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ESCAPE TO CANCUN
Story by Andrea Gross; photos by Irv Green
Don't underestimate the wisdom of the college set. When they dub a place worthy of a spring break invasion, it has to have certain attributes- mainly sun and fun. The same attributes, in other words, that you want for your own getaway.
The lesson is simple: avoid Cancun in March when the place is overrun by the hedonistic young. But any other time of year, by all means vaya y disfrute [go and enjoy]. Not, of course, that you'll need Spanish to do so.
Cancun is Mexico made easy. It's safe, clean and sparkly, especially in winter when the temperature rises to the high eighties. The sun highlights beaches that have sand as fine as sugar, water that ranges from lapis lazuli to translucent turquoise, and forests of emerald green. As for the hotels, they have air-conditioning, purified water and maids who sprinkle flowers on your sheets and fold the ends of toilet tissue rolls into intricate fans.
For a place with abundant natural beauty, Cancun is a most un-natural town, one of the few cities in the world that was conceived through the marriage of government and computer.
As recently as the late 1960s, Cancun was a mostly deserted stretch of land, pristine beaches without footprints. It's safe to say that the few natives who fished in the crystal clear water had no idea that their homeland had won a government-sponsored search for Mexico's most promising tourist destination, one that would bring much needed hard currency into the country. In 1974 the first hotels opened, and life on the Yucatan Peninsula was forever changed.
While ardent conservationists may argue that thousands of hotel rooms and millions of visitors despoils the environment, for the most part the government has restricted development to specific areas and taken care to preserve the region's physical beauty and honor its ancient heritage.
That heritage, which centers around the Maya culture, is what sets a trip to Cancun apart from, let's say, a trip to winter-friendly Florida. Where else can one swim in the shadow of a 800-year-old temple? Where else can one play golf amidst the ruins of an ancient city? The juxtaposition of past and present permeates the Yucatan; the easy access to both gives Cancun a special aura. It truly does have something for everyone, from athlete to archaeologist, adult to child.
WHERE TO START
By the time you get to your hotel, you'll be ready for a relaxing drink in the hotel lounge. An icy margarita is always a good choice, or you can plunge deeper into the culture with an anise-flavored liqueur, xtabentun, reputed to be the choice of the Mayan rulers. If you need a caffeinated jolt, try café de olla, a traditional Mexican favorite made with raw sugar and cinnamon. The kiddies can indulge in a drink of Mexican hot chocolate. Properly fortified, you're...
OFF TO THE BEACH!
Assuming you're staying in the Hotel Zone, you'll technically be on a long, narrow island, although the 33-foot bridge connecting it to the mainland is barely noticeable. The hotels, along with a seemingly infinite number of restaurants, shops and malls, are lined up along the main boulevard. To the north and east is the open sea; to the west, sheltered lagoons. Between them, all types of water activities are abundantly available- sport fishing, sailing, jet skiing, kayaking, parasailing, water skiing, wind surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving. For those who want to see the sea without getting wet, various companies offer rides in submarines or glass-bottom boats.
Another watersport, swimming in a cenote, is a Yucatan specialty. A cenote is an underground, water-filled cave [the word is derived from the Maya word dzonot, meaning "well"]. They were once considered sacred by the Maya; now they're considered great fun by the adventurous.
For those who like water activities mixed with cultural insights, there are two not-to-be-missed.
ECO-PARKS
Legend says that man received Xel-ha, which means "the place where the water is born," as a present from the Maya gods. It's hard to imagine a more delightful gift. Riddled with rivers and on the edge of a large inlet, it's perfect for snorkeling, swimming or inner-tubing. Well-cleared pathways meander through controlled jungle where occasional Mayan relics hint of the past, and knowledgeable guides are on hand to explain why, for example, the ceiba tree was considered sacred, why the Mayan hut is open on the east and west, and why the pijibi ducks walk in pairs. www.xel-ha.com
Xcaret is more developed but far short of Disneyesque. An award-winning example of ecologically-sound tourism, the park combines water-fun (snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing and, for an extra price, swimming with the dolphins), horseback riding, nature exhibits (from botanical gardens to a wild bird aviary and butterfly pavilion) and an excellent introduction to Mayan traditions.
The park is an arrive-early, stay-late destination. Even water-leary visitors will enjoy an inner-tube float down one of its two rivers where they can lazily drift past rocky grottos, emerald forests and a replicated Maya village.
Near the park entrance a large room houses scale models of Mayan ruins. They're not, unfortunately, painted to resemble the glistening structures of the past, but they're good preparation for later visits to the actual sites.
During the day dancers perform ceremonial dances, sometimes remembering the Aztecs, who once ruled central Mexico, but more often depicting the Maya. Finally, the evening performance details the history of Mexico in music and dance. It's a whirling, twirling extravaganza that has caught the attention of Disney officials who just may import it, in whole or in part, to Florida. www.xcaret.com
Now, both educated and exercised, you're ready to see the...
MAYA SITES
In the three thousand years from 1500 BC to the Spanish conquest in the early sixteenth century,the Maya developed a civilization noted for its sophisticated understanding of astronomy, agriculture and architecture. Five sites in or near Cancun provide different views of a remarkable people.
Ruinas del Rey's fame is directly related to its proximity to the hotel zone. It's a relatively small site, but it's easy accessibility makes it a good introduction to the more interesting structures a bit further away. It dates back to the thirteenth century and is stylistically similar to Tulum, which is the ruin-of-choice for those who want to mix archaeology with picnicking and swimming.
Tulum is a picture-postcard ruin, perched atop a high cliff overlooking blue waters. It was a temple, a walled fortress and a commercial port and was still thriving long after other Mayan cities had failed. The Spanish never directly conquered the site; it disintegrated when, as a result of the conquest, commerce was disrupted.
If Tulum is Maya-by-the-sea, Coba is Maya-in-the-forest. It's a large site, nearly 30 square miles, and archaeologists believe it was once home to 40,000 people and encompassed nearly 30 square miles. It's still a work-in-progress with roads yet to be cleared and 5,000 mounds waiting to be excavated. Exciting? Yes. But buses park far away and, unlike Ek Balam, reaching the ruins requires a trek through forested paths. Wear comfortable shoes.
As recently as 1998 Ek Balam was a mostly forgotten site, hidden by an overgrown jungle. Today National Geographic is studying it and clearing has begun, yet most tourists ignore it in favor of trips to the better-known and better-preserved ruins of Tulum and Chichén Itza. A big mistake. Archaeologists think that Ek Balaam, which would have towered above Chichén Itza, was once an important and influential city.But most of all, its still-untrampled surroundings give visitors the feel of, quite literally, traveling back into antiquity.
Finally there's Chichén Itza, three hours away by highway, more if you drive through small Mayan villages. But as one of the Maya world's most well-known sites, going to the Yucatan without seeing Chichén Itza is akin to visiting China without seeing the Great Wall. It was once the center of political, religious and military power in the region and its architecture reflects the gradual changes in thought and lifestyle of the ancients. Of particular interest to the ghoulishly as well as culturally inclined: huge structures devoted to human sacrifice.
Don't underestimate the wisdom of the college set. When they dub a place worthy of a spring break invasion, it has to have certain attributes- mainly sun and fun. The same attributes, in other words, that you want for your own getaway.The lesson is simple: avoid Cancun in March when the place is overrun by the hedonistic young. But any other time of year, by all means vaya y disfrute [go and enjoy]. Not, of course, that you'll need Spanish to do so.
Cancun is Mexico made easy. It's safe, clean and sparkly, especially in winter when the temperature rises to the high eighties. The sun highlights beaches that have sand as fine as sugar, water that ranges from lapis lazuli to translucent turquoise, and forests of emerald green. As for the hotels, they have air-conditioning, purified water and maids who sprinkle flowers on your sheets and fold the ends of toilet tissue rolls into intricate fans.
For a place with abundant natural beauty, Cancun is a most un-natural town, one of the few cities in the world that was conceived through the marriage of government and computer.
As recently as the late 1960s, Cancun was a mostly deserted stretch of land, pristine beaches without footprints. It's safe to say that the few natives who fished in the crystal clear water had no idea that their homeland had won a government-sponsored search for Mexico's most promising tourist destination, one that would bring much needed hard currency into the country. In 1974 the first hotels opened, and life on the Yucatan Peninsula was forever changed.
While ardent conservationists may argue that thousands of hotel rooms and millions of visitors despoils the environment, for the most part the government has restricted development to specific areas and taken care to preserve the region's physical beauty and honor its ancient heritage.
That heritage, which centers around the Maya culture, is what sets a trip to Cancun apart from, let's say, a trip to winter-friendly Florida. Where else can one swim in the shadow of a 800-year-old temple? Where else can one play golf amidst the ruins of an ancient city? The juxtaposition of past and present permeates the Yucatan; the easy access to both gives Cancun a special aura. It truly does have something for everyone, from athlete to archaeologist, adult to child.
WHERE TO START
By the time you get to your hotel, you'll be ready for a relaxing drink in the hotel lounge. An icy margarita is always a good choice, or you can plunge deeper into the culture with an anise-flavored liqueur, xtabentun, reputed to be the choice of the Mayan rulers. If you need a caffeinated jolt, try café de olla, a traditional Mexican favorite made with raw sugar and cinnamon. The kiddies can indulge in a drink of Mexican hot chocolate. Properly fortified, you're...
OFF TO THE BEACH!
Assuming you're staying in the Hotel Zone, you'll technically be on a long, narrow island, although the 33-foot bridge connecting it to the mainland is barely noticeable. The hotels, along with a seemingly infinite number of restaurants, shops and malls, are lined up along the main boulevard. To the north and east is the open sea; to the west, sheltered lagoons. Between them, all types of water activities are abundantly available- sport fishing, sailing, jet skiing, kayaking, parasailing, water skiing, wind surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving. For those who want to see the sea without getting wet, various companies offer rides in submarines or glass-bottom boats.
Another watersport, swimming in a cenote, is a Yucatan specialty. A cenote is an underground, water-filled cave [the word is derived from the Maya word dzonot, meaning "well"]. They were once considered sacred by the Maya; now they're considered great fun by the adventurous.
For those who like water activities mixed with cultural insights, there are two not-to-be-missed.
ECO-PARKS
Legend says that man received Xel-ha, which means "the place where the water is born," as a present from the Maya gods. It's hard to imagine a more delightful gift. Riddled with rivers and on the edge of a large inlet, it's perfect for snorkeling, swimming or inner-tubing. Well-cleared pathways meander through controlled jungle where occasional Mayan relics hint of the past, and knowledgeable guides are on hand to explain why, for example, the ceiba tree was considered sacred, why the Mayan hut is open on the east and west, and why the pijibi ducks walk in pairs. www.xel-ha.com
Xcaret is more developed but far short of Disneyesque. An award-winning example of ecologically-sound tourism, the park combines water-fun (snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing and, for an extra price, swimming with the dolphins), horseback riding, nature exhibits (from botanical gardens to a wild bird aviary and butterfly pavilion) and an excellent introduction to Mayan traditions.The park is an arrive-early, stay-late destination. Even water-leary visitors will enjoy an inner-tube float down one of its two rivers where they can lazily drift past rocky grottos, emerald forests and a replicated Maya village.
Near the park entrance a large room houses scale models of Mayan ruins. They're not, unfortunately, painted to resemble the glistening structures of the past, but they're good preparation for later visits to the actual sites.
During the day dancers perform ceremonial dances, sometimes remembering the Aztecs, who once ruled central Mexico, but more often depicting the Maya. Finally, the evening performance details the history of Mexico in music and dance. It's a whirling, twirling extravaganza that has caught the attention of Disney officials who just may import it, in whole or in part, to Florida. www.xcaret.com
Now, both educated and exercised, you're ready to see the...
MAYA SITES
In the three thousand years from 1500 BC to the Spanish conquest in the early sixteenth century,the Maya developed a civilization noted for its sophisticated understanding of astronomy, agriculture and architecture. Five sites in or near Cancun provide different views of a remarkable people.
Ruinas del Rey's fame is directly related to its proximity to the hotel zone. It's a relatively small site, but it's easy accessibility makes it a good introduction to the more interesting structures a bit further away. It dates back to the thirteenth century and is stylistically similar to Tulum, which is the ruin-of-choice for those who want to mix archaeology with picnicking and swimming.
Tulum is a picture-postcard ruin, perched atop a high cliff overlooking blue waters. It was a temple, a walled fortress and a commercial port and was still thriving long after other Mayan cities had failed. The Spanish never directly conquered the site; it disintegrated when, as a result of the conquest, commerce was disrupted.If Tulum is Maya-by-the-sea, Coba is Maya-in-the-forest. It's a large site, nearly 30 square miles, and archaeologists believe it was once home to 40,000 people and encompassed nearly 30 square miles. It's still a work-in-progress with roads yet to be cleared and 5,000 mounds waiting to be excavated. Exciting? Yes. But buses park far away and, unlike Ek Balam, reaching the ruins requires a trek through forested paths. Wear comfortable shoes.
As recently as 1998 Ek Balam was a mostly forgotten site, hidden by an overgrown jungle. Today National Geographic is studying it and clearing has begun, yet most tourists ignore it in favor of trips to the better-known and better-preserved ruins of Tulum and Chichén Itza. A big mistake. Archaeologists think that Ek Balaam, which would have towered above Chichén Itza, was once an important and influential city.But most of all, its still-untrampled surroundings give visitors the feel of, quite literally, traveling back into antiquity.
Finally there's Chichén Itza, three hours away by highway, more if you drive through small Mayan villages. But as one of the Maya world's most well-known sites, going to the Yucatan without seeing Chichén Itza is akin to visiting China without seeing the Great Wall. It was once the center of political, religious and military power in the region and its architecture reflects the gradual changes in thought and lifestyle of the ancients. Of particular interest to the ghoulishly as well as culturally inclined: huge structures devoted to human sacrifice.
