. The park also hosts the attraction of the Punta Sur cliff, which offers a sculpture garden and a Mayan temple.

For the nature lovers in your party, vacations to Cancún take you to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The reserve is located near the Mayan Ruins of Tulum and offers a wide variety of indigenous flora and fauna as well as twenty- three ancient archaeological sites.

This biosphere reserve was established on 20th January 1986 as part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program and is the largest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean region that extends over 1.3 million acres.

This biosphere is known for its unique geography and wetlands and is home to 103 known mammal species and 363 known bird species apart from 2000 human inhabitants. Additionally, it is also a nesting ground for many species of birds and two endangered species of sea turtles.

Yet another nature reserve in Cancún that is worth exploring during vacations is the Tres Ríos (Three Rivers) Eco Park. This eco reserve also offers a wide variety of native flora and fauna along with water sports and other activities.

The Xcaret Eco Park offers activities like, snorkeling, diving and swimming with dolphins along with other attractions like a wine cellar and Mayan ruins.

For those vacationers who enjoy learning about ancient civilizations and cultures, Cancún offers informative and enlightening museums in the form of the traditional Mexican folk art museum, the Museo de Arte Popular and the archeological museum of Cancún, Museo Arqueológico de Cancún.

Both these popular museums are located within the tourist zone of Zona Hotelera, which also features the historical site of the Ruinas del Rey that dates back to 200BC and consists of raised pyramid structures adorned with Mayan artwork on their interiors.

Cancun is blessed with year round sunny climate, which renders it to be an all-weather destination. The average maximum day time temperatures in the winter months of January and February, which are traditionally the peak tourist season for Cancun vacations, tend to hover around 78.8 °F (26 °C) while average night time temperatures generally register a pleasant 64ºF (18ºC).

In the summer months of July and August, average daytime temperatures in and around Cancun can reach a scorching 90ºF (32 °C) while average night time temperatures tend to range around 77 °F( 25ºC) .

Cancun is well connected by air and land, so whether you want to fly or drive to Cancun vacations, the choice is entirely yours. However, if time is of essence and you want to spend more time at Cancun than travel, you can try our cheap air flights to save time and money. Also, try our car rental offers to come across highly attractive deals; cut out for budget vacationing.

However, there is really no need for you to hire a car during your vacation in Cancun as this renowned destination is well served by a public transportation system which consists of buses and taxis. The public bus service that operates within Cancun plies from 6am to midnight. Tickets for the bus services are extremely reasonable and are usually priced at approximately ten pesos.

Taxis are also plentiful in Cancun but it is always wise to fix a price with the driver before you embark on your taxi journey. Moreover, it is useful to know that if you ask your bell hop or your hotel concierge to call a taxi, you will be charged more. If you want to save some pesos, you should walk out of your hotel and hail a taxi in the street.

Cancun also has ferry services that serve the neighboring island towns of Isla Mujeres (a popular locale for many budget accommodations) and Cozumel. Ferries to Isla Mujeres leave every half hour from Puerto Juarez while ferries to Cozumel depart from Playa del Carmen a popular resort town located 42 miles to the south of Cancún.

Shopaholics have a nice time during their Cancún trips as this oceanfront paradise is equipped with several shopping centers like the upscale La Isla Shopping Center and Kulkulcan Plaza; both of which are located in the Zona Hotelera and offer most of the big name global brands.

If you are on the lookout for local products, then do try the Mercado 28 (the Mercado Veintiocho) which is Cancun’s huge open air flea market located in El Centro or the Plazza La Fiesta, which is located in the Zona Hotelera. Both these locales feature many vendors who sell local leather goods, hand woven baskets and hats along with other local crafts like pottery.

For local fashions, try the Plaza Caracol and stock up on duty free beauty products and perfumes at Ultrafemme, a wholesale outlet located in El Centro. Bargaining is an accepted norm in Cancun so you should not hesitate to haggle while shopping during Cancún vacations.

The Cancún restaurant scene features many locally owned restaurants that specialize in the cuisine of the region as well as popular fast food chains usually frequented by unadventurous or budget conscious travelers for whom food is not usually a priority.

Given that you have chosen to visit Cancún, it’s only fitting that you must sample the many popular local joints if you wish to taste the many diverse cuisines of the Mexican- Caribbean region. Some of the most popular and highly ranked restaurants in Cancún include Cambalache, an Argentinean restaurant that serves a wide variety of delicious Argentinean beef dishes, Casa Rolandi, an Italian chain of restaurants that has two outposts in Cancún, La Habichuela, which is a family run outfit in existence for over two decades and renowned for its excellent seafood dishes and Tacolete, which is a family owned taqueria in EL Centro renowned for its freshly made tacos that are served with the accompaniment of a Mariachi band.

Like most other tropical beach resorts, Cancún also has a pulsating nightlife that features huge dance clubs, beachside bars, cocktail bars and salsa clubs that stay open until the wee hours of the morning.

Some of the popular night spots in Cancún that are frequented by both tourists and locals include the Bull Dog Café, which features live music and laser shows, the Mambo Café, which is a salsa club popular with both tourists and locals and giant night clubs like Coco O, Dady Rock and the City, which are hugely popular with the spring break crowds.