Just South of Puerto Juarez is a road that hugs the coast south to a posh new Mexican resort development called Cancun. There is a highway causeway to the island, as well as a jet airport. Some 30 luxury hotels operated by major chains have been built. Cancun having a golf course, marinas, many restaurants, villas and a 5 star resort Moon Palace. Aside from the luxury hotels, some moderately priced accommodations are also available. Cancun is most popular for its beautiful whitesand beaches and mayan riviera.
One important facility that won't have to be built is a sparkling white sand beach it is already there. Cancun offers the best of the cast coast's most alluring characteristics: the crystalline turquoise water is ideal for skin diving and snorkeling, and the tropical vegetation is highlighted by such trees as chicle, mangrove, and coconut. Lagoons for privacy, ultrafine sand peppered with pink conch shells, and loads of sunshine all point to Cancun as the eventual Acapulco of the Mexican Caribbean.
Mayan Ruins
Two sets of Mayan ruins lie on Isla Cancun and though neither is particularly impressive, both are worth a look if time permits. In the Zona Arqueologica El Rey, on the west side of Boulevard Kukulcan between Km 17 and Km 18, are a small temple and several ceremonial platforms, open 8 am to 5 pm daily; admission is US$5, and visitors are occasionally required to be accompanied by a guide. The much smaller Yamil Lu'um is a top a beachside knoll on the parklike grounds separating the Sheraton Cancun and Piramides Cancun towers. Only the outwardsloping remains of the weathered temple's walls still stand, but the ruin makes for a pleasant venture, as much for its lovely setting as anything else. Admission is free; to reach the site visitors must pass through either of the hotels flanking it or approach it from the beach; there is no direct access from the boulevard.
Most hotels and travel agencies work with companies that offer tours to various Mayan ruins sites outside Cancun.
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The Cancun Travel Guide
Cancun Beaches
Under Mexican law you have the right to walk and swim on every beach in the country except those within military compounds. In practice, it is difficult to approach many stretches of beach without walking through the lobby of a hotel, particularly on Isla Cancun However, unless you look suspicious or unless you look like a local (the hotels tend to discriminate against locals, particularly Mayans), you'll usually be permitted to cross the lobby and proceed to the beach.
The sand varies little from one beach to another, but the personalities of the crowds on them vary greatly. If you want a party atmosphere, head to the north end of Playa Gaviota Azul, directly behind the Forum mall on Punta Cancun If you're looking for a 'local scene,' head to Playa San Miguelito and neighboring Playa Delfines, both bordered by public parking lots. Because locals don't need to pass through hotels to use these beaches, they tend to congregate here. In addition to the good snorkeling at Playa Garrafon, a handful of lovely reef dives. Arrecife Barracuda, La Bandera, Manchones Xico, El Jigueo and Arrecife Manchones, among others lie within a short boat ride of the island.