By Scott Bateman

© Caribeez.com

Summary
Cancun Island off the Yuchatan Peninsula of Mexico is the place to go in one condensed location for beaches, nightlife, excursions to Mayan ruins and the enclosed lagoon that provides a myriad of watersports opportunities. 

The hotel strip is 19 miles long, and visitors can eat at more than 500 restaurants. The intense concentration of hotels on such a small area creates numerous things to do.

Line of hotels at Cancun; © Caribeez.com

It is a nicely packaged vacation like a visit to the many all-inclusives of Dominican Republic.

Go to Cancun for simple relaxation with the potential to keep as active as you want. It is at the opposite end of the spectrum with an island such as St. Kitts, where tourists go almost entirely for relaxation.

Cancun is 10th in total tourism.

Attractions
Unique attractions on a Cancun vacation include the nearby Mayan ruins of Calakmul, Chichén-Itzá, Palenque, Tulum and Uxmal. Cozumel lies about 40 miles to the south and provides additional things to do, especially diving and snorkeling. (Our Cozumel snorkeling experience was fairly routine compared to places such as St. Thomas, although others may do better.) Noteworthy regular attractions include the seemingly endless beaches and the numerous watersports activities.

Tourism / When to Go
U.S. and Canadian tourists require a passport. U.S. citizens also can show a birth certificate plus driver's license.

Cancun is not a cruise destination because it does not have a cruise port, but it certainly is a stopover destination. Only Dominican Republic and Jamaica are more popular.

It is a unique in that the most popular month is July followed by December and then June.. The summer popularity flies in the face of the summertime hurricane threat. Visting is made even easier by the high number of flights from the states and the fact that it is only 1.5 hours from Miami and four hours from Chicago.

Weather
The average yearround temperature is 80 degrees. Some research indictates that Cancun gets touched or hit by a hurricane on average about once every two to three years. Most recently, tourists were forced to flee the island in August 2007 because of Hurricane Dean.

Currency / Tipping
Currency is the Mexican Peso, but U.S. currency and most major credit cards are widely accepted. Tipping is generally 10-15 percent with 15 percent being more common. The hotel room tax is 12 percent, and the departure tax is $17.

Culture / Geography
The official language is Spanish, but English is widely spoken. The low-lying island located in the state of Quintana Roo is about 16 miles long and about a half mile wide. The longest barrier reef in the Americas is just offshore and helps create a unique L-shaped lagoon. Cancun Island connects to the mainland city of Cancun by a causeway.

More information
Mexico Tourism Board: http://www.visitmexico.com
Mexican Government Tourism Office: (800) 446-3942
Caribbean Tourism Organization: http://www.onecaribbean.org
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: http://www.noaa.gov