Cancún means "nest of snakes" in Mayan, referring to the long and narrow island half of this coastal city. Located in the Yucatán Peninsula, it is surrounded by water on 3 sides - the Caribbean Sea, the Nichupté Lagoon, and the Bahia de Mujeres - and is known internationally for its tropical beauty and fantastically preserved archaeological treasures. One of the most modern, and by far the most visited, tourist resorts in the country, it is characterized by rows of resort hotels and beautiful beaches, where the sand is particularly fine and brilliantly white due to its coral origin. Cancún is stunning, with seas that sparkle in every imaginable shade of emerald and turquoise while sheltering a wealth of reef life.

Just south of Cancún, the Riviera Maya is taking shape as Mexico's newest holiday land. The region is filled with scenic and natural wonders, bordered by a craggy limestone shore of sugar-white, palm-fringed beaches, grottos, and tropical coves. Also, some of the most fantastic archaeological sites are found here. Resorts are generally all-inclusive and are confined to a few pockets of developed areas, leaving most of the region uninhabited and ideal for visitors seeking a Mexican-Caribbean getaway in a secluded setting.