Once a small, unremarkable fishing village, the resort of Cancun
is today the reason most people visit Mexico. It is made up of two
parts: the glitzy hotel zone dedicated to tourism, and the downtown
area inhabited by the permanent residents. A different atmosphere
prevails in each, with a dramatic contrast between the
air-conditioned shopping malls, chic restaurant dining, and wealthy
pleasure-seeking tourists in one; and bustling market street
stalls, noisy vendors, and the daily grind of people at work in the
other. The hotel zone, situated on a thin strip of land (Isla
Cancun) in the shape of a figure '7', is what people imagine when
they talk about Cancun. It is a vision of Caribbean paradise with
soft white sand beaches and clear blue-green waters. There is
plenty of high quality accommodation available, a wide choice of
restaurants and shops, a notoriously energetic nightlife, and an
array of activities, including both land and water sports. The city
is also a good base from which to explore some of the nearby
attractions, particularly the ancient Mayan site of Chichén Itzá on
the mainland, which is the best restored and most famous of the
archaeological sites on the Yucatán Peninsula.
