Cancún

Introducing Cancún

Unlike many cities in the world, Cancún just isn’t afraid. It’s unabashed and unapologetic, and in that lies its high-gloss charm. So send in the Maya dancers, swashbuckling pirates and beer-chugging US Spring Breakers. Cancún can take it. But can you?

Like Las Vegas, Ibiza or Dubai, Cancún is a party city that just won’t give up. Top that off with a pretty good beach and you have one of the Western Hemisphere’s biggest tourist draws, bringing in as many as 4 million visitors (mostly from the US) each year.

It’s hard to believe this little fishing town would become a worldwide phenomenon. In the 1970s Mexico’s ambitious planners decided to outdo Acapulco with a brand-new, world-class resort located on the Yucatán Peninsula, and Cancún was born. Although it isn’t for everyone – and this type of mass-tourism certainly won’t interest all travelers – if you’re here, you might as well dig into the kitsch and crap that make this city unique.

Last updated: Jul 22, 2009