Since the Mexican boys in green helped remove France from the world cup, the Irish have a new grá for México. So why not visit our adopted country and enjoy the Caribbean waters of Cancun?
Cancun is situated on the Yucatán Peninsula on Mexico's east coast. It's a man-made destination born in the 70s. The city is built on a sand bar, with the Caribbean Sea lapping up on one side and a lagoon on the other. The famous hotel zone is lined with night-clubs, bars and restaurants with flashing neon lights that wouldn't look out of place in Time Square. It feels more like America than Mexico.
Many of the hotels offer all-inclusive deals where visitors' wrist bands become their passport to unlimited food and drink. Some holiday makers see this as excellent value and take comfort in the fact that they know what they're going to spend before they leave home. Others find eating in the same place every night limiting, although most resorts offer a good choice of different restaurants to pick from.
So, a man-made resort with a strip of high rises, all-inclusive hotels and neon lights... Have I described your holiday hell? Well, it wasn't my first choice either. But when I did find myself in Cancun I was pleasantly surprised.
It's remained a popular destination since the 70s and for good reason. The city is surrounded by 20km of white sandy beaches with clear turquoise water. It has excellent restaurants and a lively nightlife, not just for American college students on their spring break. History buffs can immerse themselves in the Mayan world of Chichen Itza and Tulum. And, if you're a water baby like me, there is a huge range of water-based adventure activities on Cancun's door step.
Venture slightly away from the coast and enter the otherworldly experience of Río Secreto, a vast network of underground rivers and caves. Donning a wetsuit, hard hat and miners head torch we descended underground to walk, paddle and swim through 600 metres of rivers and pools. Torches lit up the stunning rock formation, made from stalagmites and stalactites. After negotiating our way through some tight spots, we arrived in a large pool and our guide instructed us to switch off all our lights. The cave was devoid of any light and was silent apart from the odd drip of water; a very peaceful experience.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained to us how the caves were formed two million years ago and how the Mayans would use it as a place of worship and mediation. The morning's excursion was wrapped up with a delicious lunch, chicken cooked underground in Mayan traditional method.
For water above ground visit 'the biggest natural aquarium in the world'. Xel-Ha is a huge open sea aquarium offering a variety of land and water-based activities in beautiful surroundings. Take it easy and laze away on the beach or in a hammock surrounded by tropical plants, birds and lizards. Snorkel down a mangrove river or explore the coastal caves in a kayak.
An all inclusive package to Xel-Ha (US$70) is well worth the money. This includes most activities, locker, towels, snorkel gear and best of all is the food. There are five very good quality restaurants on-site and you can feed yourself as much as you like for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The seafood buffet is excellent and all drinks are included, including wine, beers and cocktails.
If you would prefer the depths of the open water, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef runs alongside the Yucatán Peninsula. This is the second largest reef system in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef and stretches 1,000km along the cost of Central America. It's home to 500 species of fish and 60 species of coral, which make diving and snorkelling there the stuff of dreams.
Every year between May and September hundreds of Whale Sharks, the world's largest fish, converge in the waters just north of Cancun. There are a number of echo friendly operators that give you the opportunity to swim with these awe-inspiring creatures. These gentle giants are filter feeders so pose no threat to humans. They typically grow up to 14 meters in length and are easily-recognisable by their checkerboard spotted coat.
Scientists estimate that between 100 and 200 whale sharks grace these waters each year. I had the pleasure of swimming with about 20 of them and it was undoubtedly the highlight of my trip to Cancun, if not of all my travels to date.
So it's not all tequila and neon lights in Cancun. If you don't feel like lazing away by the pool, dancing with the spring breakers or learning about Mayan history, Cancun has a host of water-based adventure activities waiting to be explored. You might come for the boys in green but discover 40 shades of blue.
For more information on Cancun, visit: www.cancun.travel.
Irish operators offering packages to Cancun;
www.wetravel2.com Ph; 01 2401788
www.travelmood.ie. Ph: 01 4331029
www.cassidytravel.com Ph: 0818 332 500
Other useful email addresses
www.riosecretomexico.com/
www.xelha.com
www.ecotravelmexico.com
Deirdre Mullins
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