Interesting Facts

When colleges around the world close their doors for spring break, Cancún opens its doors wide to welcome vacationing students for a few great weeks of partying. In fact, it's become one of the top international spring-break destinations.
Cancún is comprised of two primary areas. The main tourist zone, known as Zona Hotelera, is on a narrow, bracket-shaped island, with the Caribbean on one side and a large lagoon on the other. It's lined with bars, restaurants, shopping centers and hotels. The other part, "Downtown," is situated on the mainland, and that's where you'll find a little more "local flavor."
It may be hard to believe, but in 1960 Cancún was just an endless expanse of jungle. But by 1974, with a concerted government effort, the city had developed into a tourist destination. Today, it's one of the world's premier vacation spots.
The Mayans were the first people to settle the Yucatan region of Mexico. Numerous remnants of their habitation survive, in the form of archaeological sites and museum artifacts. Tourists can check these out at the Museo Arqueológico de Cancún, and with visits to Chac Mol, Chichen Itzá and Xpu-Ha.
The Great Maya Reef, which rests not far off the coast of Cancún, is the second longest reef system in the world – only Australia's Great Barrier Reef is longer. It stretches more than 69 miles all the way from Honduras to the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Local residents, numbering about 500,000, are called Cancunenses.
Tourism is the main economic industry here. More than four million visitors arrive annually from all over the world, but government statistics show that more than 35% of them actually come from other parts of Mexico.
In 2005, Hurricane Wilma did extensive damage to the Yucatan – in Cancún, a stretch of beach several miles long all but washed away completely. But, the city has been called a model for hurricane recovery, and within a few months, sand had been sucked up from about 20 miles offshore and deposited back along the shoreline, effectively recreating the 140-foot wide beach.
Cancún International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancún) is about 8km (5mi) from the city. And in a fascinating geographical "twist," the city is actually an hour closer by air to Miami, Florida than it is to the country's capital, Mexico City.
The climate is tropical – hot and humid nearly all year, with temperatures averaging between 26°C and 36°C (79°F and 97°F). Ocean breezes do help cool things off a bit though!