While it is still cool in the morning, begin by going to check out the Mayan ruins at Ruinas del Ray, a small Mayan fishing village. Since the bigger ruins will take you all day to visit, Ruinas del Rey is a great place to see some history of this incredible land in a short amount of time. After the ruins, a perfect stop is Xcaret. This “eco-archaeological theme park” features brilliant examples of the local flora and fauna, more on the history of the Mayans and ruins to explore, an aviary, an aquarium, and a nursery for baby sea turtles. If you have time later (doubtful), come back at night for performances of dance, music, and drama. Incredible!

After all that learning, it’s time to get wet. While scuba diving tours are day-long commitments, you can still find plenty of ways to enjoy the water. On Isla Mujeres, you can visit Dolphin Discovery. After a short class, you can swim with the well-trained dolphins. This excursion only takes about one hour altogether. While there, take advantage of the water slides, rides, and pools. If you want to sacrifice another excursion and stay here, make sure to go snorkeling with the amazing tropical fish, rays, and sharks (don’t worry, they’re tame).

Next, hit the beach. The best ones are fronted by the big hotels and resorts but are on public property. Politely go through the lobby and head for the sand. Mujeres Bay is great for swimming. If you want to skip lunch, head to Rancho Loma Bonita. It is thirty miles south of Cancun, so this may take up a lot of your precious time. If you love horses, it’s worth it. You can rent horses and ride along the beach. It is like being in your own movie.

Finish up your day with some shopping. Try the duty free UltraFemme, featuring European jewelry, perfume, and other goodies or La Isla Shopping Village. This is a quaint open-air mall, featuring small canals and an interactive aquarium.

There’s so more to do in Cancun than knock back Tequila. While eight hours in Cancun can give you a taste, you’ll no doubt be planning a trip back in the near future. For now, enjoy your escape to this paradise, even if only for a few hours.

The best romantic getaway to savor beautiful moments is in Cancun, which is located in the east coast of Mexico. Dotted with stunning beaches and shimmering turquoise waters, Cancun offers incredible ambience that is totally perfect for a dream wedding.

Cancun Wedding Options
Cancun wedding options are plenty, so you can just pick out what suits your preference.

• A religious wedding: For those who are religious, Cancun offers numerous churches and wedding chapels. Some of these are associated with specific hotels, which offer considerable convenience to accommodate guests. However, most Catholic churches encourage only ’same-religion’ weddings.
• Tailor made ceremony in Cancun Hotels: You can choose from any tailor made wedding packages that are offered by Cancun hotels. With its rich, tropical setting and beaches, it is sure to evoke a lot of fun, joy and unforgettable moments, not just for the couple but for their families and friends too.
• A beach wedding: Couples in love will never be able to resist a wedding ceremony that comes with a sunset backdrop amidst the sound of bustling waves. It offers a feeling of pure, unmatched sense of pleasure.

Cancun Vacation Activities
There is a lot to do when you are on Cancun vacation. The activities include:

• Adventure and water sports: Cancun offers a variety of options for adventure lovers. These activities include scuba diving, surfing, skiing and snorkeling. Those who love boating can also sign up for boat excursions to nearby islands.
• Nature and wildlife: Cancun is rich in flora and fauna, thanks to its numerous natural reserves and ecological parks such as the Tres Rios Ecopark and the El Eden Ecological Reserve. Swimming with dolphins and going on a jungle safari are also highly popular activities in the region.
• Cultural activities: Learn about the culture and history of Cancun by visiting its heritage sites such as Iglesia de Cristo Rey, La Puerta del Cielo and the Cancun Convention Center.
• Golf: Cancun has breathtakingly stunning golf courses that are set amidst picturesque surroundings. The warm temperature and moderate breezes makes it perfect to play golf and enjoy it as a truly enjoyable experience.

Nightlife in Cancun
The nightlife of a city or a place reflects its social trends and preferences. Cancun sports an active night life, with popular beach parties and live music spanning many genres.

Organizing a wedding in a foreign country is not easy. Make things easy for yourself by engaging a reputed Cancun hotel that offers top services and professional wedding planners. Stay in sync with legal requirements and carry necessary documents that may be required. Enjoy your Cancun vacation like never before.

To choose which approach to fishing is most appropriate for you, first consider your level of expertise. The veteran sports fisherman undoubtedly thrives on the possibility of catch big game fish and will opt for a deep-sea charter. The younger, older, or the unfamiliar gravitate toward shallow waters for a more approachable and realistic fishing experience.

Deep-Sea Fishing

The waters of the Yucatan are teeming with life due to an upwelling caused by a squeeze of the gulf stream between Cancun and a deep-water channel. The effect sends fish of all sizes throughout the Cancun and Cozumel area. And because of Mexico’s typically-tropical conditions, fishing can be applied year-round. Kingfish, sailfish, wahoo, dorado, blue and white marlin, tuna, grouper, and many other big game fish fill the oceans and are accessible by a generous assortment of Cancun charters.

Shallow Water Fishing

Flats Fishing, located near many a luxury Cancun hotel and what most consider the best locale for shallow water fishing, is home to an eclectic variety of shallow water species that entice even the seasoned angler. Bonefish, seatrout, snapper, tarpon, snook, and others populate these regions.

Bonefish, Permit – summer months only
Tarpon, Snook, and all other indigenous species – year-round fishing

Shallow waters are ideal for light tackle fishing and for conventional and fly anglers alike.

Although deep-sea fishing under proper guidance can be tackle by the novice, transitioning from traditional shallow waters and up the ranks undoubtedly gives any angler that level of familiarity that makes deep-se fishing that much more enjoyable.

The site utilises the mapping tools provided by Google maps which offers aerial satellite photographs that you can then annotate with your own markers. You can then scroll the map around and zoom in or out to examine the hotels layout, check the beach or even do a virtual dive into the pool. I’ve added markers for all the popular Cancun hotels and nightclubs and I’ll also be filling each marker with links to more pics, information, availability and information for all the Cancun hotels featured.

There is one disappointing limitation and that is you are restricted to a hundred markers, I’d really have liked to add much more detail to show Cancun shopping centers, ferry terminals, even ATM machines. Hopefully, Google will increase this maximum soon.

Anyway, have fun with the site and spread the word

These little beasties are not lice at all, rather they are the microscopic larvae of the thimble jellyfish. The larvae get between your skin and your bathing suit and cause large red welts to appear that itch like crazy. Given that it’s the areas that your swimsuit hides that are affected it’s not nice at all.

Last week we were doing one of our regular booze cruises to Isla Mujeres and we came across about twenty or so ribbons of the adult jellyfish, you can see one pictured above left. The ribbons were about 6-10 feet wide and stretched as far as the eye could see. 

Amazing how these ribbons could be so narrow, yet so long. In any case, where the adults are the larvae are sure to be there too. So I dare say there will be a few uncomfortable tourists over the next few days or weeks. One thing you can do to prevent being affected is to buy a product called Safe Sea. This is a suntan lotion which not only proetects aganst the sun but also contains an ingredient that protects against marine stings, including sea lice.

You can’t buy this locally in Cancun (at least I’ve never seen it) so you should bring some from home if you’re coming to Cancun in the next few weeks. Dive stores and marine shops may well stock it but if you can’t find it where you live then you can always buy it online from Amazon

If you want to read more about Sea Lice and how to prevent and treat the irritation then please check out one of my other sites: Sea Lice Cancun

The maps are more than just a map though, they are a complete guidebook, and for only $8 (the price of a Whopper Meal at Burger King here in Cancun!)

The Cancun Map for example contains extensive information on 163 places to dine, 143 places to stay, plus details of 27 nightclubs/bars and 70 tours and attractions.

Other maps feature locations such as Riviera Maya, Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Chichen Itza and the Reefs of Cozumel. If you click these preceeding links, you’ll view a fantastic presentation showing you the features of each map in detail.

I have a copy of the Cancun Map 2005 version and I didn’t think it could be done, but the 2006 version is even better and has a new format which will be rolled out to their other maps soon.

The new for 2006 Cancun Map instead of being a fold out regular map like before, now comes in a handy pocket sized wallet containing 4 separate pullouts comprising of 8 maps and 5 guides.

These comprise of:

1. Map A, Locations of Cancun Hotel Zone Restaurants: with personal first hand reviews. Prices and suggestions for breakfast, lunch and dinner. These reviews are unpaid and first hand accounts.
2. Map B – Detailed Map of Punta Cancun: or the party zone where the density of restaurants is too high for them all to be included on the main map.
3. Map C – Detailed Map of La Isla Shopping Mall: again there are a number of restaurants in a small area here, so this area is deserving of a detailed close up.
4. Map D – Tours Attractions and Nightlife:  on the flipside of Maps A, B and C are detailed locations with extensive narrative on everything from Isla Mujeres Ferry Schedules to Cancun Dolphin Swim locations to ATM locations.
5. Map E – Detailed Punta Cancun: again a zoom in of the Party zone nightlife area.
6. Map F – Cancun Hotels: Locations of all the Hotel Zone hotels, price guide and advice on calling home.
7. Map G – Downtown Hotels, Restaurants and Attractions: Want to find the markets? or Costco?
8. Map H – Outside Cancun: the area between Cancun and South to the airport, and to the North as far as Isla Blanca
9. Guide 5 and 6: Airport Departures and Arrivals: Advice on getting through the airport as quickly as possible, with a plan of the airport and nearby roads.
10. Guide 7 and 8: Taxi and Bus guide: Tips on taking the bus and taxi, plus a taxi tariff chart to esnure you don’t get ripped off.

So there you have it. A brand new format and better than ever!

If you are going to Cancun and want to know your way around, or even if you know your way around this guide is still a must have. Perhaps you have the 2005 map and guide already? If so, remember, Miss Wilma made some pretty big changes around here and they’re all included in the 2006 Cancun Map and it costs just $8!

Purchase your Cancun Map Here

Money Saving Tips

Always agree a price before you get in the cab, never once you’ve arrived. Haggle with the driver, he’ll start with his highest price and start from there. If he doesn’t offer a price you like then simply repeat the process with the next driver.

Taxi drivers are about the only people in Cancun who do not expect a tip for their services, his tip will always be factored in to the agreed price. If he performs extra services, like carrying luggage, stopping at the ATM or grocery store en route or making multiple drop offs then you should incolude a tip. But for a regular Point A to Point B trip there’s no need to tip.

Always try and flag a passing taxi from the road, rather than from a taxi stand, outside a restaurant or bar, or those guys that hang around in hotel parking lots for hours on end. You’ll almost always pay less.

Do not confuse dollars with pesos and confirm with the driver if unsure. A scam I’ve heard more than once is a taxi driver says the fare is “40″. The passenger presumes 40 pesos, only to be told on arrival the driver meant $40 USD.

If you are downtown and want to go somewhere else downtown then the correct price is a flat 15 pesos, no haggling. This doesn’t apply to taxis that pick up outside places like restaurants, bars or shopping malls, so walk 50 yards away and again flag a passing cab by.

 Safety Tips

Be wary if someone else is in the cab other than the driver. This is more rare in the Cancun Hotel Zone but more common downtown. Downtown often the driver may pick up other fares traveling the same way, he may also be dropping his wife or kids off somewhere. Use common sense on this one.

Every cab in Cancun has a 4 digit unique number painted on the side of it. It’s difficult to remember to do, but try and remember to look for this before you get in and memorise it until you are safely at your destination.

All Cancun cabs are marked exactly the same, do not accept solicitations from unmarked cabs. Occasionally, you may encounter cabs marked the same but with a different colour scheme, these are likely to be from nearby towns such as Puerto Morelos or Playa Del Carmen.