Cancún is a 16-mile strip of Caribbean beach on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, bordered to the east by the Caribbean Sea, to the west by the Nichupté Lagoon, and to the north by the Bay of Mujeres. Cancún’s white sands and turquoise waters are two of the primary attributes for which developers handpicked the city thirty years ago as an ideal tourist spot. Millions of dollars in investment and a couple of decades later, Cancún has gone from coconut plantation to the most highly visited international destination for U.S. tourists, housing over 100 luxury hotels (more than 25,000 rooms), hundreds of eateries and bars, and six multi-level shopping plazas. English is spoken almost everywhere, most accommodations are oceanfront, and a bus shuttles visitors from their resorts to nearby bars and restaurants.

The region offers exceptional snorkeling, scuba diving and access to some of the world’s most magnificent coral reefs. Popular activities include golf, fishing and excursions to ecological theme parks, all of which are organized by concierges and tour companies along the strip.

The city is comprised of two areas: The Zona Hotelera, or Hotel Zone, and El Centro, Cancún’s downtown. The Hotel Zone is shaped like the number seven—its westernmost point attaches to mainland Mexico, extends east to Punta Canún (The Point), and heads south to Punta Nizuc, near Club Med. The downtown area is both residential as well as commercial, where locals live and shop year-round. Some of Cancún’s best and most authentic Mexican and Yucatecan restaurants are found on the busy downtown streets.

Capitalizing on her beautiful beaches and world-famous nightlife, Cancún has become a hedonistic resort town designed to anticipate a traveler’s every desire. Taxi drivers hail you, cocktail waitresses pour shots in your mouth, and waiters serve the likes of hamburgers and margaritas directly to your beachside chaise lounge— from morning until dusk. Still, the cultural intricacies of Mexico don’t have to elude the Cancún traveler. Ancient Mayan sites such as Chichén Itzá and Tulum are easily accessible—welcome reminders of the spirit that lives just beyond the limestone sands and booming night clubs of this Mexican tourist mecca.