Cancun is a unique and special destination for holidaymakers, combining modern luxurious facilities with exciting adventures such as trips to Mayan ruins. The Cancun peninsula, located on the Caribbean side of Mexico, is 14 miles long and just a quarter of a mile wide. It was created 25 years ago by the Mexican Government with the goal of making it the ultimate in Caribbean resorts. It would be hard to find another destination offering a combination of excursions to Mayan ruins and colonial cities. The big attraction of the Yucatan, apart from its beaches, is the wonderful heritage of the Mayan civilisation which inhabited the area some 3,000 years ago.
Magnificent cities call out from their mysterious past, hidden in the jungle or overlooking the sea.
Tulum for example, perched on a promontory where the waves lap gently at the shore. Or Coba, perhaps the most extensive site, with its temples still partially covered by jungle gives a feeling of having just discovered a lost city. Leaving Cancun, the inland route passes through Valladolid, a small city with a colonial atmosphere and a number of cenotes - large underground wells from which the Mayas obtained water. The region's greatest attraction is Chichen Itza, the most famous and well restored Mayan city. Some of the monuments to be found here include the Great Pyramid, the Ball Courts, the Guerrero Temple, the figure of the diety Chac in front of a forest of columns and el Caracol , an observatory for astronomers.