Mexican Caribbean Things To Do

There's the Margarita on the rocks or blended, with or without salt. Orange juice and grenadine make the Tequila Sunrise a sweeter potion, and we think they taste just as splendid at sunset. And there's always the Slammer: simply lick salt, throw back a shot, and suck a lemon until all worries disappear. Feeling brave? You know you secretly want to try the worm - now's your chance.

Great for: all-inclusive resorts, beaches, snorkeling, Maya & Toltec ruins
Location: Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Airport: Cancun International Airport, CUN and Cozumel International Airport, CZM
Language: Spanish
Currency: Mexican Peso (Mex$ or MXP) - check exchange rate

Over 700 years ago, Cancun was home to the great Mayan civilization. Today, this exotic paradise joins the ancient past to the present as one of the world's most modern and exciting resort areas.

The hotel zone, which is what most tourists think of as Cancun, is a fourteen mile long, thin island shaped like a "7." To the North is the Caribbean Sea with wide-open beaches and strong waves. To the west the shore is buffeted by Isla Mujeres (Isle of Women), causing calmer waters. To the south, between the island and the mainland is the Nichupte Lagoon, which is perfect for all water sports. It is this island that was created specifically for its present purpose, as the ideal vacation destination in a totally natural tropical setting accompanied by all the amenities of life in the 21st century.

Mainland Cancun has a much different ambience than the hotel zone, because it is an area of permanent residence for some 450,000 people. Visitors who are nostalgic for their home cities will be comforted to know that the developers of Cancun included businesses such as Outback Steakhouse, Dunkin' Donuts, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, McDonalds, Wal-Mart and Blockbuster.

Unlike beaches elsewhere, the beaches in Cancun are made of crushed coral rather than crushed rock. The coral stays cool even on the hottest days; and doesn't burn the feet. The Atlantic surf is high and most of the swimming consists of bobbing in the waves. Depending on the wave and tide conditions, each section of the beach is marked with a color coded flag indicating whether it is safe to swim there.

Cancun has 200-plus days of sun a year and a temperature that averages 80F.

The Island is five miles long and half a mile wide, and only six miles from Cancun. There are three excellent beaches. Playa de los Cocos in the north end is the most popular with calm waters, silky sand and all water sports. Playa Lancheros, located at the southern end, is very secluded, featuring live sea turtle pens and a separate area for swimming. Playa Garrafon is a national underwater park that is a favorite for snorkeling. Banderas, Cuervones and Manchones are reefs for experienced divers.

Although Isla Mujeres means "island of women," men are more than welcome. At night, impromptu beach parties erupt on white sands beneath the stars.

About 36 miles south of Cancun, Cozumel offers an excellent choice of hotels and resorts, beautiful beaches with water sports of all kinds, world-famous snorkeling and diving and a National Archaeological Park with Botanical Gardens. The coral reefs are world-class.

In pre-Hispanic times Cozumel was an important Maya center. The island was sacred to the Maya Moon Goddess, Ix Chel. When you're driving to the Mayan ruins of San Gervasio, it's not just about the destination, but the journey as well. The mysterious road trip will lead you through a lush, iguana-filled jungle, into the ceremonial center where the Mayans gathered to pay homage to Ix Chel, the goddess of love and fertility. Needless to say, Ix Chel is popular with couples celebrating their honeymoon.

Cozumel has the distinction of being the largest island in Mexico as well as the largest cruise ship port. It has an exciting combination of casual sophistication and magnificence. Cozumel is a flat island with an interior covered by dense jungle, and marshy lagoons. On the western side are white sandy beaches with calm waters where you can snorkel, sail, windsurf or scuba dive. There is horseback riding on the beach. Eastern side beaches are deserted stretches of sand with dramatic rock formations and powerful surfs - a favorite place to surf or boogie board.

Extending south of Cancun to Tulum, this sacred stretch of coast, known as Riviera Maya, delivers laidback days amid Caribbean Sea surroundings. Ever since Hurricane Wilma passed on through, there's been a little more of the Riviera Maya to love, as the storm brought added sand to many of the private beaches. Compared with Cancun, the Riviera Maya is very quiet, the hotels are spread out and --many of which being all-inclusive--are designed to be destinations in and of themselves. In other words, it's perfectly okay to never leave the hotel until it's time for your return flight.

Playa Del Carmen
Originally named Xaman-Ha (waters of the north) Playa Del Carmen was once a sleepy Mexican fishing village that has been transformed into the world's fastest growing city and is known as the capital of the Riviera Maya. It is a favored destination for an increasing number of world travelers, as well as for thousands of day-trippers from Cancun and from Caribbean cruise ships.

For anyone who has dreamed of finding the perfect powdery white, sandy beach stretching along miles of turquoise blue water, Playa is the place to be! The accommodations are known for being reasonably priced, and the standard is high. The restaurants are beautifully decorated and offer good service.

If your visit to Playa del Carmen coincides with a full moon, you could camp on the beach and enjoy one of the celebrations the inhabitants hold in its honor. Playa provides an enormous variety of water activities throughout the year, ranging from swimming on the beach to more strenuous sports such as windsurfing, snorkeling, sailing or diving at the nearby reefs. There is also an 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Von Hagge. Skydiving from Playa is another possibility.

Xcaret
Once a peaceful cove, Xcaret has been transformed into a Mayan eco-archeological jungle park with Mayan ruins, tropical animals, and aquatic activities. The expansive beachfront park does a great job of combining fun with cultural education and is popular with people of all ages.

Visitors can snorkel through an underground river, splash on a protected beach, swim in a lagoon, visit a Mayan village, witness reenactments of Mayan ceremonies, and learn the regional flora and fauna at the menagerie and botanical garden. For an extra fee, you can swim with dolphins.

It's worth pulling yourself away from the hotel pool for Xcaret. By day, it teems with watery adventures, at night enjoy dinner and a riveting show filled with Mexican music and dance, both ancient and modern, including a fiery version of hockey that'll leave you on the edge of your seat.

Tulum
Considered by many as the most beautiful of the Mayan sites, it is small, but is exquisitely poised on the fifteen-meter-high cliffs above the Caribbean. The Spanish first considered it to be as large and beautiful a city as Seville, Spain. They were apparently misled by their dreams of El Dorado, by the glory of its position, and by the brightly painted facades of the buildings. Architecturally, Tulum is no match for these great cities, but it is striking in its appearance.

They may not be the biggest ruins left behind from the Mayan Empire, but Tulum arguably enjoys some of the most exquisite views from its cliff-top perch overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Explore this once-flourishing Mayan city, and then take to the beach below. If you burn easily, we recommend a sombrero, or avoiding the mid-day hours when the sun is fiercest.

Akumal
Also known as "The Place of the Turtle" Akumal is a bay protected by a coral reef, which has been developed as a natural aquarium and an excellent site to learn how to scuba dive and snorkel. It has not so shallow waters and no streams affect it, so it is like a big natural swimming pool waiting to be explored.

Xel-ha
Between Tulum and Cancún Xel-ha was a sacred city of the Maya, and one of the most important on the Mayan trade route. It is an ecological marvel in that water from the sea mixes with natural fresh water springs, forming a group of coves and lagoons. The result is a natural aquarium in which the swimmer can snorkel and dive while surrounded by tropical fish. This is considered to be the largest natural aquarium in the world.