Cancún Caribbean - Open for Business

The clean up from Hurricane Wilma is well on its way and Cancun is open for business. The Cancun Airport is operating normally and the archaeological sites of the region are open - adventure is calling!

The last of these is undoubtedly the most important, since it opens the doors to a paradise with a whole range of temptations. At this point we will try to establish some sense of order for travellers who realize that trips always involve making choices in order to be able to get the most out of their holidays.

You’re intrigued. You know that Cozumel, the Costa Maya, Chetumal and the southern part of the state of Quintana Roo are more than just names, but you want to choose an itinerary. You know that Holbox, Isla Mujeres, the Provincia Maya and the Riviera Maya form part of your image of Cancún. Each name contains the possibility of pleasure. Every place is an atmosphere that adds something to your vacation; each one has its own way of expressing the local hospitality. They all evoke something of the mystery of the Maya World, drawing us into the exuberance of the jungle and its fauna, its exotic towns and beaches and its inviting turquoise sea.

You will have to read between the lines of your brochures and photos and follow your instinct: Isla Mujeres and all its charms captured in an area measuring five miles by half a mile, or the bird sanctuary on Isla Contoy with over a hundred species coexisting in its lagoons and swamps: the sea turtles that nest on its beaches, the manta rays and whale sharks that frequent its waters. Did anyone tell you that the only forms of transport on the sandy streets of Holbox, that tiny fishing village, are golf carts and bicycles?

These places, each with its own distinctive charm, have a relaxed pace: sun and hammocks, beaches and mermaids soaking up the sun, sumptuous banquets and even a bit of sport.

Do you feel like exploring those towns on foot or on a motorbike, buying souvenirs at the handicrafts stores, drinking beer at the bars frequented by fascinating travellers, eating lobster at any restaurant, or staying at one of the small hotels that stand out above the islanders’ wooden houses? They have a lot to share with you.

You might already have come across the phrase “Riviera Maya,” the name of that coastal strip south of Cancún, mentioned so frequently that it will soon become a registered trademark. What lies in store for you in the area between Cancún and Tulum? You can obviously visit the world-famous Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve It is hard to believe that these bays, with their swaying palm trees, conceal stylized accommodation centres, resembling post-modern pyramids, bijou hotels and rustic cabanas.

It goes without saying that diving, cave diving and snorkelling have become the most popular activities in the area. The coast is surrounded by the great Mesoamerican Reef, which fed by a blend of water from clear underground streams and mangrove swamps and bays, provides the perfect breeding ground for iridescent fish.

By this time, you will probably be aware that a number of local travel agencies offer ecotravellers’ excursions to the jungle, the mangrove swamps and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Or you can observe the local flora and fauna at the Botanical Garden in Puerto Morelos, the Playacar aviary, the Punta Laguna reserve and the natural theme parks in Xcaret and Xel-Há, all of which are home to dozens of species. You will probably memorize their names and forget them shortly afterwards. But what you won’t forget is seeing that howler monkey or being tenderly kissed by a dolphin at the Xel-Há dolphinarium or the discreet photo you took of the flamingos in Xcaret.

At this point, you may even be thinking about the splendour of Mayan culture and the fascination with its archaeological remains, such as the vestiges of ports, temples and small buildings believed to have been storerooms and lighthouses. You will also know that you can visit modern Mayan villages such as Pac Chen.

If you have already read up about Puerto Morelos (36 km outside Cancún), a peaceful fishing village whose pristine coral reef is a national park, you can probably see yourself getting acquainted with the 200 crocodiles that inhabit Parque CrocoCun. If you have also read about the cosmopolitan yet provincial atmosphere of Playa del Carmen (68 km away), one of the most vibrant towns in the Caribbean, with its lively Quinta Avenida, open-air restaurants, bars, bustle, handicrafts stores, flocks and small, sophisticated eco-hotels, then you will be in a position to choose one of the excursions available. Alternatively, you could spend a few days in the Playacar hotel complex, which has a golf course and the Xaman-Ha aviary and offers a range of excursions you could take before returning to the glamorous world of Cancún.

The Riviera Maya is characterized by its seemingly endless variety. Xcaret (75 kms away) with its underground rivers, dolphins, aquarium and sea turtles, its botanical garden, orchid garden, butterfly sanctuary and areas with regional fauna, archaeological zones and Teatro Tlachco, the largest theatre in Quintana Roo, with a seating capacity for six thousand, is a model theme park that will exceed your expectations.

What about the other places of interest? If you’re the adventurous type, you won’t want to miss some of the most exclusive attractions. Paamul (85 km away) is an ideal bay for snorkelling; Puerto Aventuras (89 km away) is a hotel community with a golf course, marina, hotels, condominiums and villas, surrounded by the Kantunchi, Zazil Há and Cenote Azul lagoons. Xpu-Há (93 km) is popular among sorcerers; Akumal (194 km), set on the banks of two bays, whose name means “place of turtles” in Maya, is a delightful complex of small hotels, condominiums and holiday homes with a bay (Yalkú, north of the village) and beaches in Kantenah and Xcacel. Aktún Chen (104 km) is a spectacular chain of caves measuring 600 meters long, containing an extraordinary beautiful lagoon and underwater river, set in a 400 ha jungle park inhabited by spider monkeys and white-tailed deer; and Xel-Há (115 km) is regarded as the largest natural aquarium in the world.

Many visitors to Cancún have heard of Cozumel (“Island of Swallows”), the largest inhabited island in Mexico and the main cruise ship harbour. It is one of the world’s most popular destinations for diving and marlin fishing and was popular even before Cancún existed. Together, these two resorts are working to promote the development of the state.

But don’t use up all your film yet, there’s more to see, such as the central region of Quintana Roo, known as the Zona Maya, with its jungle, lagoons and limestone sinkholes where you can meet a small group of rural communities with ancient beliefs, whose inhabitants still speak the Mayan language and respect the traditions and festivities of their ancestors. Visiting this area is like going back through time: Felipe Carrillo Puerto, the capital of this state, formerly Chan Santa Cruz (1850) houses the only church in America designed and built by indigenous people. In Tepich, Tihosuco, Sacalaca and Sabán, and the craftsmen’s villages of X-pichil and Yaxley and the archaeological zone of Chacchoben, the memory of the War of the Castes, the Maya’s heroic struggle in the 19th century, lives on.

The most recently developed resort in the Mexican Caribbean is the Costa Maya, which, in addition to the other resorts within easy reach of Cancún, offer 100 miles of beach, coastal lagoons and wetlands stretching from Punta Herrero, at one end of Bahía del Espíritu Santo in Sian Ka’an, to Xcalak, a stone’s throw from Cayo Ambergris in Belize. Still only sparsely populated, and offering sport fishing, diving and ecotourism, it has only just begun to be developed. A two-hour boat ride away from this part of the coast lays Banco Chinchorro, the largest coral atoll in America. There are now 25 small hotels and hostels in this area, mostly located in the neighbouring villages of Majahual. And the Puerto Costa Maya, a new cruise ship terminal, is already operating and expects to receive an average of 750,000 passengers a year.

Finally, when you think you’ve seen everything, you find yourself in the deep south of Quintana Roo, with its jungles, lagoons and wetlands, ancient Mayan cities and colonial monuments. In other words, you’re in Chetumal, the state capital, with its attractive Caribbean flavour, set on the shores of a bay of the same name, recently designated as a Manatee Sanctuary and a border crossing point for travelling to Belize and Guatemala or discovering Campeche. Nearby lies Laguna de Bacalar, known as the “Lagoon of Seven Colours,” ideal for fishing, sailing and bird watching, where you can visit the Fuerte de San Felipe, overlooking the lake and the Cenote Azul, the largest pool in the Maya World, a five-minute car ride from Bacalar.

Cancún introduces you to the Mexican Caribbean. The Caribbean was obviously there before, but it needed a heart to attract world travellers.