General Information about Cancun

Located in Mexico, Cancun is filled with wonderful landscapes, warm beaches, and ancient sites.

Mexico

Mexico is a North American country. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico.

Peso is the currency of Mexico. To know its exchange rate, you may access this web site.

In order to know if you need a VISA to visit Mexico, please visit this web site.

You might need to have a power plug adapter if travelling to Mexico. Please observe the current general Mexican specifications:

• Voltage: 127 V
• Frequency: 60 Hz
• Power sockets: type A / B

Cancun

Cancun is in the South-east of Mexico, in the Yucatan Peninsula, at the Caribbean coast.

The city is easily reached through Cancún International Airport.

Cancún has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical wet and dry climate with few temperature differences between seasons. The city is warm year-round, and moderated by onshore trade winds, with an annual mean temperature of 27.1 °C (80.8 °F). Unlike inland areas of the Yucatán Peninsula, sea breezes restrict high temperatures from reaching 35 °C (95 °F) on most afternoons.

Cancun time zone is six hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Daylight Saving Time begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October.

Interesting Facts about Cancun

• Its beaches have white sand, which is made from crushed coral and is not hot to the touch.
• Its airport is the 2nd busiest in Mexico (only Mexico City's airport is busier) and it has the most international traffic of any airport in Latin America. In 2009, over 11 million foreign travelers arrived in Cancun, by air. Cancun's airport has 2 runways that can be used simultaneously and it's control tower is the tallest in Latin America (the 18th tallest in the world).
• Cancun first appeared on maps in the 18th century and there were only 3 residents when development of the resort area started in January 1970. Today, there are over 700,000 residents and over 24,000 hotel rooms, in Cancun's hotel zone.
• Over a third of Mexico’s tourism revenue is generated from Cancun. Largely due to it’s fantastic weather and beautiful beaches. Cancun enjoys no less than 240 days of sunshine.
• It is very easy and cheap to get around Cancun by bus. You can catch a bus to most places within Cancun and there is a bus every hour from Cancun Airport to Downtown Cancun. From the Cancun bus terminal in downtown Cancun you will find regular services to all parts of Mexico.

Major Attractions in Cancun

The Coral Reef. This is one of the best attractions Cancun has to offer. The underwater world is filled with colourful fish and sea life that we rarely have opportunity to see. There are several ways to see the reef.

• Scuba Diving
• Snorkeling
• Submarine

Chichen Itza. This is the largest and most spectacular site of Mayan ruins in the area. It is a 2 and a half hour drive from Cancun. It is fairly inexpensive to take a public bus tour to Chichen Itza including entrance fee and a guide.

Isla Mujeres. This small island is reached though a short boat ride from Cancun; it is a laid-back beach village with a unique history. It is said that pirates would leave their women on the island for safe-keeping, hence the name Isla Mujeres. Quaint shops with many handmade crafts line the beaches. While on Isla Mujeres, you can go to Playa Norte, which is the most beautiful beach with calm, shallow water. You can get to the island by catamaran, private catamaran, or large, double-decker party boat. You can also take the public ferry from Cancun to Isla Mujeres.

Eco-parks. Eco-parks are jungle reserves with tourist activities working in unison to preserve the jungle ecosystem and provide entertainment and an educational experience for tourists. There are several eco-parks in the Riviera Maya now with different activities.

Cenotes. Cenotes are fresh water underground and interlinking cave systems unique to the Yucatan Peninsula. You can see cenotes at some of the eco-parks listed above, but there are a handful of others. There are a couple cenotes outside of Coba Mayan ruins and Cenote Ik Kil is close to Chichen Itza if you are planning a trip to those ruins you could add on a stop at the cenotes.