Welcome to Mexico

About Mexico

Officially United Mexican States, republic (1995 est. pop. 93,986,000), 753,665 sq mi (1,952,500 sq km), S North America. It borders on the United States in the north, on the Gulf of Mexico (including its arm, the Bay of Campeche) and the Caribbean Sea in the east, on Belize and Guatemala in the southeast, and on the Pacific Ocean in the south and west. Mexico is divided into 31 states and the Federal District, which includes most of the country's capital and largest city, Mexico City.

Land

Most of Mexico is highland or mountainous and less than 15% of the land is arable; about 25% of the country is forested. Most of the Yucatán peninsula and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the southeast is lowland, and there are low-lying strips of land along the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of California

 In the south the deserts yield to the broad, shallow lakes of a region, comprising the Valley of Mexico, known as the Anáhuac and famous for its rich cultural heritage. South of the Anáhuac, which includes Mexico City, is a chain of extinct volcanoes, including Citlaltépetl , or Orizaba (18,700 ft/5,700 m, the highest point in Mexico), Popocatépetl , and Iztaccihuatl . To the south are jumbled masses of mountains and the Sierra Madre del Sur.

People

The great majority of the population are of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent and speak Spanish, the official language, as their first language. Various Mayan dialects are also spoken. Since 1920 the population of Mexico has had a very high rate of growth, almost entirely the result of natural increase; from 1940 to 1990 the population grew from 19.6 million to 81.1 million.

                                                    

About Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Mexico state of Quintana Roo

Location: Eastern Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula Borders: Caribbean Sea and the states of Yucatan,
Campeche and the country of Belize to the south
Important cities/sites within the state: Bacalar, Cancun, Chetumal (capital), islands of Cozumel
and Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, XCaret, Xel-Ha, Sian Kaan Reserve and the archaeological
zone of Tulum
Major airport(s): Cancun International Airport (CUN), Chetumal International Airport (CTM),
Cozumel Airport (CZM), Isla Mujeres Airport (ISJ)
Population: 880,000
Size: 15,136 square miles
Time Zone: Central Standard Time
Climate: Wet/Dry

Quintana Roo is located on the Yucatan Peninsula, bordered by the Bay of Chetumal and Rio
Hondo to the south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. It is the youngest state in the country, as
well as the farthest east, meaning it is the first state to see the sunrise everyday. It is also one of
the only states featuring magnificent underground rivers with limestone sinkholes, perfect for
diving.

Cancún  is the reason most people travel to Mexico and offers an unrivaled combination of
high-quality accommodations, dreamy beaches, easy air access, and a wide diversity of
shopping, dining, nightlife, and nearby activities -- most of them exceptional values. There is also
the lure of ancient cultures evident in all directions and a number of ecologically oriented theme
parks. You will run out of vacation days before you run out of things to do in Cancún. Snorkeling,
jet-skiing, jungle tours, and visits to ancient Maya ruins and modern ecological theme parks are
among the most popular diversions. There are a dozen malls with brand-name and duty-free
shops (with European goods at prices better than in the U.S.), and more than 350 restaurants
and nightclubs. The 24,000-plus hotel rooms in the area offer something for every taste and
every budget.


                           


Playa del Carmen - Playa, as it is called, is the most happening place on the coast -- lots of
beach (especially when the wind and currents are flowing in the right direction), hotels for every
budget, a good choice of restaurants, and an active nightlife, most of which is on or around
Avenida 5, Playa's very popular promenade. In the last few years the town has grown quickly,
and local residents and the tourism board are working hard to keep it from becoming a smaller
version of Cancún. They are encouraging builders to use the same kind of tropical, slightly quirky
architectural style that the town has become known for.


                            



Puerto Morelos - This town 30 minutes south of Cancún remains a sleepy little village
affectionately known by the locals as "Muerto Morelos." It has a few small hotels and rental
houses, and in the vicinity are a few secluded spa resorts. The coast is sandy and well protected
by an offshore reef, which means good snorkeling and diving nearby, but the lack of surf means
lots of seagrass and shallow water. If you're looking for good swimming, you should head farther
down the coast. If you're looking for a quiet seaside retreat, this might work for you.

Akumal -The community at Akumal and Half Moon Bay is relatively old for this shore, which
means that it's already built up and doesn't have the boomtown feel of Playa and Tulum. Akumal
has a strong ecological orientation. The locals are a mix of Americans and Mexicans, who enjoy
the unhurried lifestyle of the tropics, making this a good place to relax and work on your
hammock technique. There are a few hotels; most of the lodging is rental houses. Consequently,
the town is a favorite with families who enjoy the calmness of the place and can save money by
buying groceries and cooking for themselves.


                  


Tulum- The town of Tulum (near the ruins of the same name) has a hotel district of about 30
palapa hotels, which stretch down the coast of the Punta Allen peninsula. A few years ago it was
mainly a destination for backpacker types, but with some of the most beautiful beaches on this
coast and many improvements in hotel amenities, it now attracts people with bigger budgets.
Construction is booming, both in the town and along the coast. Here you can enjoy the beach in
relative solitude and quiet (unless your hotel is busy building additional rooms). The flip side of
this is that Tulum doesn't have the variety of restaurants that Playa and Cancún do.


                    


Costa Maya -- South of Tulum lies the large Sian Ka'an Biosphere Preserve and, beyond that,
what is known as the Costa Maya, a term that designates the rest of the coast all the way down
to Belize. This coast does not have beaches as good as those of the Riviera Maya. Most of the
coast is along the Majahual Peninsula, which is very attractive for scuba divers and fly fishermen. Farther south is Lake Bacalar, a large, clear freshwater lake fed by cenotes (wells or sinkholes). Inland from here are the many fascinating ruins of the Río Bec area