DISCOVER CANCUN, Mexico
Cancun is a coastal city in Mexico's easternmost state, Quintana Roo. It is the municipal seat of Benito Juárez municipality and a world renowned tourist resort with modern beachfront hotels surrounded by Isla Mujeres ("Women Island"), the Caribbean Sea, and the Nichupte and Bojorquez lagoons. The mainland downtown commercial section (Cancun City), connected to the island by two bridges, has broad avenues lined with shops, restaurants, and hotels.
The older section of the city, which follows the original master plan, consists of neighborhoods called supermanzanas (superblocks) that are formed by the intersections of the boulevards. They are characterized by winding streets with cul-de-sacs that tend to keep out the main flow of traffic, and usually have one or more parks and other green spaces.
In order to save on the cost of installing sewage systems and other public services, the design of much of the rest of the city reverted to the grid plan after Hurricane Gilbert (1988). The newest upper-middle-class residential areas reflect the original plan, but are much less initimate. Less expensive developments are comprised almost entirely of identical one- or two-story small row houses, sometimes built around interior plazas. Almost all buildings on the mainland are under four stories high.
 TOURISM IN CANCUN
There are about 140 hotels in Cancun with 24,000 rooms and 380 restaurants. Four million visitors arrive each year in an average of 190 flights daily. The Hotel Zone of Cancun is shaped like a backwards 7 with bridges on each end connecting to the mainland. Hotels on the vertical or long side of the 7 tend to have rougher beaches and beach erosion can be a problem. Resorts on the horizontal or short end of the seven tend to have more gentle surf because the waves here are blocked by the island of Isla Mujeres which lies just off shore.
The Hotel Zone offers a broad range of accommodations, ranging from relatively inexpensive motel-style facilities in the older section closest to the mainland, to high-priced luxury hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton in the later sections. Many of the hotels are time-share condominiums with kitchen facilities. Some all inclusive hotels where all meals, drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic, hotel activities, entertainment, non motorized water sports, tips and taxes are included in the price of the hotel rooms.
There are also upscale private residences and lavish condominiums for rent that cater to the rich and famous. Restaurants, bars and shops in the hotel zone tend to be rather expensive compared with the downtown area and other Mexican resorts. Here travelers will find many recongnized theme restaurants and clubs. Although the Hotel Zone is frequently described as "posh" or "exclusive" the main Cancun tourism market is middle- and upper-middle-class, according to government statistics, which also report that more than 37% of Cancun visitors are Mexican.
On the opposite side of the island from the Caribbean Sea is the Nichupte Lagoon, which is used for boating excursions and jet-ski jungle tours.
Downtown is home to less expensive places to shop, including supermarkets such as Walmart, Comercial Mexicana and Soriana, not to mention several flea markets like the one in the Hotel Zone.
• Restaurants
Three of the most popular restaurants to dine at while at your stay in Cancun, Mexico are Ok Maquey Cantina and Cocina Grill, Splash Restaurant, and Zandunga Cantina Beach and Mexican Grill. Each offering a variety of traditional Mexican cuisine, beef, and seafood alone with exceptional service.
• Nightlife
Downtown Cancun offers a more cultural aspect, there are cuban/salsa type bars/restaurants. There are also many clubs for all types of people, but the hotels are more accessible to all types of travellers, including some with lower rates. International brands in Downtown area include Radisson Hacienda Cancun, Best Western Plaza Caribe, Oasis America.
• Weather
The temperature of the city is warm, moderated by the marine breeze which circulates through its avenues. The temperatures are typically between 26°C and 36°C (78.8°F and 96.8°F) all year round. All hotel rooms in the Hotel Zone and most on the mainland are air conditioned.
Weather is highly variable. During winter nortes (northerly storms) temperature drops sharply. In the course of a single day, the weather can turn from bright sunshine to dark and stormy and back again. It's not uncommon to look out one window and see sunshine, while rain is falling on the opposite side. Sun showers and rainbows are frequent throughout the year, but especially during the summer rainy season.
• Ancient Mayan ruins
There are some (relatively) small ruins of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Cancun. Ruinas del Rey is located in the Hotel Zone. El Meco, a more substantial site, is found on the mainland just outside the city limits on the road to Punta Sam.
• Colleges and Universities
Although Cancun is better known as a travel and tourism destination, in recent years some colleges and universities have been offering higher educations to both Mexican and foreign students.
The first higher education institution established in the area was the Instituto Tecnológico de Cancun. Some other followed such as Universidad La Salle Cancun, Universidad Anahuac Cancun, Universidad Tecnológica de Cancun, Universidad del Caribe, and more recently the Universidad Interamericana para el Desarrollo and the Tec Milenium.
RECOVERY FROM HURRICANE WILMA
On October 21, 2005, Hurricane Wilma made landfall on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. When Hurricane Wilma finally passed, an 8-mile stretch of Cancun's beach was almost washed away, exposing a line of jagged rocks. Cancun's recovery from the storm, however, has been noteworthy, so much so that the United Nations World Tourism Organization has declared it a model to emulate in future disasters.
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
 CANCUN HOTELS AND RESORTS
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