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 Travel & Outdoors | December 2007 
Cancun's Winds of Change
 Michael Nassar - NYDailyNews.com
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Click image to enlarge | | An aerial shot shows the Cancun coast in all its glory. |
The one-two punch of the 2005 hurricanes, including the record-setting ferocity of Wilma, battered Cancun. Miles of its famous beach were swept out to sea, and the tourist area of this popular Mexican playground was largely left a shambles.
Lost amid the televised images of stranded tourists wandering the streets was the fact that thousands of residents wholly dependent on the tourist industry watched their livelihoods go out with the tide, too.
Following the initial shock, a dazed but determined Cancun went about getting itself back in business. The government trucked in miles of new beach and most everyone in Cancun took a role in helping with the cleanup.
"Everyone had a stake in the recovery," says Patricia Lopez Mancera, Cancun's public relations director. "So individuals really felt compelled to help."
The group effort paid off (and luckily 2007's menacing storms, Felix and Dean, left the area relatively unharmed). Revamped and reinvigorated - even the airport got a much-needed face-lift - Cancun is more than back. It's bigger and better than you remember.
What's more, beachfront Cancun is only the tip of the iceberg these days - an explosion of new golf courses, condos, ecoattractions and resorts stretches far beyond the original hotel zone and down along the Riviera Maya.
Here's the local knowledge you need to get the most out of your next trip:
IF YOU'RE BRINGING THE KIDS
Located in the heart of the jungle, the Fairmont Mayakoba is so "green" that when the hurricanes swept through, the resort actually gained a few acres of beach due to its responsible building and under-standing of how the eco-system operates.
What better environment to share with the family than one that values its surroundings and tries to impart a little of that magic to everyone?
This family-friendly resort also has some of the best kid programs in all of Mexico, promising to keep your little (and big) ones amused and engaged well past sunset. Capoeira and belly dancing lessons, fashion shows, treasure hunts and moonlit bonfires - not to mention a Discovery Club with slides, rappelling walls and an Xbox - will make you almost wish you were a kid again.
Almost. After all, the unique treetop couples' suite in the resort's luxurious Willow Stream Spa beckons.
IF YOU'RE LEAVING THE KIDS
There is no better symbol of the rebirth of cool in Cancun than the trendy new Le Blanc.
It's stylish, with a sexy, au courant crowd, so you'll be forgiven for thinking you've landed along Miami's South Beach.
Le Blanc borrows a page out of Ian Schrager's dramatic design book and takes it to the extreme. Everything - as the name implies - is white.
The dramatic effects continue at BlancSpa, with a personal valet for everyone, extensive relaxation areas with cavernous ceilings and billowing organ-za curtains that allow you to mix and mingle or retreat into your own private space.
Le Blanc also has the distinction of being one of the new adults-only, all-inclusive resorts with a surprising focus on quality, rather than just quantity.
HONEYMOON HEAVEN
Just south of downtown, along the strip now being promoted as the Riviera Cancun, is Paraiso de la Bonita, a romantic jewel box of a hotel for adults only.
The staff skips the nametags and addresses you by name, giving the hotel the ambiance of a friend's country house. If only we all had such generous friends - and with such impeccable taste, too!
From the caged birds to the cutlery to the delicately tiled mosaics and supple lighting, every detail has been subtly thought out by the architect who built la Bonita as a valentine to his wife. Even the beds are slightly elevated, so you can flop amid the pillows with an unobstructed view of the water.
Lovebirds will enjoy candlelight dining in a secluded beachfront spot, or taking a catamaran cruise along the Mexican Riviera at sunset. Thalasso, the adjacent saltwater spa, offers an intimate couples massage on the beach, in your suite or at the tip of a private dock.
ADVENTUROUS AFTERNOONS
Xcaret, in the heart of the Riviera Maya, is without a doubt the most famous of all eco-archeological parks, offering a full slate of activities for the entire family.
Swimming the underground river through ancient Mayan sinkholes and magical caves is a highlight that even novice swimmers can enjoy. The giant sea-turtle breeding program gives you up close and personal access to these amazing endangered creatures, and a torchlight show of spectacle and folklore gives you a glimpse of what the Maya may have seen and heard. Plan on devoting a full day to Xcaret.
Xel-Ha, possibly the largest natural aquarium in the world, is a playground for adventure seekers and water babies alike. Test your mettle with a plunge off Courage Cliff, then climb up the wall and do it all over again.
Or try walking the knee-knocking rope crossing suspended over crystal-blue waters. Enjoy quality time swimming with the dolphins, or whoop it up in the water park - just be sure you allow time for a nap on Hammock Island.
FEAST ON THIS
Casa Maguey (formerly OK Maguey), in the upscale Plaza Kukulcan shopping center, boasts a fine Mexican menu combined with traditional mariachi music and a staff that is great fun. It's known for its famous margaritas and guacamole, but carnivores should try the succulent Molcajete (a variety of meats served in the traditional molcajete bowl). Chili lovers should go for the Malinche Chicken, stuffed with chichárron (pork skin) and a variety of chilies.
BIGGEST PARTY
The City holds true to its name: It is enormous, pulsing and you get the feeling anything could happen here. Pimped out in high-tech laser lights and sound, it has a spectacular mobile dance stage, which descends from the third level to the center of the club.
Nightly parties feature top international deejays like Armin Van Buuren and Paul van Dyk - and the occasional Playboy Bunny talent search.
BEACH BONANZA
With 12 miles of stunning sand, finding the best beach in Cancun is a bit like picking a branch out of a redwood forest. The area simply has no bad beaches.
However, if you're feeling adventurous, hop the ferry and head over to Isla Mujeres (Island of the Women), where the beaches are less crowded. The island is surrounded by coral reefs, so it also makes the perfect spot for snorkeling and scuba.
DUFFER'S DELIGHT
Cancun Golf Club at Pok-Ta-Pok is the oldest and most prestigious course in town. It also happens to be the best. Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s championship par-72 design incorporates not only the Caribbean shoreline but a wealth of archeological treasures dating back to the ancient Maya.
ANCIENT WONDERS
Cancun may be a modern tourist resort, but the entire Yucatan peninsula is peppered with the ruins of ancient Mayan civilization. You can appreciate the vestiges of one of the most interesting and complex societies at the nearby El Rey (The King) archeological site, the largest such site in Cancun.
The preserved ruins of a pyramid palace are a fascinating window into the history of Mexico, and the hundreds of iguanas that now call the site home will keep the kids entertained, too.
IF YOU GO ...
Fairmont Mayakoba: www.fairmont.com/mayakoba; 1-800-441-1414
Le Blanc: www.leblancsparesort.com; 1-877-753-2526
Paraiso de la Bonita: www.paraisodelabonita.com; +52 (998) 872-8320
Xcaret: www.xcaret.com; +52 (998) 883-0470
Xel-Ha: www.xel-ha.com; +52 (998) 883-3293
Casa Maguey: +52 (998) 287-8224
The City: www.thecitycancun.com; +52 (998) 848-8380
Cancun Golf Club: www.cancungolfclub.com; +52 (998) 883-1230.
El Rey: No Web site, no phone. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information: www.cancun.info |
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