Cancun from wikitravel.org

Understand

Resting on the northest corner of the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun itself was built on a site selected as the ideal spot for a new tourist development by the Mexican government. The state of Quintana Roo was still a territory and this area had few inhabitants when Cancun was built. It is comprised of fourteen miles of pristine white beaches shaped like a number "7", home to Mayan archaeological wonders, turquoise seas, a bountiful underwater world, and world-class vacation amenities. It is still considered the gateway to the Mayan World ('El Mundo Maya"). Mayan temples and ritual sites are literally everwhere, some smothered by lush jungle, others easily accessible.