Maya Museum
Maya Museum
Maya Museum (Blvd. Kukulcan, Km. 16, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) — After a six-year, $15 million investment, the Maya Museum opened in November 2012 in Cancun’s hotel zone. Ancient Mayan culture is promoted through hundreds of artifacts, including 14,000 year-old skeletal remains discovered in the underwater caves of Tulum. The adjacent San Miguelito archaeological site is open to the public as well.
Cancun’s Maya Museum includes 350 archeological artifacts that took 30 years of research to procure, includes relics that have never been shown as well as others that were discovered in recent excavations. Other displays in the museum were previously exhibited at different venues like the Museo Regional de Yucatan or “Canton Palace” and the former Archeological Museum of Cancun.
Cancun’s Maya Museum boasts three exhibition halls of more than 4,400 square feet, two permanent and one temporary venue for national and international exhibitions. An exhibition of 14,000-year-old skeletal remains is the first things to explore when you enter the museum. Discovered in the last 12 years in Tulum’s underwater caves, these remnants offer important clues of the arrival of mankind to the American continent.
Food in Cancun
Food in Cancun
DINING
Despite the heavy presence of fast food eateries in Cancún, especially within the shopping malls, there is a variety of dining options for various budgets. Restaurants divide into roughly three categories: expensive and international in resort hotels; independent establishments along the lagoon (with great sunset views); and inexpensive Mexican eateries in El Centro (Cancún City).
For those willing to splurge, an interesting way to combine dinner with sightseeing is aboard the Lobster Dinner Cruise (www.thelobsterdinner.com). Cruising around the turquoise blue waters of the lagoon, passengers feast on steak and lobster dinners accompanied by wine. Cost is US$89 per person for the surf-and-turf menu. The two daily departures are from the Aquatours Marina (Blvd. Kukulcán km 6.5). A sunset cruise leaves at 5pm during the winter and 5:30pm during the summer; a moonlight cruise leaves at 8pm winter, 8:30pm summer.
Aside from that, many of the finer restaurants and boutiques in the Cancún area are on Avenida Bonampak, making it the continuation of Boulevard Kukulcán. The restaurants in the Parque de las Palapas, just off Avenida Tulum, serve decently-made Mexican food.
In terms of dress codes at most Cancún restaurants, visitors should keep in mind that casual wear is acceptable, but many restaurants do not allow bare feet, short shorts, or bathing suits, and require shirts. At upscale restaurants, pants, skirts, or dresses are required.
Yamil Lu’um
Yamil Lu’um
Yamil Lu’um (Blvd. Kukulcan, Km. 10, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) — Located on Cancún’s highest point (the name means “hilly land”), this archaeological site is on the grounds of the Park Royal Cancún and Westin Lagunamar, which means that non-guests can only visit from the beach side. The concierges at either hotel may let you enter through their property if you ask nicely, but otherwise head to Playa Marlín and you can admire the ruins from a distance. Although it consists of two structures—one probably a temple, the other probably a lighthouse—this is the smallest of Cancún’s ruins. Discovered in 1842 by John Lloyd Stephens, the ruins date from the late 13th or early 14th century. Keep an eye out for roaming iguanas.
Cambalache
Cambalache Restaurante
Cambalache (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 9 at Plaza Forum, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) — This Argentinean steak house definitely looks the part – its interior is rustic yet elegant, with dark wooden tables and arched brick ceilings. Traditional empanadas (turnovers stuffed with spinach and cheese) are always a good appetizer. Wine lovers may want to sample the house cocktail, clericot, made from red wine, sparkling cider, and fresh fruit. Although tenderloin steak is the most popular choice here, the lamb threaded on skewers and grilled over a brick fire is also delicious. Be sure to leave room for alfajor, a crisp pastry dessert layered with caramel and pecans. The tango music coupled with views of Coral Negro Market give this restaurant an international flair, and help you forget that you’re inside a shopping mall. With enough room for 350 people, the dining room tends to get rather loud at night, and there’s no outdoor seating.
Transportation in Cancun
Transportation
TRANSPORTATION
The best way to explore Cancún is by hopping on one of the public buses that run between the Zona Hotelera and El Centro. The cost is 75¢ no matter how far you go. Taxis from the Zona to El Centro cost anywhere from 150 pesos ($12) to 250 pesos ($20) each way. A more affordable alternative is to catch a north-bound bus to the Kukulcán-Bonampak intersection, which marks the beginning of El Centro. From here, you can explore by foot or flag down a taxi to your area of choice.
A taxi to almost anywhere within El Centro costs around 40 pesos ($3). If you want to get a taste of downtown culture, start at the colorful Mercado Veintiocho or Parque de las Palapas. To return to the Hotel Zone, take a taxi to the Chedraui on Avenida Tulum and then catch a bus that passes every few minutes toward the Hotel Zone
Ruinas El Rey
Ruinas El Rey
Ruinas El Rey (Blvd. Kukulcan, Km. 617, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) — Large signs on the Zona Hotelera’s lagoon side, roughly opposite Playa Delfines, point out the small Ruins of the King. Although much smaller than famous archaeological sites like Tulum and Chichén Itzá, this site (commonly called El Rey) is worth a visit, and makes for an interesting juxtaposition of Mexico’s past and present. First entered into Western chronicles in a 16th-century travelogue, the ruins weren’t explored by archaeologists until 1910, and excavations didn’t begin until 1954. In 1975, archaeologists began restoration work on the 47 structures with the help of the Mexican government.
Dating to the 3rd to 2nd century BC, El Rey is notable for having two main plazas bounded by two streets. (Most other Mayan cities contain only one plaza.) Originally named Kin Ich Ahau Bonil, Mayan for “king of the solar countenance,” the site was linked to astronomical practices. The pyramid is topped by a platform, and inside its vault are paintings on stucco. Skeletons interred at the apex and at the base indicate the site may have been a royal burial ground. In 2006, workmen unearthed an ancient Mayan skeleton on the outskirts of the park.
Chichén Itzá
Chichén Itzá
Chichén Itzá (El Castillo pyramid)(Tulum, Yucatan – 179 km. west of Cancún) — some time before Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, this site was once a thriving Mayan city, considered one of the largest in existence. The pyramid that marks this location exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico and of the Puuc and Chenes styles of the northern Maya lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion. Due to its prominence, at least 1 million tourists visit it annually.
Along with the main attraction (El Castillo pyramid, a.k.a. Pyramid of Kukulkán), there are: Juego de Pelota (Main Ball Court), the North Temple, Temple of Jaguars, Tzompantli (Temple of the Skulls), Platform of the Eagles, Platform of Venus, Sacred Cenote, Temple of the Warriors, Tomb of the High Priest, and other Mayan ruins.
About Cancun
Cancun
The history of Cancun dates back to 1967 when the Mexican government, recognizing the importance of tourism to the country’s economic future, began a detailed search to pinpoint ideal sites for tourism development. Resting on the northeast corner of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo (keen-tah-nah-ROW), Cancun, which was a remote sandbar for decades, was actually a part of the ancient Mayan civilization and is still considered the gateway to El Mundo Maya (the Mayan World). Since the 1970s, the Cancun area was gradually developed – hotel by hotel, resort by resort – to what it has become today – one of the major tourist destinations in the Caribbean Basin. For a variety of reasons, Americans and Canadians in particular have favored Cancún over other destinations in Mexico.
Cancun has the distinction of being the one Caribbean destination with the infrastructure, modern amenities (spruced up in 2006) and service philosophy to rival leisure destinations worldwide. Unlike many other parts of the Caribbean and Mexico, Cancun was built specifically for tourism, and continues to meet the needs of its over 3 million annual visitors. Cancun delivers to travelers the best of many worlds: the Caribbean and Mexico; modern and ancient; action-packed and laid back. Cancun is unequaled in its ability to offer cultural treasures, natural beauty, infinite activities and North American-style conveniences. Over 1,200 archaeological sites are scattered within a few hour’s drive from Cancún. Many sites have been wonderfully restored, while others are still shrouded by tangled jungle vegetation.
Due to its near perfect weather, natural beauty and easy accessibility from North American gateways, Cancun emerged as the government’s top candidate. What was once a remote and tiny fishing village of just 12 families was cultivated into the ideal Mexican vacation spot. It capitalized on, without compromising, the region’s natural resources. Cancun’s hospitality staff is found to be among the best-trained in the world at leading hotel brands represented in here—from the major names in affordable accommodations such as Best Western and Holiday Inn to the very best in luxury such as Ritz-Carlton to Hilton.
