Travel Guides: All Countries / Central America / Mexico / Cancun
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| | | | Excellent excursions
We have been three times to Cancun and found the place absolutely gorgeous. For trips when you're there, do it yourself and not through the reps which is too expensive.
Go to the Hard Rock Cafe in the town and ask anybody for the Biosphere. This is run by the Mayans themselves. The cost is half the price charged by a rep and you get a proper guide, who is more than willing to show you his/her country.
For diving and snorkelling you have to go to Cozumel, again book it through the Biosphere.
The only downside of Cancun is the fact that the timeshare people have finally arrived which is bad news.
The best hotel we stayed in was the all-inclusive Costa Real, by the bridge. Your can step outside the restaurant straight onto white-coloured beaches. There are two restaurants with a good choice of food.
You can go and eat and drink at their sister company just up the road - this is great if you want a change and it's also included in the price.
The sister company is a five star hotel, which has nightly choreographed shows in the gardens. If you're an all inclusive customer, you are shown at midnight into another room where the drink flows until 4am and food is also available, all at no extra cost.
Would go back again most definitely.
Travel guide: Cancun
A very romantic place
My boyfriend, now fiance, and I went in May 01. We had the time of our lives, we have been on other holidays before but nothing could compare to Cancun.
Believe it or not it is a very romantic place with lots of couples on honeymoon. We would go back in the morning if we could.
You will never see such a beautiful colour of blue water anywhere else in the world. You will never run out of things to do and see.
It's a holiday of a lifetime. Go, go, go!
Travel guide: Cancun
Great for all inclusive resorts
This was our best holiday ever. We went in February. The weather was good at 84-88F, but with a constant wind it felt more like 75F. It was so easy to get burnt.
The hotel - Caribbean Village - was great. It was a three star, all-inclusive resort that we booked with Airtours. It cost £850pp. The waiters and bar staff were very friendly and efficient.
Pay for the all-inclusive option and you get food and drink free all day and free use of snorkelling gear. The beach was fantastic with the 'sand' (actually crushed coral) always cold to walk on.
You must go to Chichen Itsa for the Mayan temple, and Xel-Ha park for snorkelling with tropical fish.
Ther are shopping malls along Kalkucin Avenue but don't stay in a hotel further than 4 km from downtown Cancun. The buses arrived every two minutes to our hotel and it was only 35p to Cancun.
Take Mexican Peso's, not dollars, as they charge a 20% exchange rate in the shops.
Have a great holiday. It's worth the long 9.5 hr flight.
Travel guide: Cancun
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| | Destination Guide : Cancun |
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| | | Purpose-built for fun |  | Why go on holiday to Cancun?
For the stretches of beautiful beach, warm seas, coral reefs and interesting islands. This offshore resort is purpose-built for the tourist trade and boasts all the usual facilities such as huge hotels, shopping malls, a convention centre, restaurants, banks and its own airport.
How much does it cost?
There are plenty of deals to Cancun but as a guide, an all-inclusive seven-day break costs around £800 per person, rising to £1,000-plus over Christmas. Flights only (changing in Paris or Mexico City) cost around £350 on average.
Mid-range hotel accommodation in a double room costs from £30-£45 per night.
When should I go?
May to October is the rainy season, when it is also the hottest time of year (temperatures reach 98F/37C). Best times are January-April and November-December, when humidity is lower and daytime temperatures still top 86F (30C).
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| | | Serious sunshine | | What should I do when I'm there?
Hang out on the beach. The dazzling white sand of Cancun's beaches is cool underfoot, even in the blazing sun, as it's composed of microscopic fossils and the waters are warm and clear to boot - perfect.
If you head from Ciudad de Cancun towards Isla Cancun, the beaches are on the left hand side of the road. Take your pick; they are all gorgeous.
Note: If there is a yellow or red flag flying on the beach, then conditions are dangerous - use a pool instead. A blue flag means conditions are safe.
Is there anything else to do?
As it's a purpose-built beach resort which has only existed since the 1970s, there is not much to do in Cancun apart from lie on the beach by day and and party by night.
You could go and see the Mayan ruins on Isla Cancun which are fairly unimpressive, but worth a look.
They consist of a small temple and several ceremonial platforms and if you carry on up Boulevard Kukulcan you can actually see the ruins without paying the admission charge!
Anything else of historical interest?
There's an archaeological museum next to the Centro de Convenciones in the Zona Hotelera which has a limited collection of Mayan artefacts including jewellery, masks and an ancient staircase.
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| | | Party all night long | | Where's good for nightlife?
Most of the nightlife is loud and full-on, mainly based in the bigger hotels in the city centre or in American-style bars such as Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe.
If that's not for you, try taking a dinner cruise on a mock pirate ship, or take in a ballet at Ballet Folklorico.
What's the food like?
Unfortunately, eating out in Cancun tends to be mediocre and pricey.
Fish and shellfish are, unsurprisingly, plentiful - fish fans should try the ceviche (fish or conch marinated in lemon, vinegar, onions, tomatoes and coriander) or huachinango a la Veracruzana (red snapper baked in tomatoes, olives and onions).
There are also American, Chinese, Italian and Continental restaurants in the resort.
What should I buy?
Cancun is a duty-free port and it is easy to part with your money either in one of the many air-con US-style malls around the Zona Hotelera or downtown at Ki-Huic, the public handicrafts market.
Popular souvenirs include panama hats, shell and black coral jewellery, woven baskets and, of course, bottles of tequila.
What is there for children to do?
Apart from the beaches and the activities organised by some of the big hotels, kids will appreciate a trip to Xcaret, along the Caribbean coastline, where there is a dolphinarium and to Xel-Ha, a natural aquarium where you can swim with the fish.
Tourist office
Mexico Tourist Board, Wakefield House, 41 Trinity Square, London, EC3N 4DJ. Brochure line: 00800 11112266 (freephone) or for information, call: 020 7488 9392.
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| | Fact File : Cancun |
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| | | Cancun | | Did you know?
The island spit of Cancun is shaped like a lucky seven.
Language
Spanish
Visas
No visa required but a Mexican government tourist card (tarjeta de turista) is necessary. These are available from embassies, international airports or at border crossings and will usually be validated for 30 days, although a stay of up to 180 days is generally permitted if requested.
Getting there
There are regular flights from London to Mexico City and Cancun. Don't choose a US airline if you want to fly direct to Mexico; most stop in a US city en route. Charter flights go directly to Cancun.
Flying time from London
Ten and a half hours
Getting around
Airport vans will take you to and from the airport for US$25 at time of writing, sharing with other passengers. It's possible to walk almost anywhere in Ciudad Cancun, but to get to the Zona Hotelera you can take a bus. Cancun's taxis do not have meters so you have to haggle over the fare.
Currency
Nuevo (new) peso. The US dollar is accepted in many places.
Costs
Bottle of beer £1; roll of film £4; moderate meal £5-£10 per person; litre of petrol 30p; 4-mile taxi ride £4-£7. Things are cheap but prices do vary.
Weather
May to October is the rainy season and the hottest time of year: temperatures reach 98F (37C). Best times are January-April and November-December, when humidity is lower and daytime temperatures still top 86F (30C), rarely dropping below 75F.
Time difference
Six hours behind GMT. Daylight saving time from April-October.
International dialling code from the UK
00 52 98
Voltage
110V, 60Hz AC. Mexico has three different types of electrical outlet, so travellers will need transformers and plug adaptors.
Opening hours
With high midday temperatures, siesta is important to Mexicans. However, as Cancun is more of an American-style resort, there are grocery stores and pharmacies open most hours of the day.
Health - Before you go
Inoculations are not required but a few are highly recommended: make sure you're up to date on tetanus and polio shots and consider jabs for hepatitis A and typhoid. Malaria protection is advised for travel in certain regions; visit your doctor at least two months prior to travel. Take out travel insurance to cover medical costs.
Health - When you are there
There is no national 999 equivalent. Call (987) 2-0639 for an ambulance or 2-0140 for the Red Cross. There is a hospital (2-0140) on the island, as well as medical clinics and a decompression chamber for divers. Air ambulance service to the Mexican mainland and to Miami is available for serious accidents or medical conditions.
Warnings
Riptides and undertows make Cancun's coastline dangerous for swimmers at times. Check the flags on the beach - red means do not swim, yellow means take care and blue means that the sea is safe. Don't leave anything valuable on the beach while swimming.
Emergency
Again, no national 999 equivalent; call (987) 2-0092 for police, 2-0639 for an ambulance and 2-0800 for the fire service. The Mexican Ministry of Tourism also has a 24-hour tourist hotline, based in Mexico City, for further assistance, Tel. 01-800-903-9200. The consulate office for the UK is at the Hotel Royal Carribean, Tel. (988) 5-1166. The main British Consulate in Mexico is at Rio Lerma 71, Mexico City. Tel. 207 20 89 or 207 24 49.
Customs
Mexicans value congeniality over promptness. Patience is a great virtue here; it can take a long time to get things done and being angry will get you nowhere. Try a little Spanish on people you meet, no matter how inept.
Pets
Animals will be subject to quarantine on return to the UK.
Tipping
As Cancun is tourist-driven and popular with Americans, resort staff expect American-sized tips of 15% or more. Taxi drivers expect and appreciate tips.
Tourist office
Mexico Tourist Board, Wakefield House, 41 Trinity Square, London, EC3N 4DJ. Brochure line: 00800 11112266 (freephone) or for information, call: 020 7488 9392.
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| | Available rental properties in Cancun |
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