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Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Cancún
Perched on the northeastern tip of the Yucatán, the narrow isthmus of Cancún was desolate until the 1950s, when the Mexican government set out to lure travelers to its powdery sands and crystalline waters. Today, its 14-mile-long Hotel Zone is a tourist mecca, and Cancún's airport a hub for visitors in search of authenticity in more off-the-beaten-path destinations a short drive away. With its location on the Caribbean's storm belt, raging tempests like 2005's devastating Hurricane Wilma occasionally ravage hotels and their beachfronts. But the powers-that-be in Cancún turn these disasters into opportunities, rebuilding properties with new and improved interiors and reestablishing beaches with even more sand. The majority of visitors are from the United States, and the dollar is accepted everywhere, so you don't need to exchange money or learn Spanish—just avoid the September–October rainy season, when the heat is unbearable and the waters choppy, and sudden showers can force you indoors.
Attractions & Activities The beach and its warm blue waters are Cancún's main attraction. Each hotel monitors swimming conditions on its stretch of sand, so watch for daily warning flags. For those who have had enough fun in the sun, there are several shopping complexes in the Hotel Zone. The most upscale of these is Kukulcán Plaza, a grand glass-and-steel home for luxury brands you'll find at high-end malls stateside (52-998-193-0161; kukulcan-plaza.com). Farther north, La Isla Shopping Village is an outdoor retail and entertainment complex with a sce-nic man-made river (52-998-883-5025; laislacancun.com.mx). After dark, Cancún's rowdy nightlife centers on Punta Cancún, a promontory on the northeastern tip of the Hotel Zone. To experience local color, venture into adjacent Cancún town—just across the Nichupté Channel, which separates the Hotel Zone from the mainland—where shops selling local wares and restaurants catering to locals line the narrow streets. Isla Mujeres, a sleepy island just north of Cancún, has a completely different ambience. Here, locals and tourists gather in the Zócalo, or town square, to hang out, play volleyball, and socialize. To the south are two secluded beaches, Playa Lancheros and Playa Paraíso; to the north are the best views of the Bahia de Mujeres and the Caribbean. Ferries to the island leave every half-hour from Puerto Juárez, just 15 minutes north of downtown Cancún (isla-mujeres.net; one way, $3). Don't skip Mérida, the Yucatán state capital 200 miles west of Cancún. Anchored by the leafy Plaza Mayor, this city is made for walking, with cobblestoned streets and Spanish colonial architecture embodied by a towering cathedral and the pink confection of the Municipal Palace. Thirty miles northwest of Cancun, 5,000 acres of private tropical forest at El Edén Ecological Reserve await discovery. The reserve sponsors research in biodiversity, ecosystem and wildlife management, endangered species conservation, agro-ecology, tropical forest regeneration, and a regional specialty, crocodile ecology. Visitors stay in traditional thatched-roof stilt cabanas (52-998-880-5032; uv.mx/citro/el_eden/index.html; $90 per person per night). A short drive south of Cancún lies the Riviera Maya, a hundred-mile stretch of archaeological ruins, nature preserves, and enviable beaches. Just off the coast, Cozumel has choice snorkeling and scuba diving. Ferries leave almost every hour from the pier at Playa del Carmen, an hour south of Cancún. The 45-minute boat ride is scenic and comfortable, and the marine life in Cozumel's barrier reefs is worth the trip (one way, $8). Head to Tulum to explore the Yucatán's labyrinthine underwater river systems with the Cenote Dive Center (cenotedive.com; dives, $60-$125). Lodging Cancún may have a reputation as a booze-fueled spring break hot spot, but the Hotel Zone has plenty of refined places to stay that cater to visitors already out of college and that were extensively renovated and upgraded post-Wilma. Three examples: Le Méridien Cancún Resort & Spa, the JW Marriott Cancún Resort & Spa, and the Ritz-Carlton, Cancún, all veterans of Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List of the best hotels in the world. Next door to the JW Marriott is its more affordable sister, the CasaMagna Marriott Cancún Resort, where the lobby's marble floors and soaring arches stand in majestic contrast to the simple rooms. The five Mayan-inspired pyramids of the Gran Meliá Cancún house 678 colorful, minimalist rooms and a central atrium with a hanging garden. In December 2006, the Meliá Turquesa reopened as the ME Cancún, with contemporary decor, 448 lagoon-view guest rooms, and a new 10,700-square-foot Yhi Spa. Set on the best piece of real estate in Punta Cancún, Dreams Cancún Resort & Spa has the Caribbean on three sides, which makes for stunning views from the 379 guest rooms. More a private beach house than a resort, the three-story Hotel Secreto, on Isla Mujeres, has just nine guest rooms facing the sea, each with white-on-white decor, canopied beds, and native-stone floors. The hotel can arrange excursions on sport or snorkeling boats, or you can visit the nearby downtown for its kitschy shops and excellent, well-priced restaurants. On the southwest coast of the Riviera Maya, Cozumel's recently expanded and renovated InterContinental Presidente Cozumel Resort & Spa has brightly decorated rooms with private terraces. The on-site dive center organizes undersea tours and scuba certification courses. Farther south, the Fiesta Americana Cozumel Dive Resort has a private dive pier near the Palancar reef. On Playa Xpu-Ha, the Hotel Esencia, on an 11-acre property, is earthy yet luxurious. Its 32 elegantly simple guest rooms have sumptuous bed linens and pizza-sized showerheads, and its Meso-American restaurant, Sal y Fuego, is excellent. One of the nicest beachside lodgings in Tulum is Las Ranitas, with luxe cabanas, a swimming pool, and solar-powered electricity. Fashion-biz regulars flock to the hotel Zamas every winter. Dining All Hotel Zone properties have on-site restaurants, most of which are overpriced and underwhelming. One exception is the outdoor Le St. Trop, at Le Méridien, where a lunch of Niçoise salad and crisp chardonnay over-looking the beach is heavenly (Blvd. Kukulcán, km. 14; 52-998-881-2200; entrées, $12-$20). For more traditional Mexican fare, leave the hotels behind and check out other options. At Lorito Joe's, a large swordfish hangs on the wall and the bar has a fish tank. Grab a lagoon-view table and order the Shrimp Lover's Special: a five-course tasting menu of crustacean preparations, including deviled shrimp (Blvd. Kukulcán, km. 14.6; 52-998-885-1536; entrées, $12-$44). Farther north, La Placita's rainbow-colored decor may be over-the-top (bright walls, chairs painted like fruit), but once you taste the hearty burritos and the fantastic seviche, you'll hardly mind (Blvd. Kukulcán, km. 13.5; 52-998-884-0407; entrées, $10-$32). Hacienda Sisal re-creates a Mexican village courtyard, with tables that surround a large dance floor and stage where local bands put on a nightly show. Try the flavorful manchego-stuffed chicken or the fajitas (Blvd. Ku-kulcán, km. 13.5; 52-998-848-8220; entrées, $12-$30). In downtown Cancún, El Café de la Nader is a morning favorite for its panes dulces, or pastries (52-998-884-1584; breakfast, $7). For dinner, Pericos is known for its theatricality: Order the chicken mole or the spicy beef tips and your dish will come to the table on the head of a waiter dressed like a Mexican revolutionary (61 Av. Yaxchilan; 52-998-884-3152; entrées, $12-$30). Cozumel's La Veranda fuses Mexican, West Indian, and European flavors (140 Calle 4 Norte; 52-987-872-4132; entrées, $12-$45). Tulum has a few family-style restaurants, the best being Don Cafeto (64 Av. Tulum; 52-984-871-2207; entrées, $6-$17). Que Fresco, in the Zamas hotel, is the pick of the beach, with a true pizza oven and a proprietor who keeps track of which fishermen bring in the best fish (entrées, $10-$15). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
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