LOCATION
Cancun is located on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula in northern Quintana Roo, a state in the southeastern portion of the country. The island of Cancun is shaped like the number “7” and is bordered by Bahia de Mujeres to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east and Nichupte Lagoon to the west.
CLIMATE
Cancun has an annual average temperature of 80°F and an average wind speed is 9mph. Throughout the year, Cancun has an average morning relative humidity of 85% and evening relative humidity of 73%. The average number of days with precipitation is 58. The rainy season is May through October. August through October is hurricane season. November through February is generally sunny, but this can vary.
CITY STRUCTURE
The city of Cancun is divided into “supermanzanas,” which are large residential and commercial areas with walkways and gardens. The main streets within Cancun are named after Mayan cities while the side streets bear names of fish, flowers, fruit and animals. A 10-mile bike path runs between Bahia de Mujeres and Kukulcan Boulevard, the channel connecting downtown to the Hotel Zone.
TRANSPORTATION
Buses and taxis are the two most prominent forms of transportation in Cancun. Turican and Autocar, two urban bus companies established in Cancun, have regular routes and service throughout the city’s main avenues as well as Kukulcan Boulevard through the Hotel Zone. The buses stop every three to five minutes at the Hotel Zone stops, and run 24 hours a day. A bus ticket within the Hotel Zone costs 9.5 pesos. Cancun has 4,000 taxis with approximately 10,000 drivers and serves the city and outlying areas. On average, taxi rides are approximately 100 to 150 pesos
AIRPORT
Cancun International Airport (CUN) serves the most international passengers in Mexico, reporting more than 16 million travelers in 2013 alone. The airport is Mexico’s second largest, boasting over 210 check-in counters for both international and domestic flights. The airport is located approximately twelve miles from the city and Hotel Zone at Carretera Cancun-Chetumal Km 22, Cancun, Q. Roo Mexico C.P. 77500.
SEASONS
Normally, high season is from December 15 to April; low season is from May to December 15, when prices drop 10% to 30%. Some hotels are starting to charge high-season rates during June and July, when Mexican, European, and school-holiday visitors often travel; however, rates might still be lower than in winter season.
CURRENCY
The official currency is the Mexican Peso but major credit cards and U.S. dollars are accepted mostly anywhere. Banks have expanded their facilities into the Hotel Zone with offices available for currency exchange. Mexico including Cancun is now accepting Euros.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Cancun is Mexico’s largest resort destination with a total of 163 hotels including Puerto Morelos with more than 36,000 rooms (as of March 2014 ranging from affordable to upscale and chic. A majority of hotels in Cancun are located in the Hotel Zone and feature ocean lagoon and garden views.
Cancun is also known for its small, boutique-style Hotels, each with its own distinct personality and style. With comfortable facilities and friendly hospitality, Cancún’s small hotels range from villas set in lush tropical gardens facing the ocean or Mediterranean-style mansions sitting on the lagoon.
DINING& ENTERTAINMENT
Whether it is traditional regional Mexican cuisine or entrees from the Mediterranean to America, Cancún has a full range of dining options, including five-star restaurants, small eateries, bistros, and dinner shows with live music and entertainment.
MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS
The Cancun Center, located in the heart of the Hotel Zone, has 13 meeting rooms which can be divided into 37 breakout rooms totaling 75,350 square feet of meeting space. Able to accommodate approximately 8,000 attendees, the Cancun Center offers 77,900 square feet of exhibition space, divided in two levels.
More than 20 hotels offer services and facilities with more than 568,000 square-feet of space serving up to 50,000 participants. [A complete list of hotels with meeting space is included in this press kit.]
CONSULATES
The U.S. Consular Agent is in the Plaza Caracol 2, Bulevar Kukulkán Km 8.5, third level, 320-323 (phone: 998/883-0272). The Canadian Consulate is in the Plaza México 312 (phone: 998/883-3360). The United Kingdom has a consular office in Cancun (phone: 998/881-0100, ext. 65898; fax 998/848-8662;information@britishconsulatecancun.com).
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
Cancun is home to several archaeological sites scattered around the town such as El Rey and El Meco. El Rey was an ancient Mayan city developed during the Post-Classic period dating from the year 1200 to 1521 and consists of 47 structures. Open to the public since April 1, 2001, El Meco is located approximately four miles north of Cancun on Punta Sam Highway. Vestiges of temples, columns and stucco-covered walls surround the large central plaza. Smaller archaeological sites are located at Pok Ta Pok, San Miguelito and Yumil Lu’um.
GOLF
Home to eight golf courses, with five under construction, Cancun has become one of the major hot spots for golf in the Mexican Caribbean. World-class designers like Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman have courses in Cancun such as Riviera Cancun and Moon Spa & Golf Club, the only Signature Nicklaus course in Cancun and the Riviera Maya. The Professional Golf Association (PGA) hosts the Mayakoba Classic at the El Camaleon course since February 2007.
NAUTICAL ACTIVITIES
Situated on the Caribbean Sea with access to the world’s second-largest barrier reef, visitors to Cancún can take advantage of the variety of nautical activities offered from snorkeling, boating and diving to submarine rides, swimming with dolphins and relaxing on the beaches. Chartered catamarans and boats are available for private functions as well as guided boat tours through the Lagoon and Isla Mujeres.
SHOPPING
Cancun is home to more than 2,000 stores in the Hotel Zone and in the downtown area. Shoppers can walk through world-class shopping centers and modern malls and shop for designer apparel and accessories or pick up handcrafted souvenirs from around the country in one of the village flea markets.
SPAS
Known as one of the world’s greatest spa destinations, Cancun is home to many spas offering treatments from massages, facials and scrubs to body wraps, as well as manicures, pedicures, saunas and steam baths. Visitors can choose to rejuvenate the body, mind and soul in an oceanside cabana or relax in the traditional “temazcal” steam bath.
Media Relations Contacts
Malena López
Olabuenaga Chemistri
Phone: Phone: 52-49-42-00 EXT. 2226 Y 2205
mmlopez@och.com.mx
North America
Paula Gomez
Newlink Communications Phone: 786 522 0177
paula.gomez@newlink-group.com
Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau
Blvd. Kukulcan Km. 9, Z.H.
Cancún Center, 1st Floor Cancun, Q. Roo, Mexico, 77550; Tel: 52 (998) 8812745 Fax: 52 (998) 8812774 www.cancun.travel