Cancun, Mexico is located on the most southern tip of Mexico, at the Yucatán Peninsula, which is flanked by both the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Driving from the airport, I saw a beautiful palm tree-lined highway with massive resorts along the beach. I was really struck by the unique architecture of the resorts, many taking design ideas from the ancient Mayans. The beaches and warm coral blue-colored waters made for a magnificent setting.
While in Cancun, we took a day trip to see the ancient Mayan ruins in Tulum. The formerly walled port city was one of the last to be built by the Mayans and the archaeological sites has been well preserved. The main building is a large stone structure called El Castillo which sits atop a rocky cliff above the beach. There is also the Temple of the Frescoes and the Temple of the Descending God. After Tulum we continued down to Xel-Ha Park, which is a aquatic theme park and ecotourism development. While there I was able to snorkel the cenotes, zip line, cliff diving and much, much more. I highly recommend a visit to Xel-Ha while in Mexico.
The food, music, culture and more of Cancun made it a unique vacation destination!
