Cancun

Lets not beat around the bush Cancun is a manufactured place. Standing in the Caribbean Sea it was created in the 70's to be the ultimate resort destination. It now has over 20,000 hotel rooms available for 'holidaymakers'. High rise hotels perch on the shores of a formerly deserted sandspit which lies a short distance off the mainland. Access is via a bridge at either end of the sandspit. Over the bridge is the Ciudad Cancun. This is where the resort workers live and hotels are slightly more reasonably priced. As might be expected for a resort designed to attract foreign tourists Cancun lacks nothing. There is intense nightlife, all manner of sporting activities - particularly water sports and golf - luxurious modern hotels and a wide choice of restaurants. Beware, the food can be mediocre and highly priced.

The beaches of Cancun are stunning and are available for use by all.

For those who want to get away from the pool Cancun is excellently placed for visiting many of the sites of interest on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Yucatan Peninsula

Still the land of the Maya. This was the centre of an empire that extended as far south as Honduras. The descendants of these people still live in the area despite many hardhips endured along the way. Geographically the Yucatan is hot, flat and arid, dragging a living from the soil is hard work indeed. Chief amongst the attractions of the Yucatan is the wealth of archaeological sites to visit. The principal site of interest is at Chichen Itza but also worth a visit are Coba, Edzna and Tulum.

Where to Stay

The tendency has been for developers to build luxury hotels and the prices reflect this. Cheaper hotels are available but there are fewer of them.