Planning Your Trip to Cancún

538195 Ch01.qxd 9/22/03 11:50 PM Page 1 1 Planning Your Trip to Cancún A little planning can make the difference between a good trip and a great trip. When should you go? What’s the best way to get there? How much should you plan on spending? What festivals or special events will be taking place during your visit? What safety or health precautions are advised? We’ll answer these and other questions for you in this chapter. In addition to these basics, I highly recommend taking a little time to learn about the culture and traditions of Mex- ico. It can make the difference between simply getting away and truly adding understanding to your experience. THE REGION AT A GLANCE Travelers to the Yucatán peninsula will have an opportunity to see pre-Hispanic ruins—such as Chichén Itzá, Cobá, and Tulum— and the living descendants of the cultures that built them, as well as the ultimate in resort Mexico: Cancún. The peninsula borders the dull aquamarine Gulf of Mexico on the west and the north, and the clear blue Caribbean Sea on the east. It covers almost 84,000 square miles, with nearly 1,000 miles of shoreline. Underground rivers and natural wells called cenotes are a peculiar feature of this region. Lovely rock-walled Maya villages and crumbling henequén hacien- das dot the interior of the peninsula. And just 8 miles northeast of Cancún, a quick boat ride away, is Isla Mujeres, a small village pep- pered with shops, cafes, and tranquil beaches. 1 Visitor Information SOURCES OF INFORMATION The Mexico Hotline (& 800/44-MEXICO) is an excellent source of general information; you can request brochures on the country and get answers to the most commonly asked questions. Abundant information about Mexico is available on the Mexican Tourist Promotion Council’s website, www.visitmexico.com. The U.S. State Department (& 202/647-5225; http://travel. state.gov/mexico.html) offers a Consular Information Sheet on 538195 Ch01.qxd 9/22/03 11:50 PM Page 2 2 CHAPTER 1 . PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CANCÚN Destination Cancún: Red Alert Checklist • Do you have your passport or official I.D.? Did you pack insect repellent? Sunblock? A hat? Sunglasses? A sweater or jacket? • Do you need to book tour, restaurant, or travel reserva- tions in advance? • Did you make sure attractions and activities that interest you are operating? Some attractions, such as seasonal nature tours, sell out quickly. (Mexico is considered at low risk for a terrorist attack; few event schedule changes or building closings have been instituted.) • If you purchased traveler’s checks, have you recorded the check numbers, and stored the documentation sep- arately from the checks? • Do you know your daily ATM withdrawal limit? • Do you have your credit card personal identification numbers (PINs)? • If you have an E-ticket, do you have documentation? • Do you know the address and phone number of your country’s embassy? Mexico, with safety, medical, driving, and general travel information gleaned from reports by official U.S. State Department offices in Mexico. You can also request the Consular Information Sheet by fax (202/647-3000). Visit http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings. html for other Consular Information sheets and travel warnings, and http://travel.state.gov/tips_mexico.html for the State Depart- ment’s “Tips for Travelers to Mexico.” Another resource is the State Department’s “Background Notes” series home page at www.state.gov. The Centers for Disease Control Hotline (& 800/311-3435 or 404/639-3534; www.cdc.gov) is another source of medical information affecting travelers. The center’s website provides information on health issues for specific countries. The CDC Travelers’ Health toll- free hotline number is & 877/FYI-TRIP. The toll-free fax number for requesting information is 888/232-3299, and any information available by fax is also available at www.cdc.gov/travel. There you’ll also find links to health resources for people traveling with children or 538195 Ch01.qxd 9/22/03 11:50 PM Page 3 Cancún & Environs Río Lagartos Isla Holbox El Cuyo IslaIsla ContoyContoy Holbox BirdBird SanctuarySanctuary RÍO LAGARTOS Telchac SAN FELIPE Puerto NATURE NATURE RESERVE Chiquilá 27 RESERVE 295 Punta Sam IslaIsla 172 176 PuertoPuerto JuárezJuJuárezrez MujeresMujeres Motul Kantunil Tizimín Kin CancCCancúnancún Izamal Ekbalam NuevoNuevo XcanXcan 307 Itzamná 180 180D Balancanché 180 PuertoPuerto MorelosMorelos Caves Chemax Punta Bete Chichén-Itzá Puerto Calica Playa del Carmen Dzitnup Valladolid Puerto Xcaret Yaxuná 18 Aventuras Cobá Xpu-Ha Pamul Isla de YUCATÁN Akumal Cozumel Oxkutzcab Xel-Ha 184 Tulum San José XEL-HA LAGOON Tekax NATIONAL PARK Chunyaxche Melchor Muyil Ocampo Chumpón Boca Paila 295 Vigía Chico Punta Allen Bahía de la Ascensión 184 Felipe QUINTANA Carrillo SIAN Puerto ROO KA'AN Bahia del BIOSPHERE Espíritu Santo RESERVE Valle Hermoso 307 Los Limones Lázaro Cárdenas 10 Majahual Banco Bacalar Dzibanché Chinchorro Chetumal 186 Kohunlich Xcalak Caribbean Sea UNITED STATES Gulf of MEXICO Mexico The Yucatán Cancún and Peninsula Environs Mexico City Ruins BELIZE PACIFIC OCEAN GUATEMALA 0 50 mi BELIZEEL SALVADOR HONDURAS N 0 50 km 3 538195 Ch01.qxd 9/22/03 11:50 PM Page 4 4 CHAPTER 1 . PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CANCÚN with special needs, as well as tips on safe food and water. The U.S. State Department offers medical information for Americans traveling abroad at http://travel.state.gov/medical.html. This site provides general information and a list of air ambulance services. MEXICO TOURISM BOARD OFFICES In North America, the following offices offer tourism information: United States: Chicago (& 312/606-9252); Houston (& 713/ 772-2581, ext. 105); Los Angeles (& 213/351-2069; fax 213/351- 2074); Miami (& 305/718-4095); and New York (& 212/821- 0304). The Mexican Embassy is at 1911 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20005 (& 202/728-1750). Canada: 1 Place Ville-Marie, Suite 1931, Montréal, QUE, H3B 2C3 (& 514/871-1052); 2 Bloor St. W., Suite 1502, Toronto, ON, M4W 3E2 (& 416/925-0704); 999 W. Hastings, Suite 1110, Van- couver, BC, V6C 2W2 (& 604/669-2845). Embassy office: 1500-45 O’Connor St., Ottawa, ON, K1P 1A4 (& 613/233-8988; fax 613/235-9123). 2 Entry Requirements & Customs ENTRY REQUIREMENTS All travelers to Mexico are required to present proof of citizenship, such as an original birth certificate with a raised seal, a valid passport, or naturalization papers. Those using a birth certificate should also have current photo identification, such as a driver’s license or official ID. Those whose last name on the birth certificate is different from their current name (women using a married name, for example) should also bring a photo ID card and legal proof of the name change, such as the original marriage license or certificate. This proof of citizenship may also be requested when you want to reenter either the U.S. or Mexico. Note that photocopies are not acceptable. When reentering the U.S., you must prove both your citizenship and your identification, so always take a picture ID, such as a driver’s license or, better yet, a valid passport. Birth certificates alone will enable you to enter Mexico but will not enable you to reenter the U.S. Note: Although the U.S. State Department endorses these entry requirements, some readers have reported problems trying to enter Mexico using only a birth certificate. To ensure against needless delay at immigration, make sure you follow the requirements to the letter—the birth certificate must be the original version, with the raised seal. Or, avoid any potential problem by carrying your U.S. passport. 538195 Ch01.qxd 9/22/03 11:50 PM Page 5 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & CUSTOMS 5 You must also carry a Mexican Tourist Permit (FMT), which Mexican border officials issue, free of charge, after proof of citizenship is accepted. Airlines generally provide the necessary forms on flights into Mexico. The FMT is more important than a passport in Mexico, so guard it carefully. If you lose it, you may not be permit- ted to leave the country until you can replace it—a bureaucratic hassle that can take anywhere from a few hours to a week. If you do lose your tourist permit, get a police report from local authorities indi- cating that your documents were stolen; having one might lessen the hassle of exiting the country without all your identification. You should also contact the nearest consular office to report the stolen papers so that it can issue a reentry document. A tourist permit can be issued for up to 180 days, although your stay may be shorter than that. Sometimes officials don’t ask—they just stamp a time limit, so be sure to say “6 months” (or at least twice as long as you intend to stay). If you decide to extend your stay, you may request that additional time be added to your FMT from an official immigration office in Mexico. Note: Children under age 18 traveling without parents or with only one parent must have a notarized letter from the absent parent or parents authorizing the travel. CUSTOMS When you enter Mexico, Customs officials will be tolerant as long as you have no illegal drugs or firearms. You’re allowed to bring in two cartons of cigarettes or 50 cigars, plus a kilogram (2.2 lb.) of smoking tobacco; two 1-liter bottles of wine or hard liquor; and 12 rolls of film. A laptop computer, camera equipment, and sporting equipment (golf clubs, scuba gear, a bicycle) that could feasibly be used during your stay are also allowed.

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