Sights—The palatial hotels that line Kukulcan Boulevard; the Mexican flavor of the shops and restaurants in Ciudad Cancun; a day trip to see Maya ruins at Chichen Itza, Coba or Tulum; watching the sunset from the lagoon by the La Isla Shopping Village.

Memorable Meals—Mexican and Caribbean specialties at La Habichuela; rack of lamb at Cote Sud; blackened redfish at Blue Bayou; Caribbean lobster under the stars at Captain's Cove; anything on the menu at Paloma Bonita.

Late Night—Dancing to Cuban bands at El Azucar; a party cruise; dancing and watching the lively shows and celebrity impersonators at Coco Bongo.

Walks—Strolling along the beach; window-shopping in Ciudad Cancun; exploring Isla Mujeres.

Especially for Kids—Dolphins at Atlantida in Wet 'n' Wild; the marine life at the Interactive Aquarium; hanging out with live crocodiles at Crococun.

There are actually two Cancuns: the Hotel Zone on the island and Ciudad Cancun (Cancun City), a district on the mainland that is more of a residential and business enclave. You can get from one to the other via a short bus or taxi ride. The island, which is where most visitors spend their time, does not feel like an island. It is 14 mi/22 km long, less than 0.5 mi/1 km wide and shaped rather like the number seven. The island is connected to the mainland by bridges at each end. It has calm, shallow waters off its northern side, wilder Caribbean seas to the east, and the vast freshwater Nichupte Lagoon between the island and the mainland.

There are no street addresses on Cancun island because there's really only one road—Boulevard Kukulcan. Places on the island are located by their distance (in kilometers) from the northern end of the boulevard, which begins at the edge of Ciudad Cancun. Markers indicate every kilometer along the side of the road. The bridge that connects the northern tip of the island to the mainland is just past the Kilometer 4 marker; the southern bridge to the mainland is at Kilometer 25. Thus, a hotel whose address is "Km. 12" is about 7.5 mi/12 km from the north end of Boulevard Kukulcan. Ciudad Cancun, on the other hand, does indeed have streets with names and regular-sized city blocks.

The low-slung jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula were first settled more than 2,000 years ago by the Maya. Their advanced civilization and elaborate temples continue to fascinate archaeologists and casual visitors alike. By the time Hernando Cortes began the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1519, the Mayan culture was already in decline, but the conquistadores accelerated that decline with deadly European diseases and weaponry. Eventually, the northern part of the Yucatan was settled by landowners of Spanish descent who used the Maya as workers.

Despite its scattered agricultural holdings, the area was largely ignored by the rest of Mexico, both during the colonial period and after independence. That was mostly because the region was very isolated. For centuries, the only practical way to get there was by sea: The first rail line wasn't built until 1949. When the Mexican government began scouting sites for a tourist resort in the 1960s, the idea of Cancun was born. After a few years of furious building, the idea became a city. The first resorts opened for business in 1974, and the surrounding region was designated as the state of Quintana Roo at about the same time. In the decades since, Cancun has grown more and more popular and has stimulated a booming tourism business along the Yucatan coast.

Cancun can no longer support new hotels because no more land is available for building. However, new developments with hotels and golf courses are being designed for areas slightly north and south of Cancun.

Cancun is in Mexico, but at certain times during the year it's so crowded with U.S. teenagers and twentysomethings (particularly during spring break) that you could easily mistake it for a Florida beach resort.

If you want to see the first light of day strike Mexican soil, spend the night at Isla Mujeres, to the north of Cancun. It's the easternmost point of Mexico.

Before it became a resort, the area where Cancun now sits was inhabited by only a few fishermen.

Although Cancun has the best shopping on the Yucatan Peninsula, there's very little in the way of local crafts.

Cancun and the surrounding islands of Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Playa del Carmen account for one-third of all foreign tourists visiting Mexico.

There's a gravestone for the pirate Fermin Mundaca in the small cemetery on Isla Mujeres. Mendaca designed it himself. However, he died in Merida and is buried there.