Cancún

A Caribbean resort city with 22 km of white-sand beaches and all-inclusive hotels in the Hotel Zone. Take a boat to Isla Mujeres, snorkel at the MUSA underwater museum, and swim with whale sharks in summer.

Cancún lies on the northeastern tip of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, facing the Caribbean Sea. It was planned by the government as a resort city in the 1970s. This destination uses Cancún itself as the home base and covers the Hotel Zone, the offshore islands to the north, and the coast stretching south to Puerto Morelos. Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel and theme parks such as Xcaret belong to the "Riviera Maya," and Chichén Itzá belongs to "Valladolid · Chichén Itzá"; each is covered separately. Your time here falls into four areas: ① the Hotel Zone, a 22 km, 7-shaped barrier strip with beaches, all-inclusive hotels, the Maya Museum, the El Rey ruins and Coco Bongo nightlife, while the Nichupté Lagoon on the inner side offers speedboat jungle tours; ② Downtown, home to Mercado 28 and the night market at Parque de las Palapas; ③ the sea, with Isla Mujeres, the MUSA underwater museum, the Isla Contoy bird sanctuary, and whale shark season from June to September; ④ the surrounding area, including reef snorkeling at Puerto Morelos, the Ruta de los Cenotes, and Isla Holbox, a 2-hour drive to the north. Climate: the dry season from December to April is the best time to visit, with temperatures of 24–30°C; June to November is hurricane season, with the highest risk in September–October; sargassum may pile up on beaches from roughly April to September. Getting there: Cancún International Airport (CUN) has many flights to the US and Canada; from China, connect via the US, Canada, Mexico City or Europe. ADO buses run from the airport into the city, the R-1/R-2 buses in the Hotel Zone run 24 hours, and taxis charge by zone, so agree on the fare first. We suggest 4–6 days. Notes: Chinese passport holders generally need a Mexican visa, but those holding a valid US, Canadian, Schengen, UK or Japanese visa can enter visa-free (check the latest policy before departure); cenotes and marine protected areas require biodegradable sunscreen; swimming is prohibited when red or black flags are flying on the beach.

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