Sugar-white sands and turquoise water, Mayan ruins, elegant new hostelries, and some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world—these are what set Mexico?s Caribbean coastline apart from the rest.

CANCUN

What can we say? Cancun is the quintessential Mexican beach resort, with gorgeous stretches of soft sand, every water sport imaginable, great shopping, vibrant night life, and a wide selection of restaurants. But there?s no getting around it—with more than 25,000 hotel rooms, Cancun is no hideaway. Ever since its beautiful beaches, crystal-clear turquoise water, and ideal weather caught the attention of Mexico?s tourism agency, FONATUR, Cancun has become overrun with vacationers—mostly groups and mass tourism types, plus college kids on spring break.

Still, we were impressed on a recent visit by how clean and well-maintained the city is. The boulevards are nicely landscaped, its hotels sparkle in the sun, and there?s even a well-run bbus system that seems pretty popular with the tourists. And if you stay in one of Hideaways? favorite off-the-beaten-track villa resorts, you just might find Cancun to be the perfect introduction to first-time vacationing in Mexico.

Fall 2002