In 1967, the Mexican government
commissioned a study to pinpoint the ideal place for an international
Caribbean resort. The computer chose Cancún, 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 Cancún 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 oceanfront.
But there is more to Cancún 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
Cancún and nearby Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres are among
the best in the world. Cancún 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.
Cancún 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.
