Cancun and Cozumel lie at the tip of Quintana Roo state, brushed by the turquoise Caribbean Sea. This is the place to indulge in sunny tropical weather and blissful beaches. Or sample for yourself the unbelievably clear water that makes Cozumel one of the top diving destinations in the world. Or just relax, and let your cares melt away.

Cancun is a premier tourist attraction of Mexico. A beautiful island along the Caribbean Sea. When you dream of Cancun, you would be reminded of silky white sand beaches with the turquoise waves gushing out to meet the sand. It is the second largest reef in the world, but that is not the only reason why Cancun is so popular. Cancun offers exciting nightlife, water sports, shopping, restaurants and a chance to explore the Mayan ruins of Tulum and Chichen Itza.

In 1967, the Mexican government commissioned a study to pinpoint the ideal place for an international Caribbean resort. The computer chose Cancun, and a Cinderella-like transformation began. More vacationers come here than to any other part of Mexico, and many come again and again for the white-sand beaches, crystalline turquoise waters, sizzling nightlife, numerous restaurants, and the proximity of Maya ruins throughout the Yucatán peninsula. 
 

It's clear as you fly into Cancun that this resort was carved out of the jungle. When development began here in the early 1970s the beaches were deserted except for birds and iguanas. Now luxury hotels, shopping malls, and restaurants line the Caribbean Sea.

But there is more to Cancun than plopping yourself down under a palapa (thatched roof). Downtown offers a more authentic glimpse into the sights and sounds of Mexico. For diving and snorkeling, the reefs off Cancun and nearby Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres are among the best in the world. Cancun also makes a relaxing base for venturing to the stupendous ruins of Chichén Itzá, Tulum, and Cobá, remnants of the area's rich Maya heritage. 

The Maya people settled the area during the Pre-Classic era, around AD 200, and remained until the 14th or 15th century. But little is known about them. Other explorers seem to have overlooked the barrier island - it doesn't appear on early navigators' maps. It was never heavily populated, perhaps because its terrain of mangroves and marshes (and resulting swarms of mosquitoes) discouraged settlement. Some minor Maya ruins were discovered in the mid-19th century, but archaeologists didn't get around to studying them until the 1950s. 

Cancun has followed the typical course of any tourist resort area, first attracting the jet set and gradually welcoming less affluent tourists. Nowadays there are large numbers of package-tourists and college students, particularly during spring break when hordes of flawless, tanned young bodies fill the beaches and restaurants.

Cancún is divided into two parts: the Zona Hotelera (hotel zone), an island shaped like a number 7; and downtown Cancún, known as El Centro, 4 km (2½ mi) west of the hotel zone on the mainland. Boulevard Kukulcán is the main drag in the hotel zone, and since the island is less than 1 km (½ mi) wide, you can see both the Caribbean and the Nichupté Lagoon from either side of it.

The hotel zone consists entirely of hotels, restaurants, shopping complexes, marinas, and time-share condominiums, with few residential areas. It's not the sort of place you can get to know by walking, although there is now a bicycle/walking path connecting the Convention Center at the northern tip of the island with downtown.

Motorized transport of some sort is necessary, as sights are somewhat spread out. Public buses are good, and taxis relatively inexpensive. Renting a car is an unnecessary expense.

Click below to check out Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Chichen Itza photo galleries:

Originally named Xaman-Ha (waters of the north) Playa del Carmen is a living vibrant part of the Maya World (Mundo Maya). Located on the beautiful Mexicana Caribbean coast some 40 miles (60 kms.) south of Cancun, Playa , as it is now affectionately known, is the perfect base from which to explore the fascinating sites along the Cancun - Tulum Corridor of Quintana Roo (now called Mayan Riviera or Riviera Maya). 

Playa del Carmen is blessed with miles of unspoiled white sandy beaches and crystal-clear Caribbean waters that's proving harder and harder to find. It's a place for those in search of the real Caribbean. Experience Playa del Carmen and the endless adventures Mundo Maya has to offer.