YOUR GUIDE TO CANCUN Getting Here Cancun has an international airport. Flights arrive at Cancun International Airport (CUN) daily (Tel: (9) 886-0028). The airport is 9 (17 kms.) miles southwest of the hotel and resort area. The airport is one of Mexico's best and busiest. Several shops, restaurants, bars, and rental car agencies can be found here. From the airport, taxis ($14-$16) and colectivos ($8-$9) are available. The colectivos are basically small buses or vans, and they will usually try to fill it before leaving. Most major rental car companies have airport counters. Some hotels have free shuttles, or may charge a small fee, inquire with your hotel. You will need to take a taxi back to the airport upon departure as most collectivos only run one way. Inquire with your hotel. Lodgings Cancun may be Mexico's most popular resort, it certainly is it's largest. Big with the international crowd as well as North Americans, Cancun boasts of over 23,000 hotel, condo and resort rooms. In the Resort zone, you'll fine everything from Gran Turismo (basically 6 stars) to 3 and 4 star beach resorts. For budget travelers, Cancun City has many options. You will also find many smaller beach inns & rentals as you move south or to the islands of Mujeres and Cozumel. Whatever your preference, you'll find it in or around Cancun. Getting Around You can always find taxis throughout Cancun. Your hotel can set up a pick-up for you. Negotiate your price beforehand. Most local trips will be in the 20 peso range. If you want to go downtown from the hotel zone or the other way around, the cost is around 30-35 pesos. Cancun also has public bus service (cheap - 4-6 pesos) which runs from the tourist area all the way to downtown (El Centro). These buses run every five to ten minutes most of the day. Mopeds, motorcycles, and cars can be rented at several locations. Diving & Fishing The waters surrounding Cancun are legendary for their clarity and diversity. You can snorkel right off the beach or scuba dive/snorkel over the "Mayan Reef" on Mexico's Caribbean. Famous dive spots like Palancar, El Bajito, Manchones and Chitales are all nearby. There is also the Cave of the Sleeping Sharks where divers can sometimes "pet" the sharks. Isla Mujeres is probably the most scenic place in the area for diving & snorkeling though. Deep sea fishing is available throughout Cancun. Marlin, sailfish, tuna and dorado are available during their respective seasons. Golf Cancun has 4 18-hole golf courses available for the avid golfer. In Cancun you'll find one at each tip of the island. The other two courses are found to the south on the Mayan Riviera. Kayaking & Windsurfing Kayakers & windsurfers will find Cancun's waters perfect for your enjoyment. For calmer waters, try the protected Nichupté Lagoon or the northern end of Cancun Island. Jet skiing, parasailing and regular sailing are also popular in this water paradise. Bullfights Every wednesday, you'll find the classic struggle of man (bullfighter or torrero) against beast (bull or toro) downtown at the Plaza de Toros Cancun. Dances, cockfights and traditional cuisine can sometimes be experienced here also. Dining From continental dining, to fresh seafood, to traditional Mayan cuisine, Cancun offers a truly dazzling assortment of dining options. There are over 300 restaurants in the general area. Settings range from fast food to casual bistros, to elegant, themed surroundings. Overall dining downtown (El Centro) tends to be less expensive than dining in the resort zone. Many hotels have excellent restaurants and offer cuisines of enormous variety. A recent wave of competition (hotel restaurants competing with non-hotel restaurants) has brought down dining prices. American fast food outlets are plentiful, although prices are higher than back home. Don't miss trying some of the delicious local Mayan dishes, such as Cochinita Pibil (suckling pig baked in banana leaves with a rich annatto sauce), Papadzules (tortillas stuffed with boiled eggs in a pumplin seed sauce), or Panuchos (open tortillas topped with friend balck beans, chicken and pickled onions). The local beer is Montejo, a hearty brew made in Merida. A fun way to start the evening is to "hotel hop" taking in several excellent happy hours, a variety of live music, and some incredibly beautiful resort settings. For those wanting a little adventure, try one of the popular sunset cocktail or dinner cruises. There area also dozens of Mexican-themed Fiesta Nights, and Las Vegas-style floor shows at several restaurants. Nightlife Nightlife in Cancun is abundant, more than in almost any other resort in Mexico. While several large discos seem to be the last and wildest stop (until the early morning hours) on the continuous party scene, you'll find many offerings in between. Remember, most discos don't open until 10 or 11pm, so many restaurant bars offer happy hours, and live music ranging from reggae to solo guitar in the late afternoon and early evening. You'll also find may bar/restaurant types that have their own idea of fun waiting for you from the early afternoon to late at night. Cancun is a haven for non-stop nightlife. Shopping As Mexico's most popular tourist destination, Cancun has many fine shopping centers with everything from street side jewelry stands, clean grocery stores and shopping malls with every imaginable item. You'll find plenty of opportunities to purchase gifts, travel needs, sporting goods, fine jewelry, quality liquor and more. The majority of shopping tends to be centered around the several large indoor shopping centers throughout the Cancun peninsula. Several air conditioned shopping malls can be found around the central part of Cancun, around the Convention Center, as well several shopping and entertainment centers along the hotel strip. Cancun City, where most of the local population lives, also has numerous shops of interest for those willing to explore beyond the beach areas. In Cancun, no matter where you are, there is great shopping to find and it's all within easy reach of your hotel, either by taxi or by the inexpensive buses that continuously shuttle people around for just a few pesos Text and photos copyrighted by MexOnline.com LLC, 2004. Reprinted here by permission.