Cancun

Restaurants

Mexican cuisine is recognised as one of the three most popular food styles in the world and Cancun is as good a place as any to sample authentic Mexican meals. Foodies should note that Cancun lies on the The Yucatan Peninsula, where the delectable local cuisine has a heavy Mayan influence, but also quotes from European (Spanish, Dutch), Caribbean, North African, and Middle Eastern (Lebanese) traditions. Must-try dishes include Sopa de lima (a spicy, flavourful chicken and tomato soup), and Salbute (deep-fried tortillas topped with chicken, turkey, lime juice, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, and red onions). Yucatan food is often less spicy than the fare from other regions in Mexico, so it's a good option for foreigners with sensitive palettes. However, it's almost always accompanied by a salsa with a chilli base.

Seafood restaurants dominate in Cancun, which should be no surprise considering the quality and quantity of fresh seafood in the region. Popular seafood dishes include a variety of lobster specialities and ceviche (a kind of raw seafood salad). For fine dining there are many upmarket restaurants. Some of the most highly acclaimed can be found in the Ritz Carlton Cancun Hotel and in the Fiesta Americana Gran Coral Beach Hotel. In downtown Cancun there are some hidden gems and the far cheaper dishes found where the locals eat are often the best authentically Mexican options visitors can find in the city. Tulum Avenue and Yaxchilan Avenue have some of the best restaurants.

Nightlife

Cancun is celebrated for its rollicking nightlife and there are bars, lounges, live music venues and dance clubs enough to keep even the most determined party animals entertained. The club scene is feisty and energetic, and tailored mainly to please the young Americans that flock to the resort. However, anybody who's game for foam parties, bikini contests and boat races (the drinking contest, not the watersport) will be well catered for. Familiar chains such as Hard Rock Cafe and Senor Frog's are safe favourites with the international crowd and have been going for many years. Organised party tours such as Cuncrawl and Party Hopper are a great way to sample the best of Cancun's party venues. Most clubs open around 10pm and the music pumps until sunrise or later in peak tourist season.

Those seeking out something more sophisticated, romantic or sedate will find numerous stylish bars and lounges. One of the best venues for cocktails is the Thai Lounge. Culture lovers should try their best to see a performance by the internationally-acclaimed Ballet Folklorico, which performs a variety of traditional and performing arts shows at various venues in Cancun.

The vast variety of shopping opportunities in Cancun ranges from modern malls and designer stores to open-air markets and the trays of insistent street vendors. It's a city built on tourism, so shops invariably accept credit cards and the opening hours tend to run from about 10am to 7pm during the week, and all morning on weekends.

Silver jewellery, traditional wooden statues (Alebrije), pottery, and fleece or cotton blankets are all popular souvenirs from Cancun, but visitors should ensure they don't buy anything containing black coral. The species is endangered and protected, and possesion of it could land visitors in some trouble at the airport.

Within the glitzy Hotel Zone, the Plaza la Fiesta is a popular shopping venue, and the El Zocalo bazaar is a great option for locally-produced arts and crafts. The main shopping strip of Paseo Kukulkan is lined with shops and souvenir stalls selling all the usual tourist trinkets and a few unexpected treasures. The Hotel Zone offers great quality and variety but the shopping experience can be somewhat soulless, as the stores tend to be international and there is little authentic local flavour on offer.

Mainland Cancun, commonly called 'downtown', is less glamorous but much more affordable. Yaxchilan Avenue is a good place to start, and the market on Tulum Avenue is wonderful for those seeking out local crafts, particularly silverware. Travellers will be expected to bargain in the local markets.

Sightseeing

Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of Cancun's activities and attractions revolve around the coastline. The area is blessed with many beautiful beaches and the variety of watersports is somewhat overwhelming. Some scuba diving or snorkelling is a must as the underwater world is just as lovely as the white sands, and there are some gorgeous dive sites between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, where coral reefs abound. Exploring the Cancun Underwater Museum (MUSA) is an exciting adventure for divers. Other favourite water activities include swimming with dolphins (or even sharks!), visiting the water park, or taking an excursion to the sleepy paradise island of Isla Mujeres.

If tourists can manage to drag themselves off the stunning white-sand beaches and away from the plethora of fun water activities, Cancun has some cultural and historical diversions as well. The Museo Maya is an impressively large museum showcasing Mayan artefacts found in the region and providing some fascinating historical context for visitors to the peninsula. The San Miguelito Archaeological Site (in the museum grounds) and the El Rey Ruins are both intriguing examples of ancient Mayan remains in Cancun. The famous ancient site of Chichen Itza, with its impressive pyramids and mysterious jungle setting, is one of Mexico's greatest attractions and a must for visitors to Cancun.

Attractions

Chichen Itza

Set in the jungle and said to have been inhabited for more than 2,000 years, Chichen Itza is the Yucatan's most visited ancient Mayan site. The main attractions at Chichen Itza are the Pyramid of Kukulkan (the plumed serpent god), and El Castillo, a grand pyramid topped by a temple that dominates the site and has been declared one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. Inside the pyramid is a smaller pyramid, the inner sanctum, containing one of the greatest finds on the site: the brilliant red jaguar throne with jade spots, inlaid eyes and real jaguar teeth. Another building of interest is El Caracol, an observatory with slits in the dome aligned with certain astronomical appearances at specific dates.

Isla Mujeres

The stunning Isla Mujeres is a short ferry ride away from the resort, and is known for its relaxing atmosphere and slow island pace. Popular activities include lounging on the pretty beaches (particularly those on the north and west sides of the island), swimming with sharks and dolphins, deep-sea fishing, and kayaking. Divers should absolutely make a point of exploring the remarkable Underwater Sculpture Museum.

The project was set up in 2009 to create an artificial reef after the Cancun and Isla Mujeres areas had suffered storm damage, and will eventually help new coral reefs to form. Six artists from Mexico and Britain put this unique collection together, spreading the more than 500 sculptures across two underwater galleries at depths of between 9,8ft (3m) and 19,6ft (6m). The display encompasses human figures in a number of poses, and a variety of guided snorkelling and diving tours are available. Visitors can also view the collection from the comfort of a glass-bottom tour boat.

There are excellent restaurants in the Downtown area (El Centro), where the signature dish is freshly-caught, Tikin-Xic spice-coated fish. The fish is wrapped and roasted in a banana leaf.

Museo Maya

Cancun's superb archaeological museum has three large exhibition halls and about 350 Mayan artefacts, including carvings, pottery, weapons, as well as tools, ritual objects and burial masks. One of the highlights is the 14,000-year-old skeletal remains found in Tulum's underwater caves, which greets visitors as they arrive. The museum is enclosed by landscaped grounds and nestled within are some fascinating Mayan ruins, including a small pyramid. This site, called the San Miguelito Archaeological Site, is possibly the best part of a trip to the museum. The institution is new, modern and air-conditioned, and a visit can also be a welcome relief from the heat outside.

Cancun Beaches

Cancun is unbeatable when it comes to sun-lounging and clear blue ocean water, with the northern stretch of Mujeres Bay including the popular Playa Langosta, Playa Las Perlas and Playa Tortugas, all of which are great for watersports, bars and restaurants. Playa Linda is a launching point for boat and dive tours, while Playa Caracol and Punta Cancun are excellent for family fun.

East side beaches are breezier with rougher surf. Chac Mool, Playa Marlin, Gaviota Azul and Playa Ballenas are ideal for parasailing and windsurfing; Punta Nizuc and Playa Delfines are perfect for a day of sand and surf. The best dive sites lie between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, at the colourful reefs of El Tunel, Grampin, Chuchos and Largo. The Cancun Underwater Museum (MUSA) is also a fantastic option for divers.