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Beaches
Without a doubt, Cancun’s strongest draw is its crystalline blue water. In these waters, or on the beaches, you can do all kinds of activities. You might want to take a spin on a wave runner or a banana boat. Or you can play some volleyball or simply bask in the sun on a white-sand beach as you take in the spectacular scenery of the hotel zone. The following beaches are located along Kukulkan Boulevard:
– Located at Km 5 in the hotel zone, just west of Punta Cancun, it is one of Cancun’s most visited beaches. From Playa Langosta’s pier, there are several tour boats that will take you to Isla Mujeres.
- located at Km 6, west of Punta Cancun. This beach has calm and shallow waters, making it the ideal family vacation spot. In front of the pier, there is a platform for bungee jumping.
– Located at Km 10 in the hotel zone, in front of the Bojorquez Lagoon, this beach with moderate surf is a great place to sunbathe while sipping on a drink and looking out onto the Caribbean Sea.
– Located at Km 13 in the hotel zone and half a kilometer south of archaeological site Yamil Lu’um, this place is a great romantic getaway for those looking to get away from noise and crowds.
– Located at Km 14 in the hotel zone, north of Punta Nizuc, the blue-green waters of the Caribbean Sea invite you to do water sports. Has one of the best panoramic views of Cancun.
– North of Punta Nizuc at Km 18 in the hotel zone, it is a great beach to soak up some sun and it has a lookout point that will give you an excellent opportunity to take some photos of the Caribbean Sea.
– Located 14 kilometers (9 miles) off the coast of Cancun, it is one of the most beautiful spots in the Mexican Caribbean. The island is 8 kilometers (5 miles) long and 1.5 kilometers (about 1 mile) wide.
To arrive there, you can take a ferry or speedboat from Puerto Juarez, Punta Sam and Playa Linda. You can arrive by taking the Garrafon Cruise, which departs from the Embarcadero in Cancun’s hotel zone at Km 4. It arrives at Parque Natural Garrafon on the southern part of the island. You can do all kinds of aquatic sports at this beach, which offers waverunner rentals and banana rides.
– Just behind Plaza Forum and south of Punta Cancun at Km 18 in the hotel zone, the beach has decent surf, making it a good place to swim and do other water sports.
– Located in the hotel zone at Km 16.5, between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc, at this beach you can visit ruins at a small archaeological site, which is also called San Miguelito.
– At Km 12.5 in the hotel zone, south of Playa Chac-mool, this beach has two Mayan structures. The more noticeable of the two is a construction that probably served as a lookout post for a temple.
– At the beginning of the hotel zone and west of Punta Cuncan at Km 2.5, you’ll find this beach with balmy weather, ideal for doing such water sports as sailing, surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving and swimming. This spot also has ferries that depart to Isla Mujeres.
– Located at Km 4, where the hotel zone begins, and 1 kilometer (less than a mile) west of Playa Langosta. Mujeres Bay is known for its calm waters, making it a safe place to swim. It is also a main stopover and departure point for cruise liners and other boats going to Isla Mujeres.
– Located at Km 8.5, between Playa Langosta and Punta Cancun. The shallow waters at this beach make it an ideal swimming spot for children and beginners. It is also a fabulous place for water-skiing.
Culture
In the marketplaces and shopping malls of Cancun’s hotel zone, as well as those located on Tulum Avenue and in the downtown area, you’ll find all kinds of traditional Mexican crafts: cowboy hats, brightly colored serapes, sliver jewelry, and other items, like earrings and necklaces with figures of Mayan deities made from seashells or clay.
Cancun, a place of mixed cultures, takes the best of both worlds (pre-Hispanic and Hispanic) to celebrate its traditions throughout most of the year. In the region, you’ll see diverse forms of celebration: cockfights, carnivals and religious festivities held during Easter week and Christmas.
Other important dates include December 12 (the Virgin of Guadalupe Day) and April 20 (the date commemorating the founding of Cancun).
In Cancun and its surrounding areas, many ruins and ceremonial grounds have been discovered, where the Mayans used to pray and pay homage to their gods.
– Located at Km 17.5 on Kukulkan Boulevard in Cancun’s hotel zone, just in front of Nichupte Lagoon. It was one the first archaeological zones discovered in Cancun. Many of the objects found there are now on exhibit in the Cancun Archaeological Museum, next to the convention center.
According to experts in the field, El Rey was an important ceremonial center that reached its height during the Postclassic period (1250-1521). The architectural style resembles those found in other nearby sites such as Tulum, Xel-Ha and El Meco.
On your tour of the site, you’ll notice that the constructions, like structure 3B, are very well conserved. Inside, you’ll find traces of an original painting in what was presumably a king’s tomb, which explains why the site is called El Rey (The King).
– Located 6 kilometers north of Cancun along the state highway that goes to Punta Sam, this archaeological zone was opened to the public in April 2001. There you can find ruins of several temples and remains of columns, a large square, and a well-conserved pyramid construction.
– An ancient Mayan city located 128 kilometers south of Cancun. It was one of the region’s main cities and was built by a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. It is surround by a wall on three of its sides and has five entryways and two watchtowers. Its important structures are a castle, two temples and the house of the ruler, who was known as the Halach Uinic (the True Man).
– Located 200 kilometers from Cancun and 120 kilometers from Merida, on Highway 180 in the northern region of the Yucatan Peninsula. It was the most important regional capital of the Mayans from 750-1200.
Things to see include a castle (the Pyramid of Kukulkan) with 365 steps, a ball court, la Plaza de Mil Columnas (the Plaza of a Thousand Columns), el Cenote Sagrado (the Sacred Sinkhole), and the temples.
– You can arrive there by taking the Cancun-Chetumal Highway. When you reach Tulum, take the Km 47 turnoff, which will take you directly to the town and the archaeological zone. An important political and commercial center, Coba was one of the most populated Mayan cities. You’ll appreciate its grandeur when you see a temple that is 25 meters (82 feet) high within the Coba Group, a cluster of urban structures. Another important structure is the Nohoch Mul, one of the highest Mayan constructions ever built, which towers 42 meters (138 feet) high.
Entertainment & Dining
Cancun has many important marketplaces, shopping malls, and artisan markets where you can find all kinds of souvenirs. In the hotel zone, we recommend that you visit Plaza Caracol, Plaza Flamingos, Plaza La Isla, and Plaza Kukulkan, modern shopping complexes with a wide array of stores, boutiques and jewelry and perfume shops.
In the downtown area, we recommend that you visit Plaza Las Americas and the stores that sell crafts along Tulum Avenue and at Mercado 28. Most of these businesses are open from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm, however some close during lunch hours from 2:00 to 4:00
Cancun is one of the best places in Mexico to relax and enjoy your free time. It offers a wide variety of entertainment options, amusement parks, nature outings, ecological reserves, bathing resorts and zoos. We recommend that you visit the following places:
– Located at Km 4 in the hotel zone, this structure towers 110 meters (363 feet) high and offers a panoramic view of the city and the Caribbean Sea.
– Located in Plaza La Isla at Km 12.5 in the hotel zone, this aquarium, the first of its kind in Latin America, features a wide variety of fish that live in the Caribbean Sea. Its main attraction is a shark tank that allows you to have an interactive experience with various types of sharks.
– Located in the hotel zone at Km 25 in Punta Nizuc. This aquatic park offers fun for the whole family with its waterslides, wave pool, more than 800 feet of white-sand beaches, and so much more.
– Located 72 kilometers (44 miles) from Cancun off the Cancun-Tulum Highway.This park has a beach area, underground rivers, an aquarium, a butterfly pavillion, a so-called dolphinarium, an orchid greenhouse and a bee farm. What’s more, it offers an archaeological zone and a recreation of a Mayan village. Open daily from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm.
– Located 115 kilometers (72 miles) south of Cancun off the Cancún-Tulum Highway. An ecological park where you can enjoy the experience of swimming with dolphins and snorkeling in the main lagoon or in underground rivers. Open daily from 8:30 to 6:00.
– Located 157 kilometers south of Cancun off the Cancun-Tulum Highway. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the reserve has 23 archaeological sites. Has five different entrances; most people use the Santa Teresita and Chac-mool entrances. A perfect place for a family vacation, as it offers the opportunity to see a wide variety of marine and terrestrial plant and animal life.
– Located northeast of Cancun, it is a nearly uninhabited island. The only way to arrive there is by taking a tour boat from Cancun. It is the most important bird reserve in the Mexican Caribbean, with more than 115 aquatic, migratory and indigenous species. Sandy dunes and bushes predominate the landscape. It also has various shallow lagoons, which attract many of the animal species.
Declared a national park in 1998, it has 5,126 hectares (12,660 acres) of terrain. Boats to Isla Contoy depart from Isla Mujeres. This pristine island offers all the necessary services to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
– Located south of Cancun at Km 30 on the Cancun-Tulum Highway. At this place, you can see more than 300 crocodiles in captivity.
Dining and Entertainment
Cancun has more than 500 restaurants that offer the best in national and international cuisine. Because it is a beach resort, the specialties are fish and seafood dishes. Still, you’ll find many places that offer vegetarian dishes or delicious Mayan cuisine like spiced pork, chicken and rabbit dishes. The staples are beans, corn, and Serrano and Habanero chili peppers.
You’ll also come across tasty rice dishes and deserts. As far as Cancun’s fish and seafood dishes, you can eat lobster, sea snail, grouper, snook, and red snapper. The region is also known for such exquisite traditional dishes as el Tikinxic (fish prepared Mayan barbeque style), pan de cazon (shredded shark baked in tomato sauce and served on a tortilla), and curry shrimp.
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