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Cancun is a well-known tourist
destination on the Yucatan peninsula, bordering the
Caribbean Sea. It is made up of two distinct areas,
the traditional downtown area, El Centro, and Zona
Hotelera, a long beach-front strip of hotels,
restaurants and shops.
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Because of its 21 kilometers of beach,
the virtually uninhabited Cancun area was chosen in the
1970s to be developed into a tourist destination by the
Mexican government.
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From viewpoints in Cancun you can see the
natural 3000 hectare Nicupte lagoon that separates the
mainland and the hotel strip. |
Delfine Beach is one of
several public beaches that lie along the 14-mile long hotel
strip.
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Within the hotel zone
lies El Rey, excavated Mayan ruins dating to 250 A.D.
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Cancun is known for its stylish
restaurants and bars, and its reputation for partying.
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Cancun's Auditorio de Bienestar,
completed in 2016, has been deemed unsafe, overbudget and a
symbol of Mexican corruption.
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Local Mexicans also holiday in Cancun
preferring the quieter beaches, local restaurants and
children's play areas along Playa Blanca nearer to El Centro
and the port. |
During our time there, we witnessed large
groups of citizens marching or cycling in honour of the Day
of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
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A variety of architectural styles can be seen
in Cancun, from faux Spanish colonial to moderniste to tacky Las
Vegas type advertising.
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There are various tourist packages available
for excursions to Mayan sites and to the popular Xcaret, Xplore
and Xel-Há attractions.
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Our accommodation of choice was to rent a
private condo which had direct access to the beach and a
magnificent view of the sunrise. We were able to use public
transportation to travel anywhere we wished.
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