Mexico – Cancun
Mexico, where wealth of experiences awaits. Located in the northern region of the American continent between the Gulf of Mexico on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It is bordered by the United States on the north and by Guatemala and Belize on the south. Mexico’s land area extends 1,964,375 sq km.
To explore ecological reserves of Mexican Caribbean, visit Cancun, a wondrous place that awakens your senses and enlightens your soul with an invigorating rush of recreational activities, unique sounds of indigenous wildlife & auras of mystery and majesty still lingering .
Cancun is situated on the south-east coast of Mexico in the state of Quintana Roo in the Yucatan Peninsula. Cancun offers the unparalleled beauty of the Caribbean Sea’s turquoise-blue water and white-sand beaches together with the famous Mexican hospitality which makes this place like no other! It has a subtropical climate, with average temperature ranging between 27º C (81º F) - 35º C (95º F) and sunny days throughout the year.
It has been distinguished as the best tourist destination of Mexico & Central America, receiving the first prize during the XVI Annual World Travel Awards 2009.
Cancun International Airport is the second busiest in Mexico after Mexico city. The second runway is expected to be completed in 2009. Currently, more than 170 direct and connecting flights serve Cancun, with more than 266 daily flights. Carriers flying to Cancun from the United States include Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Aeromexico, Delta, Air-Tran, Continental, Frontier, Mexicana, Northwest, United and U.S. Airways. Cancun is less than 3 hours from most of the U.S hubs and has direct flights from Europe and South America.
Cancun’s Distinctive Features
Wedding: Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Cancun is the perfect locale for honeymoons, anniversaries and romantic getaways. Cancun offers a seemingly endless array of majestic locations. Expert wedding coordinators handle every detail, no matter how small or large, to ensure a flawless wedding. Florists, caterers, musicians, haute couture designers, hair and make-up artists, and audio and lighting experts all team up to make your wedding picture-perfect. You return with an unsurpassed memories and unforgettable lifetime celebration of love.
Nightlife: As the evening turns to night, make a move to the dance floor in a variety of discos or turn your attention to world-renowned musical acts that takes to the stage in Cancun’s lively bars.
Shopping: If you are a shopaholic, you’ll find a world-class experience here with nearly 2,000 shops, boutiques and stores featuring merchandise ranging from local artisans’ crafts to haute couture.
Adventures: Under the sea is even more thrilling, since the world’s second-largest reef - the Great Mesoamerican Reef- is offshore, teeming with hundreds of colourful, exotic creatures. A cruise to Holbox Island to swim with the harmless whale sharks and visit the Yum Balam Reserve, home to hundreds of birds, including wild pink flamingos, is another option. Adventure lies inland as well, with tours to new natural wonders, such as the Rio Secreto, a labyrinth of underground rivers and cenotes (sinkholes) that opened in 2008 and the nearby Jaguar sanctuary. For first time visitors, a day trip to the spectacular Mayan archeological site of Chichen itza is a must.
Golfers have more to enjoy on three newly championship courses-two designed by Tom Weiskopfcand conveniently located between the hotel zone and downtown Cancun.
MICE & Conventions: Nature & History combine to make Cancun a glorious setting. But it’s hospitality and service that have made it one of the world’s most desirable destinations. From world-class resorts to small hotels, over 26,000 hotel rooms are found here. Cancun is renowned for dynamic meetings, conventions and incentives. More than 20 hotels offer meeting space and an experienced cadre of vendors and service providers are on hand to ensure event success.
Only 20 minutes from Cancun International Airport, Cancun Center is situated at the heart of the hotel zone, providing the perfect venue for international congresses, conventions and exhibitions with up to 8,000 attendees.
Qualified foreign companies planning congresses, conventions, fairs and expos in Mexico can take advantage of VAT exemption, a reform including lodging, food and beverage and many event services such as audio/visual equipment, decoration and security.
Do-to-list: Visitors to Cancun are surrounded by both sea and sand, with a world of water sports - the most popular being diving and snorkeling - just steps away. And afterward, equally abundant gourmet restaurants, boutiques and shops, sightseeing tours and dance-till-dawn nightspots add to their pleasure. So it’s really no surprise that Cancun is Mexico’s top destination for both leisure and meeting and incentive visitors. Cancun’s seemingly endless array of dazzling high-rise hotels and opulent resorts seem to float on the clear blue sea, thrilling visitors with sugar white sands and unbelievably transparent water.
Places around: El Embarcadero Park, the tower offers 360-degree, bird’s eye views of Cancun and the dramatic seascape from about 300 feet up. To reach here, there are ferries shuttle between the hotel zone and Isla Mujeres.
Remarkable archaeological sites are found within a two-hour drive from Cancun’s hotel zone. In the capital city of Chichen Itza, 117 miles west of Cancun, the majestic Kukulcan pyramid rises from the earth. Actually a calendar made of stone, the pyramid is joined by the largest Ball Game in Mesoamerica, a Mayan astronomic observatory and the pyramid’’s construction.
Proclaimed by Jacques Cousteau to be one of the world’s finest diving destinations in 1961, the island of Cozumel has continued to thrill divers-and all visitors-ever since. Measuring 30 miles long by 10 miles wide, it’s Mexico’s largest island, located 11 miles off the Yucatan coast. Much of the land remains untouched, still dotted with Mayan temples, jungles, abundant wildlife and miles of gorgeous deserted beaches. More than 30 dive sites ring the island- it’s situated on the Great Mesoamerican Reef- enthralling divers with undersea walls and tunnels and colourful corals teeming with life. Several parks protect both the island and sea, including Chankanaab National Park, which offers exceptional diving and snorkeling, and Punta Sur wildlife park, which includes a Marine Turtle observation centre.
While diving may interest some attendees, Cozumel also has plenty of activities, luxury hotels and meeting facilities to make it a good choice for general meetings as well as incentive programs. Hourly ferries connect Cozumel with the town of Playa Del Carmen on the mainland about 45 minutes south of Cancun. Cozumel International Airport is served by a range of airlines, including America west, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Mexicana and US Airways.
The Reviera Maya now is the playground for fun-and-sun-seekers from around the world U.S. Incentive-winners come for its luxurious rewards and meeting-goers mix business with pleasure in its state-of-the-art conference facilities. Extending south from Cancun for nearly 100 miles, beautiful beaches and flat green jungle-punctuated occasionally by ancient Maya pyramids-stretch as far as the eye can see. The ambiance is relaxed and natural, with most of the beach resorts cloistered from one another by acres of mangroves and jungle.
Exploring the world-famous Maya archeological sites of Tulum, Coba and others are unforgettable. Eco-parks, several of which are built on Mayan ruins, delight visitors with shows, wildlife, water sports and special event facilities to zip-lining and cultural exchanges with Mayan villagers.
Selvatica, an extreme adventure park, even offers nighttime zip-lining. Nature enthusiasts won’t want to miss a conservancy-guided day trip into 1.3 million-acre Sian ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico’s largest preserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Encompassing tropical forest, wetlands, savannahs and marine habitats, the reserve allows visitors to appreciate its abundant birds and animals while boating in its clear, winding canals.
City excitement abounds in the seaside town of Playa del Carmen, 45 minutes south of Cancun’s airport, where boutiques, fine restaurants-serving everything from Yucatan specialities to Thai cuisine-art galleries, souvenir shops and nightshops line the main avenue, named Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue). It’s also where the ferry from Cozumel docks and upscale residential resort area, is one of the region’s fastest-growing developments. Its chic beachfront hotels provide deluxe accommodations for clients who prefer more cosmopolitan surroundings.
Puerto Morelos, located 35 km from Cancun, Puerto Morelos is another highly recommended stop while touring the Mexican Caribbean.
A laid-back atmosphere characterizes this friendly fishermen’s village. The old lighthouse is a symbol that represents very well Puerto Morelos’ bohemian and tranquil taste that bestows a special magic on visitors and residents, be it natives or people from all over the world that made it their home after being seduced by its natural beauty and the many attractions it has to offer.
It has a wide variety of guesthouse, bed and breakfast facilities, villas, condos and hotels that range from modest to deluxe and all-inclusive categories.
When in Puerto Morelos, you can spoil yourself with any of the exotic spa treatments, take a snorkeling or scuba diving trip to the National Marine Park and admire the coral reefs in the transparency of the Caribbean waters. A fishing trip is also offered for those fond of this sport. Also visit the crocodile farm here. And for adventure lovers there are many ecotourism excursions and activities to explore the jungle and appreciate the wild life.
Food is another great experience at any of the specialty restaurants or popular cafes and diners where people meet to savor their meals, the evening warmth and the delightful colors of the sunset. Puerto Morelos has it all; it is certainly an enchanting retreat nobody should miss.
For more info, visit: www.cancun.travel
