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| About
Cancun |
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| Cancun History | ||||||
| The Mayas, who settled the Yucatán Peninsula around 200 AD, inhabited the area for centuries before the Spanish arrived there in 1519. Although little is recorded or known about the history of the peninsula or the Mayas, the area is dotted with many Mayan ruins. Not until the 1950s and mid-1970s did archaeologists begin to study the ruins. Today, more than 1,200 archaeological sites, many of which have been restored, are scattered within a few hours' drive of Cancún. | ||||||
| Since 1974, the island of Cancún has been developed from a small fishing village to an international resort attracting more than 7,000,000 visitors each year. Downtown Cancún, the booming city on the mainland across the Laguna Nichupté, was nonexistent 20 years ago; it now supports a population of over 700,000-1,000,000 people. Such incredible growth did not just happen; Cancún was selected--reportedly by computer--by a Department of Tourism task force as a development site that would bolster the Yucatán's sagging economy. The task force (called FONATUR) created the master plan for, and supervised the orderly development of, both the island, referred to as the Hotel Zone, and the city on the mainland. The result is Mexico's leading tourist destination--Cancún now accounts for nearly 20 percent of the nation's tourism income and offers some 26,000 hotel rooms. | ||||||
Tips |
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| Avoid all the time share touts at the airport, they will want a high deposit and if you are interested in doing a presentation will get a better deal once you get settled in and have a chance to look around. IF you want to do a presentation, simply let us know and we will negotiate the best deal possible, either free tours, cash or a combination of both. | ||||||
| The vans are a cheaper option for getting to your hotel than taxis and run from $7-9.00 for the one way trip. A new local bus service has just started January 2004 which will bring you downtown for $1.50, you can catch this bus at the far end of terminal 2. | ||||||
| All the water in the hotel zone is safe to drink from the tap and all ice cubes and washed foods like salads are completely safe, even from street vendors. | ||||||
| Cancun is a very safe tourist destination which will be reflected by the amount of police you see around the area. | ||||||
| The bus is the best system for getting around downtown or in the hotel zone, it cost 60 cents, runs 24 hour a day and you will not normally wait any longer than 5 minutes. Once downtown taxis will only cost $1.50 for most of the places you will want to get to. | ||||||
| There are Wall Marts, Costco, Sam's Club, downtown but the local market, market 28 will be the best for your souvenirs, there is a smaller market just off the main street Tulum. There are 4-5 shopping malls in the hotel zone with La Isla being the biggest. | ||||||
| If you want to catch a movie, prices are very reasonable and the movies are up-to-date. The newest ones are in English with Spanish subtitles. Miami Herald and USA today can be found in most of the corner stores. Most of the hotels will have cable T. V. with a wide variety of English channels and some pay for view. | ||||||
| There are two different type of beaches in the hotel zone which is shaped like a number 7. The long the part of the 7 where most of the bigger named hotels are, the waves are more dramatic, water deeper but the beaches can be a little rocky and narrow, the shorter part of the 7 has very shallow water, very calm waters and wider beaches since it is protected by Isla Mujeres which lies just off the main land and does not get hit as hard by any storms. | ||||||
| Official hurricane season is from June to November with September, October and November being more active although Cancun has not had a bad hurricane since 1988, 'Gilbert' was a class 5 and did allot of damage. There may be an occasional tropical front which will bring wind and sometimes rain for a few days. | ||||||
| Fax | ||||||
The
fax use is common in Mexico, a great number of businesses count on with
this tool and it is common to find private facsimiles in houses of professionals.
The public fax service is provided in businesses and trades, mainly in
stationary shops. |
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| Hotels | ||||||
In
all the important cities and in the tourist zones, you will be able to
find hotels of the principal chains as Westin, Holiday Inn, Radisson and
Sheraton, between others. In towns and smaller localities you will always
be able to find Hotels, Inns, Motels and Lodgings which offer good service. Besides to the numerous tourist attractions, the country counts on with any number of options of culture and entertainment as museums, galleries, cultural centers, theaters, cinemas, concert halls, amusement parks, nightclubs, discos, etc. |
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| Museums and Galleries | ||||||
The
museums are inexpensive countrywide, with some exceptions. In Mexico there
are museums with temporary and permanent exhibitions as the better of
the world. In Mexico City the museums with more prestigious are the Anthropology
and History, Rufino Tamayo, Modem Art, the Interventions, the Mexico City,
Diego Rivera, Frida Khalo, and Contemporary Art museums between others.
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An
other way to appreciate the art is visiting the expositions of the galleries
of the country. Mexico conserves a very important artistic tradition,
the galleries concentration in the Mexico City can be appreciated in the
"Zona Rosa" or in "Polanco, Coyoacan and San Angel".
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| Cultural Centers | ||||||
The
Palacio de Bellas Artes without doubt is the most prestigious Cultural
Center of the country. Painting and sculpture expositions, opera representations,
theater and ballet, concerts, contemporary and folklore dance; all under
the same building. Similar in its capacities to offer art and entertainment
is the Theater Degollado in Guadalajara. The Claustro de Sor Juana is a cultural space in a convent. This center has a great tradition as one of the most beautiful cultural frameworks in Mexico City. |
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In
most of the political delegations of Mexico City, there are Cultural Houses
where are offered expositions, theater, plays, concerts and dances. Almost
always the events are free and of good quality. In the states, the Cultural
Houses are cultural bastions for the people. |
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In
the Sala Nezahualcoyotl and in the Silvestre Revueltas, you will able
to listen, among other spectacles, to the Philharmonic Orchestra of Mexico
City. The Auditorio Nacional is space for all kind of concerts, with modern
equipment, comfortable facilities and excellent acoustics. |
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| Theater | ||||||
In
the principal cities the theatrical billboard is vast. Theater is reasonably
inexpensive, its prices vary according to the play and the theater in
which it is presented. You can find from the Broadway musical, to the
dramas and classic tragedies as well as alternative expressions. |
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| Cinemas | ||||||
You
will be able to find international debut movies. The debut time in relationship
with USA id from one to three months depending on the film. Also, you
will be able to find international cinematographic shows of excellent
quality. |
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| Night life | ||||||
The
night life in Mexico is very varied and active. You can attended musical
spectacles, cabarets, discos, nightclubs and bars with variety, practically
every day of the week in all the cities. |
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The
costs are reasonable when the drinks are national and the environment
is generally safe and pleasant. It is recommended the foreigners be far
from the "Tolerance Zones" of the cities, where the cabarets
and burdeles are. |
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| Seasons | ||||||
In
Mexico Spring begun on March 20 at 2:28 PM, Summer on June 21, at 8:48
AM, Autumn on September 23 at 12:23 AM and Winter December 21, at 8:23
PM. |
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| Driving in Mexico | ||||||
The
cities count on with clear signaling of the speed limit as well as the
restrictive preventive signaling. It is valid to use any driving license of any country, to drive in Mexico. |
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The
signs on roads and cities follow the international standards. In highways,
the speed limit generally is 100 km/h. There are vibrators at the entry
of the towns and before the collection roads or highways. |
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In
the cities, the speed limit can be between 40 and 60 km/h., and 80 km/h
in freeways. There are one way streets which sense is indicated through
the arrows in the corners; when the arrows are green, these indicated
that the traffic by that street has preference, if they are red the cars
should stop in the corner. |
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There
are boulevards that generally have four lanes in the same direction and
a fifth in opposite direction, reserved for public transportation. To
pedestrians and drivers it is recommended to pay attention in order to
avoiding accidents. |
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| Firearms, ammunitions and explosives | ||||||
In
Mexico the firearms possession, forbidden weapons, ammunitions and explosives
is illegal, you must have a special permit of the Secretaria de la Defensa
Nacional (SEDENA). The copies that do not boot are not considered illegal.
Naturally, tourist are not permitted to import any kind of armament, including knives. |
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| Migration and passport control | ||||||
| Requirements for foreigners to enter Mexico as tourists: | ||||||
| Valid Passport Birth Certificate (original or certified copy) Notaries endorsement of citizenship |
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Citizens
of certain countries do not need to transact with anticipation a Tourist
entry Visa, therefore it will be enough to have a Tourist Card at their
entry to the country. To obtain it, it's enough to present a citizenship
identification in the Mexican consulates, in the border migration offices,
in the official entry points, in the tourism offices of the Mexican government
or in any of the air lines that travel to Mexico. |
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The
Cards and the Tourist entry Visa are free. The entry card has a validity
only of 90 days and it should be returned to migration authorities at
the moment of leaving Mexico; the exact time of its validity is determined
by the Mexican migration agent. |
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While
the tourist is in Mexico, he will have to carry all the time the Card
or Tourist entry Visa with himself, otherwise, he will deserve a fine.
In the event of lose it he can attend at once to the local migration authorities
to obtain a duplicate. |
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| Personal use cars | ||||||
This
category is applied if the vehicle is going to be used by the person as
its means of transportation. The requirements are the following: |
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| Valid driving license | ||||||
| Citizenship identification and the entry Visa or Tourist Card respective (Passport, Birth certificate or Notarial endorsement of citizenship) | ||||||
| Invoice or title deed of the vehicle | ||||||
| Traffic card or other type of register of the vehicle | ||||||
A
bond deposit in Mexican company of the total value of the car, the sign
of a sworn declaration in which the owner bind it self to return within
the period of time granted in the permit. |
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These
cars can only be driven by the foreigner citizen or by the person in favor
of whom is issued the permit, or another person but always in company
of the holder of the permit. If the vehicle is borrowed to any person,
is committed a violation to the Customs Law whose sanction is a fine and
the possible lost of the vehicle. |
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| Restricted articles | ||||||
Upon
speaking of the restricted articles we are not necessarily speaking of
the prohibition of it entry to the country, but that is prudent to declare
the articles to avoid fines and retention's. |
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All
the products and sub-products of vegetable and animal origin will be surveyed
by the safety officers of phytozoo health. Upon arriving to the border,
you have to declare products as: |
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| Animal origin: Pets, butters, cheeses, hams, sausages, hunt trophies, skins not processed Vegetable origin: Plants, flowers, fruits, seeds, bulbs Other insecticide, insects, medicines, vaccines | ||||||
| All the pets, must have a health certificate | ||||||
| Personal baggage | ||||||
| Below we offer a list of the articles that do not pay taxes on their entry to Mexico. | ||||||
| Of personal use: | ||||||
A video reproducer A bicycle with or without motor Domestic clothe Cookware, kitchen, and/or living room furniture's |
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When
articles different to the previously indicated are transported and that
may have a value higher to three hundred American dollars, but less to
one thousand; or up to four thousand American dollars (in the case of
compute equipment), it should be declared and paid through a bureau of
Customs Taxes, provided that, it is one of the following articles: |
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- - The
inspection system in the border customs and in airports or marine ports,
operate with a random selection system or semaphore. Will be checked the
person that gets the semaphore light in red. |
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If
upon pressing the semaphore button the person gets green light will not
be checked, but if there is a difference between the statement and the
articles, is applied an economic sanction of 1.5 times the value of the
not declared articles. The person that gets the red light is checked.
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In
the event of incurring in the lack of articles declared will exist a sanction
of 4 times the commercial value of the not declared articles. |
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| If there are doubt in this regard, you can consulted a fiscal advisor that is found in the inspection area in borders and airports | ||||||
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