Cancun

INTRO
A tropical resort city with staggering lagoons, beautiful beaches, amazing nightlife and fascinating Mayan historical heritage: this is Cancun. Experience the Mexican culture, enjoy the tropical nature and spend a one-in-a-lifetime vacation at this spectacular resort, where the past and the present blend in an unforgettable mixture of pleasures.

City Profile
City: Cancun
Country: Mexico
Population: 526,701
Mayor: Francisco Antonio Alor Quezada
Language: Mexican
Rating: #1 / 126 at Asian-Cities

LOCATION
Cancun is located on the easternmost tip of Mexico. It is a coastal city in Quintana Roo state on the Yucatan Peninsula. The city is a world-famous resort that consists of both mainland territories and spectacular lagoons. As the most visited tourist destination, Cancun is easily reachable from various parts of the world by boat and air.

TIME TO VISIT
Cancun enjoys sunny days more than 200 days per year. The region has a semi-tropical climate which is strongly influenced by the ocean. The hottest time of the year in Cancun is between May and August when the temperatures reach 34 degrees Celsius. The weather from December till the end of April is characterised with temperatures between 22-32 degrees with occasional drops to 18 degrees. Most of the rainfall occurs from September till the end of October. Typical for Cancun are hurricanes, the strongest of which are during the autumn. Hurricane season starts at the end of June and lasts till the end of November. Financially, the best time to visit the resort is in the late summer when airplane and hotel prices drop but beware of the hurricane threat during that time. Otherwise, the tourist season is between December and April.

POPULATION
The number of registered inhabitants of the resort is estimated at around half a million people. According to the records Cancun serves more than 2.3 million tourists per year, which contributes to the city's larger population, especially during the high tourist season. The official language here is Mexican but as the majority of the resort's visitors are American, English is widely spoken and understood. A little knowledge of Mexican, however, might be useful.

DISTRICTS
The resort comprises of long beaches shaped like the number seven and a hotel strip, where all the all-inclusive hotel resorts are situated.

Downtown Cancun is an authentic Mexican city full of restaurants, shopping places, bars and winding streets.
Cancun Hotel Zone is a tourist area where all the resort's hotels are built and provide all inclusive vacations for the visitors. It is mostly tourists that you will encounter here.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
The number of things to see and do in Cancun is purely amazing. Apart from the magnificent beaches and lagoons, there are several other places that you really must see.

Isla Mujeres is an island located 30 minutes by boat from Cancun. It is a paradise like place with white sandy beaches, tropical bar music, gift shops and restaurants. The island provides one of the best snorkeling options in the region, a big picturesque rock cliff, turtles and dolphins. More info on: http://www.isla-mujeres.net
Chichen Itza is an ancient village that takes you to the most breathtaking ruins of the Mayan world. It was founded around 800 AD and the style of the architecture later became influenced by the Toltecs. Here you will find the Mayan pyramid El Castillo, the Mayan Ballpark, the Temple of the Warriors, the Cenote of Sacrifice and the Observatory. It is a one day trip worth every minute. More info on: http://www.mayayucatan.com.mx
Xcaret is probably the most exciting place for the whole family in Cancun. It is compared to Disneyworld but it is even better. There is a zoo, two underground rivers, a sea turtle display, a Mayan Ball Game and a Mexican Folk Show. One whole day might not be enough to experience all of the park's entertainments. http://www.xcaretcancun.com
Tulum is another ancient Mayan village with spectacular beaches and fascinating history. It was built in the Early Classic Period (AD 250-600) and developed into a very important city in the following years. It is one of the most visited Mayan ruins and the only one on the Mexico's Caribbean coastline. More info on: http://www.tulum.com
Xel-Ha is an amazing natural aquarium where various animals can be observed under water in their natural habitat. Snorkelling is a must here as the major attraction in the park is the dreamlike cove and the lagoon. It was considered a highly important sacred place by the Mayans, where they performed rituals and dances in honour of their gods. More info on: www.xel-ha.com.mx
Kantum Chi Cenotes are underground wells that can be found everywhere on the peninsular and were very important for the Mayans as there were no aboveground rivers in the region and the cenotes were the only sources of fresh water. These small likes inside a cave are four different types and a wonderful natural formation that should not be missed while in Cancun.

AIRPORT
Cancun is situated nearby Mexico's second busiest airport.

Cancun International Airport is located 16 km southwest of downtown and only 11km from the hotel strip. Two official companies provide ground transportation to the city. Their booths are located inside the arrival terminal. Prices for the shuttle services are fixed and this is the most convenient way to reach your destination. You can also go to the "Taxi Stand" and take shared taxi - it costs 9 dollars per person. More info at: www.cancun-airport.com/

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation in Cancun is convenient and well arranged:

Metro - the tickets cost 125 Mongolian tugriks and the trains came not very regular from 15 to 30 min. http://ulaanbaator.narod.ru/
Public buses are the cheapest and most reliable way of getting around Cancun. The drivers are very helpful and will stop for you even if wait not at the appointed bus stop. Fares: 6.5 pesos. Make sure to have exact or almost exact change as sometimes drivers don't have any.
Taxis are easy to find and rather cheap: prices usually don't exceed 40-60 pesos.
Cars can be rented almost anywhere around Cancun for around 14 dollars per day.
Boats are available for sailing to the nearby islands.

HISTORY
Originally, Cancun was populated by the ancient Mayan civilization until the Spanish arrived in the region and caused most of the indigenous people to leave. The foundation of Cancun as a world-famous resort begins in 1970 when the Bank of Mexico obtained a 27 million dollars loan for the infrastructural development of the area. By that time, Cancun was a small fishing village with a nearby military base that had only around 30 residents. The first hotels were built by the Mexican government because of the reluctance of the foreign investors to rely on an unfamiliar region. For the past thirty years, however, the resort have considerably grown and become a beautiful beach and famous resort.

CITY LINKS

Novedades de Quintana Roo, A Daily Newspaper in Spanish: www.novenet.com.mx/
Cancun Official Website: http://www.cancun.gob.mx/cancun/index.php
Useful Tips: http://wikitravel.org/en/Cancun
Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau: www.gocancun.com/

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Instituto Tecnológico de Cancún: www.itcancun.edu.mx/
Universidad La Salle Cancún: www.lasallecancun.edu.mx/
Universidad Anahuac Cancún: www.anahuaccancun.edu.mx/
Universidad del Caribe: www.unicaribe.edu.mx/