One intrepid writer takes a walk on the wild — and sometimes mild — side of this striking strand. It’s debatable whether floating in these pristine waters restores the soul, but Cancún’s beaches couldn’t be more pleasing to the eye. If you glean nothing else from my dining run the gamut from street-corner kiosks to elegant, story, remember this: the Caribbean water high-end experiences. As for the nightlife, it’s legendary off the shore of Cancún really does look like all those post - with the university-aged merrymaker set. cards you’ve received from friends who’ve been there. It’s But that water ... turquoise and it’s stunning. This is of particular impor - My favourite memory from our most recent trip to tance because it’s a not-so-subtle reminder of what truly Cancún was a simple afternoon spent relaxing on the soft cancún , makes this popular Mexican destination wonderful: the sand and frolicking in the gentle waves. We were on region’s natural beauty. hol iday with another couple, Ted and Heather, and had Too often Cancún is discussed in terms of greens and been reading and dozing for an hour or so since lunch. s e fairways, restaurants and shopping centres, and bars and From her beach chair, my wife, Michelle, asked, “Is it time g a m I nightclubs. Yes, those places exist, and, for the most part, to cool off a little”? w o l G / they live up to the hype. Big names such as Jack Nicklaus, “Sounds good”, we answered before making our way o t o f - Greg Norman and, of course, Robert Trent Jones Jr have into the surf. Nothing out of the ordinary happened — we BY JB BISSELL K O O L designed championship-calibre courses here. Shopping and played catch, chatted about the books we were reading and 28 INTERVAL WORLD I Autumn 2012 IntervalWorld.com INTERVAL WORLD I Autumn 2012 29 Though it’s technically not cave diving, navigating the narrow and TEXAS twisting underwater caverns at Dos Ojos is an awe-inspiring experience. MEXICO posed for a few silly photographs. At one 40 attractions, including a whimsical swimming with the aid of fins and extent of the scenery, but the BELIZE point, Heather tried to explain how Butterfly Pavilion, a sea turtle exhibit, goggles, we humans are out of place stalactites, columns and other GUATEMALA floating in the open water naturally spider monkey and jaguar refuges, a beneath the water’s surface. And yet, various speleothems are utterly retunes one’s mind and body. Something short jungle walk and much more. it’s such a magnificent experience. fascinating. It was an expe ri - about electromagnetic fields, currents Garrafon Natural Reef Park isn’t as Cancún’s coast offers some splendid ence like none I’d had before. Isla Mujeres Cancún and the moon’s gravitational pull. I don’t big, but what it lacks in size is definitely reef diving, and there’s a cool wreck — “How was it”? Heather MEXICO know. But we all tried it, floating for as made up for in location. Situated on the an old C-58 minesweeper — a short wanted to know when we Caribbean Sea Chichén Itzá Xcaret long as we could, with our eyes closed, island of Isla Mujeres, about a 25- trip out. But we decided to try some - surfaced where she and totally giving in to that turquoise sea. minute boat ride from Cancún, thing quite different. Zone. Our leader, Klaus, filled the time Michelle were snorkelling. I’m not sure if I retuned, but I was Garrafon offers snorkelling, swimming The area’s cenotes, inland sinkholes with a somewhat intense safety briefing. “Eerie and peaceful”, Ted said. at a refreshing cenote and lunch (you definitely rejuvenated, and I can still and kayaking, as well as bicycling. filled by underground, freshwater rivers, “Some of the passageways are rather “I felt like a real explorer”, I added. might even be treated to a dance per - close my eyes and remember that after - With a constant flow of taxis and may not look like much when observing tight, so we’ll always stay in a single-file It might sound a little cheesy, but it’s an formance while you eat). noon as if it were yesterday. tour buses along Kukulcán Boulevard — them from above — think a few trees, line, fin to mask, fin to mask”, he started. apt description. Aside from that white The return trip is a great opportu - Still, unless you’re into some pretty the main thoroughfare through the some big rocks and gravel — but once “We’ll never be very deep, so you cord Klaus mentioned (which wasn’t nity to doze off while trying to figure serious holiday meditation, electromag - Hotel Zone — you’d probably never you plunge into the crisp and crystal- shouldn’t have any problems with air always visible, by the way), it seemed as out why the Maya people would have netic flotation only goes so far. It’s my think to ride a bike anywhere near clear water they become otherworldly. consumption. But it will be dark, so be though we could have been the first so abruptly deserted their capital in the favourite memory, yes, but it’s certainly Cancún, but Garrafon’s guided two- There are a number of them around, sure to always keep your torch switched people to swim through some of the 1400s. Or, if you’re like me, to write a not the only worthwhile nature- wheeled tours are the ideal way to sur - and the local scuba shops offer guided on. You’ll see a white cord running along places we encountered, which, the few postcards to friends. Just be sure to based activity. vey the sights of Isla Mujeres, a outings for both divers and snorkellers. the bottom — that’s so we can find our more I think about it, really is both tell them that while the water really is decidedly more easy-going locale with Other outfitters will set you up to abseil way out’’. eerie and peaceful. that wondrous shade of turquoise, both Park Central barely a fraction of the motorised traffic. into the cenotes where you can then Cancún and Chichén Itzá are much Indeed, the area around Cancún is Pedal past spectacular vantage points, float on an inner tube. We went to the Ancient Wonders more impressive in person. I famous for its ecological theme parks, and you’ll eventually get to Punta Sur, flooded cave system of Dos Ojos, about Keeping with the explorer theme, be places where every level of explorer can where 20-metre-high (60 feet) cliffs rise a 90-minute drive from Cancún’s Hotel sure to reserve a day in your itinerary experience Mother Nature in quasi- from the sea. In a destination with so for Chichén Itzá. Yes, I understand that fast FACTS con trolled environments. At Xcaret — many sandy beaches and so much lush the Temple of Kukulcán, the massive RESORT DIRECTORY: IntervalWorld.com located in the Riviera Maya, the stretch foliage, the craggy rock faces seem won - ball court and other impressive ruins or pages 195 through 197 and 201 of coast just south of Cancún — visitors derfully, beautifully out of place. are man-made, and therefore may can observe a kaleidoscope of countless appear to go against my whole focus on CLIMATE: Average high temperatures hover blue, yellow, green and red fish at the Aquanauts the natural beauty of Cancún. But I around 30°C (86°F) through the autumn, and Coral Reef Aquarium without getting Which is almost exactly how I describe think an exception can be made for dip just a few degrees in the winter. wet, or snorkel with nurse sharks in a scuba diving to the uninitiated. anything that dates back to the seventh DON’T MISS: A dinner cruise. Possibilities lagoon setting. In all, Xcaret boasts some Breathing oxygen from a tank and century or so. range from pirate themed to romantic sailings The simple fact is that Chichén Itzá around Nichupte Lagoon. is the place for Mayan architecture. It’s CURRENCY: Mexican peso a UNESCO World Heritage site and SALES TAX: The value-added tax in Cancún one of the New Seven Wonders of the is 11%. ABOVE: At Xcaret, The Temple of Kukulcán and the Group of the World. Strolling the grounds is a never- one of Cancún’s Thousand Columns are just two of many wonders TIPPING: 10% to 15% is standard in many eco-themed that await at Chichén Itzá. ending source of amazement, from the restaurants, but check to see if it’s parks, guests can surrounding cenote water system to k automatically included in your bill; add a few c snorkel with o t Good to know. Supposedly, if one is the astronomy-inspired construction to S r pesos to your fare for taxi drivers. sharks, be e p u being technical about the whole thing, the most famous attraction of all, the S enthralled by a / INTERVAL TRAVEL: IntervalWorld.com F R multitude of s Dos Ojos isn’t truly considered cave div - Temple of Kukulcán. This pyramid was i b r CAR HIRE: Not recommended. Taxis are butterflies and o C ing because no matter where you are, built so that on each equinox, light and ; marvel at y plentiful and reasonable, and most tour m a l even when navigating one of the under - shadow create the illusion of a great thousands of A / l r operators will pick you up at the resort.