Travel-and-Leisure
All About Cancun
Snorkeling: Yes, there are many costly tours for snorkeling in and around Cancun. But major expenses are not really necessary. And snorkeling in Cancun's crystal clear waters will be an experience one will never forget. The different coral and fish put you in another world. REMEMBER: All beaches in Mexico are public. This is federal law. So you can snorkel where you want. I recommend the following places:
Punta Cancun at the Camino Real Hotel; here I have often seen sea turtles as well as squid (which appear to swim backwards) and shrimp and loads of colorful tropical fishes. Some fish appear to be like little monsters. Once I saw a green star fish.
The beach at Punta Nizuc at the Club Med. The folks at Club Med are somewhat closed to outsiders using their facilities, but once again the beaches are public (this is Mexican law) and all business here must respect the law. So take the bus to the Westin Regina Hotel; enter the beach there and walk about a half-mile along the beach until you come to the Club Med beaches. Walk over some slate rock up a few steps and you're in the snorkeling area. Here you'll find lots of grunt (yellow and blue stripped fish and nice brain coral)
The best snorkeling is to be had at Cozumel which is reached via ferry at Playa del Carmen or via direct flight from Cancun on a small propeller plane.
Night Life: The heart of the night life centers around Punta Cancun (the area of the Camino Real Hotel; Fiesta Americana Coral Beach; Hotel Krystal; Salvia condo/hotel which we rent . Discos here include the new Coco Bongo as well as Dady-O and Dady Rock; Sr. Frogs and countless others. Just walk around and take in the night scene. In the same complex as Coco Bongo you will find Hard Rock Cafe and the special Rain Forest Cafe for one of the best burgers in Cancun with special jungle effects (worth a visit).
Downtown bars center on Avenida Yaxchilan and a few on Tulum Ave. The bars on Lopez Portillo are not generally frequented by tourists and can be on the sleazy side. (So I've heard; can't say I've gone there myself as my wife is watching me write this). Archeological Sites:
Chichen Itza is the most famous site in the Yucatan (about 3 hours from Cancun by car). You can rent a car or take a tour $$$ or a local bus downtown at the bus terminal. A visit here would not be complete without seeing these marvels from the past. Did you know that in the ball court of Chichen Itza there are two small structures about 300 feet distance. If your friend talks in a normal voice standing in one of the structures and you stand in the other you can hear every word perfectly. How did the Maya understand so much about acoustics so long ago? And during the spring equinox the rising of the moon causes a light-form of a serpent to appear on the steps of the great pyramid there. Chichen Itza was founded in 445 AD
Steve Spiegel
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