Articles with the theme dolphins

A quick guide to Cancun | Yucatan Holidays

LOCATION: Cancun is located in the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. Its name means “Nest of Serpents” in Mayan. It is the entrance to Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya.

NUMBERS: There are about 150 hotels, 24,000 hotel rooms, 380 restaurants, 120 attractions, 14 miles of white sand beaches, and 600,000 inhabitants in Cancun.

ARRIVING: The Cancun International Airport is the busiest airport of the Caribbean with 12 million passengers per year. In high season, the airport receives up to 800,000 passengers per month from all mayor airlines in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. A valid passport is required to enter Mexico.

HOTEL ZONE: Most beachfront hotels in Cancun are located in the narrow 7-shaped island called Boulevard Kukulcan better known as the hotel zone. The trendiest, most popular discos, finest international restaurants, and largest entertainment venues are located along the 21 kilometers of hotel zone strip.

DOWNTOWN: Downtown Cancun, or “El Centro,” is connected to the hotel zone by two major bridges. The city’s main streets and avenues are named after Mayan cities. Additional restaurants, hotels and hostels, shopping centers, and supermarkets are located in downtown Cancun.

TRANSPORATION: There are four buses that connect the hotel zone and downtown Cancun. R1 will travel down Tulum Ave. R2 and R15 will go to Wal-Mart and Market 28, a mayor flea market in downtown. R27 will go to Plaza Las Americas, one of the major shopping centers in downtown Cancun. Cancun buses are frequent, safe, and clean. The rate per person is $7.50 Mexican pesos. Taxis are also available in the hotel zone and downtown Cancun. For day trips to Chichen Itza, Tulum, and surrounding cities, charter buses depart from the ADO bus station in downtown Cancun, but many tour packages will provide everything you need for your trip, including transportation. Take a look at our How to move around Cancun post.

ATTRACTIONS: Mayan ruins, Caribbean beaches, and Cancun nightlife are just a few of the things to do in Cancun. Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Coba are the most visited and famous Mayan ruins nearby. Other activities to enjoy are swimming with dolphins and whale sharks, exploring luscious Yucatan jungles, horseback riding, and snorkeling among other attractions.

CRIME: Tourist areas are generally safe all day and late at night. General precautions should be taken. For emergencies, 060 is the equivalent to  the 911 emergency services in the United States.

LANGUAGE: The official language in Mexico is Spanish, although the majority of people who work in tourism speak English.

MONEY: The official currency is the Mexican Peso. Exchange houses or “casas de cambio” are located all throughout Cancun. Most banks, located on Tulum Ave. in downtown Cancun, will exchange dollars into pesos.

CLIMATE: The climate is tropical, hot and humid all year round. The annual average temperature is 26 C (79 F). There are over 3,000 sunshine hours a year, making it one of the sunniest places in the Caribbean. The hurricane season is from June to November. The state of Quintana Roo is recognized worldwide for its leadership in hurricane emergency assistance.

Swimming with Dolphins and More at Isla Mujeres

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Isla Mujeres (25 minutes from Cancun) to enjoy my Dolphin Encounter and to spend the day participating in numerous activities that are part of the tour.  Everything started when we departed from El Embarcadero in Cancun on the Dolphin Princess, a very nice 3-deck ship, which included a complete breakfast and drinks.  The ship arrived at Dolphin Discovery park where a dolphin show awaited us.

After the show and some training about the signals that dolphins understand, we where ready for our dolphin encounter.  It lasted around 30 minutes, and we had the chance to touch, swim, and learn many things about these gorgeous animals: definitely worth the experience!

After enjoying some fresh drinks, we headed to Garrafon Natural Reef Park (only a 5-minute drive away).  This park is incredible and totally worth visiting for a day.  It’s large, clean, and surrounded by beautiful island landscapes with very kind, helpful staff.  Among the activities on our tour were kayaking,  snorkeling along the reef (awesome even in chilly water), and my two favorites:  the bicycle tour to the southern tip of the island and the zip-line.

The bicycle tour took us to a part of the island with ancient Mayan ruins, such as a temple built to the moon goddess, Ix-Chel; then to the Cliff of the Dawn, the first place in Mexico to get the sun’s rays in the morning; and finally to a sculpture park.  These were some of the most interesting and beautiful highlights of my day.

The zip-line was another fantastic activity of the tour.  The adrenaline flowed as I prepared to climb the 42-foot tower built at the highest point of the park and then launched from nearly 100 feet above sea level.  It was priceless!

We concluded the day by indulging in a buffet meal with a wide variety of Mexican dishes, and resting on one of the hammocks in the peaceful Hammock Garden.  I’m sure that the Dolphin Encounter and Garrafon Park tours will be among those you will never forget (and not regret)!

Contact Yucatan Holidays for more information on the amazing tours we have for you and the unparalleled travel deals for this winter.

__________________________________________

Jorge is the Social Media Executive for Yucatan Holidays. A travel lover & tennis player living in Cancun. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter to find out the latest travel deals in Cancun & the Riviera Maya.