Fodor's Cancun, Cozumel, Yucatan Peninsula 2001

by FODOR'S

• ISBN13: 9780679005520
• ISBN10: 0679005528
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2000-10-10
• Publisher: Fodor's

Summary

fodor's Cancun, cozumel, Yucatan 2001"Fodor's guides cover culture authoritatively and rarely miss a sight or museum."- National Geographic Traveler "The king of guidebooks."- Newsweek No matter what your budget or whether it's your first trip or fifteenth, Fodor's Gold Guides get you where you want to go. Color planning sectionshelp you decide where to go with region-by-region virtual tours and cross-referencing to the main text. Full-size, foldout mapkeeps you on course. Insider info that's totally up to date.Every year our local experts give you the inside track, showing you all the things to see and do -- from must-see sights to off-the-beaten-path adventures, from shopping to outdoor fun. Hundreds of hotel and restaurant choices in all price ranges-- from budget-friendly B&Bs to luxury hotels, from casual eateries to the hottest new restaurants, complete with thorough reviews showing what makes each place special. Smart Travel Tips A to Zsection helps you take care of the nitty gritty with essential local contacts and great advice -- from how to take your mountain bike with you to what to do in an emergency. We've compiled a helpful list of guidebooks that complementFodor's Cancun, Cozumel, Yucatan Peninsula 2001.To learn more about them, just enter the title in the keyword search box.Fodor's Mexico 2001Fodor's Exploring Mexico:An information-rich cultural guide in full color.Fodor's upCLOSE Mexico:Designed for travelers who want to travel well and spend less.

Table of Contents

Destination Cancun, Cozumel, Yucatan Peninsula	5	(14)
Fodor's Choice	14	(3)
Cancun	17	(35)
Exploring Cancun	20	(3)
Beaches	23	(1)
Dining	24	(7)
Lodging	31	(7)
Nightlife and the Arts	38	(2)
Outdoor Activities and Sports	40	(3)
Shopping	43	(2)
Cancun A to Z	45	(7)
Isla Mujeres	52	(19)
Exploring Isla Mujeres	54	(3)
Beaches	57	(1)
Dining	58	(2)
Lodging	60	(3)
Nightlife and the Arts	63	(1)
Outdoor Activities and Sports	64	(1)
Shopping	65	(1)
Side Trip to Isla Contoy	66	(1)
Isla Mujeres A to Z	67	(4)
Cozumel	71	(31)
Exploring Cozumel	74	(5)
Beaches	79	(1)
Dining	80	(5)
Lodging	85	(5)
Nightlife and the Arts	90	(1)
Outdoor Activities and Sports	91	(4)
Shopping	95	(2)
Cozumel A to Z	97	(5)
The Caribbean Coast	102	(42)
Punta Tanchacte to Tulum	108	(21)
Coba to Chetumal	129	(9)
The Rio Bec Route	138	(2)
The Caribbean Coast A to Z	140	(4)
Merida and the State of Yucatan	144	(50)
Merida	152	(15)
Chichen Itza and Valladolid	167	(8)
Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc	175	(5)
Progreso and the North Coast	180	(8)
Merida and the State of Yucatan A to Z	188	(6)
Campeche	194	(34)
Campeche City	202	(8)
Route 180: La Ruta de los Artesanos	210	(2)
Route 261: The Chenes Route	212	(4)
Route 186 Toward Chetumal	216	(5)
Route 180 to Villahermosa	221	(3)
Campeche A to Z	224	(4)
Background and Essentials	228	(50)
Portraits	229	(9)
Chronology	238	(6)
Smart Travel Tips A to Z	244	(28)
Spanish Vocabulary	272	(6)
Index	278	(10)
About Our Writers	288

Excerpts

Destination Cancún, Cozumel, Yucatán Peninsula

Well within living memory, the Yucatán Peninsula was a backwater of Mexico, overgrown by jungle and exceptionally hard to get to (not that it mattered to most people). Things are different now. Government-backed development, for the most part judicious, has created a Yucatán of sun, surf, unspoiled nature, shopping, nightlife, fine dining, and sundry other pleasures that can recharge your batteries. One pleasure special to the area is the splendor of Maya ruins like those of El Castillo, a pyramid at Chichén Itzá. Stripped of creepers, the ancient monument inspires awe -- just as the Yucatán, stripped of its own creepers, now inspires boundless fascination and fun.

Cancún

Where nada stood 30 years ago, Mexico's most popular destination now welcomes millions annually to more than 100 lushly landscaped hotels, most crowding a slim, 14-mile-long barrier island called the Hotel Zone. The fun here comes in all varieties, from outdoorsy to raucous to culturally enriching. With the Caribbean on one side and Laguna de Nichupté on the other, water sports are a major draw -- windsurfing, fishing, snorkeling on a coral reef just offshore. So are clear, turquoise vistas and soft white sand, like that gracing the "front yard" of the Hyatt Regency Cancún. You won't be as happy to feel soft white sand between your toes at the Pok-Ta-Pok Golf Club, one of the first-rate courses in the Hotel Zone, but views of sea and lagoon will more than repay you, and there's a small Maya ruin on the 12th hole, just to remind you where you are.

Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres is just a few miles from Cancún by boat. But it's light-years away in temperament, a laid-back counterpart to the big resorts' flash. Except when ferries disgorge cargoes of shoppers, Isla gives you more elbow room on the same white-sand beaches, with the same great diving, for much less money. A stroll on Avenida Lopez Mateos leads to the island's lovely cemetary. Take in the views along Laguna Makax, where pirates once lay in wait for treasure ships on the Spanish Main. The waters of El Garrafón National Park offer an introduction to the colorful world just offshore.

Cozumel

Mellower than Cancún, hipper than Isla Mujeres, gentle Cozumel appeals to visitors who want a bit of both worlds. Most of all, though, it lures divers. Cozumel's reefs -- especially off Playa de Palancar -- are among the finest, and the island is a star among those who go under in wet suits. Knowing a good thing, the government now protects large areas of reef and land as national parks. The showpiece is Parque Chankanaab, where you can meet a Maya Chacmool beneath the waves or a golden iguana resplendent by the lagoon. Cozumel's ruins aren't monumental, but they still impress; those at San Gervasio deserve a visit. Reef, ruins, and retailers can fill your days here, but there's good news for night owls, too: Cozumel rocks.

Caribbean Coast

South of Cancún, golf carts and tennis shops disappear and the number of acres of beach per visitor skyrockets. And what beaches. Along the Riviera Maya, as the area is called, strands are dazzling and white and the waters azure and turquoise, perfect not only for sun worshippers and snorkelers, but also for birders, beachcombers, and anyone else who likes his ocean clear and his seascapes dominated by nothing taller than the local jungle. Lodgings come in every style, from bungalows and campgrounds to glitzy resorts. There is even a Cancún-in-the-making, Playa del Carmen, where the seafood is superbly fresh and the nightlife goes on until the wee hours. Mostly, however, the Caribbean coast is about great natural beauty.

Mérida and the Yucatán

If the ancient Maya call to you, they're calling from here. The ruins in Yucatán State are unsurpassed and include world-famous Chichén Itzá, the first Maya ruin to be excavated and still the most familiar, as well as the understated, elegant Uxmal. Of course, the Maya never left the Yucatán. Maya culture is strong and vibrant. In some villages, Maya is the language of choice; in a few, it's the only option. Mérida, the state capital, is a fascinating base from which to explore: Maya meets colonial here, weaving a rich visual and cultural tapestry. Once wealthy, and still lovely in places, as evidenced by the Palacio Municipal, Mérida has endearing quirkiness and charm.

Campeche

Mellow in general, Yucatecan life is at its mellowest in this flat, rural state. Here the Maya imprint remains strong. In Becal, artisans still weave traditional hats known as jipis. And ancient ruins are numerous, architectually diverse, and richly detailed. In Campeche city it's the Spanish colonial heritage that's most palpable, notably at Fuerte San José, whose cannons forced pirates to think twice about stopping, and ensured a night's sleep for the residents of Calle 59, one of the many streets with lovely old buildings. Southern Campeche is primeval rain forest, now protected as the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, where jaguar, puma, and ocelot still stalk their pray amid tangled vegetation and more than 100 species of orchid.

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Excerpted from Cancun, Cozumel, Yucatan Peninsula: Completely Updated Every Year, Color Photos and Pull-Out Map, Smart Travel Tips from A to Z by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
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