Travelers Advantage...

SAY ‘SI’ TO FOUR HOT

MEXICO DESTINATIONS

Travel to Mexico is hot and there’s never been a better time to say ‘si’ to four of Mexico’s top destinations: Cancun; the Riviera Maya; Puerto Vallarta; and Los Cabos. When it comes to convenience, flexibility, and affordability, it’s hard to beat this foursome just south of the border.

Cancun

With more than 25,000 hotel rooms, Cancun is Mexico’s largest resort town and destination. This epicenter of Mexico’s tourist paradise offers miles of beaches, wildly popular nightclubs, and an upscale dining and shopping experience.

Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun means ‘Golden Snake’ in Mayan. It combines the best of Mexico and the Caribbean. Cancun is comprised of three distinct areas: the city of Cancun, which is popular for shopping, dining, and less expensive accommodations options; the ecological reserve, featuring lagoons and mangroves; and the resort zone, offering posh resorts, malls, and clubs, radiant beaches, and lots of watersports options.

In addition to the seductive nightlife, two 18-hole golf courses, renowned beaches, top-notch shopping, and fine dining, additions to the area include the La Isla entertainment complex, the Parque Nizuc water park, an annual marathon, and the AquaWorld watersports center. Further afield, excursions to islands like Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, and Isla Contoy compete with inland options like the famed ruins of Tulum, Coba, and Chichen Itza.

Riviera Maya

Just south of Cancun is the Riviera Maya, a scenic and unspoiled shoreline of sparkling beaches, archaeological sites, and small resorts and villages stretching nearly 300 miles from Playa del Secreto to Punta Allen. A modern four-lane highway takes travelers along jungle-lined Highway 307.

Just 62 miles along this awe-inspiring journey is Tulum, featuring seaside Mayan ruins, nearby eco-archaeological theme parks, famed ‘cenotes’ (underwater cave systems), and a part of the second largest barrier reef in the world. Overlooking the Caribbean, the white-walled city of ruins called Tulum is filled with ancient temples and buildings, making it one of Mexico’s most visited archaeological sites. Other highlights of this outdoors-oriented area include the cenotes of Tulum Pueblo and the Ka’an Biosphere Reserve (one of the country’s most beautiful ecotourism reserves).

Further south, Playa del Carmen is one of Mexico’s fastest-growing tourist destinations. Located just across the straits from Cozumel, Playa del Carmen is frequented by an appealing mix of Americans, Europeans, and other tourists looking for a good vacation deal in Mexico. Highlights include a low-key tourism lifestyle, varied accommodations options, lots of local restaurants, and white-sand beaches.

Puerto Vallarta

Located in the heart of Mexico’s Pacific coastline, Puerto Vallarta is a seaside resort city that’s convenient, varied, and very fun. Offering miles of pristine golden sand beaches and Pacific waves, Puerto Vallarta is a great getaway for those who are active and those who simply want to sit on the beach.

Arriving from the nearby airport to the north of the city, visitors immediately discover Marina Vallarta, with upscale resort hotels, condominiums, a water park, golf, and dock slips with boats. Next, beachside hotels, stores, and shops await at Zona Hotelera. Just beyond is Viejo Vallarta, the cobblestone village where white adobe houses run along the coast to the Cuale River and further to local shops, restaurants, and nightlife. The Conchas Chinas on the south shore feature tropical hillsides and spectacular sunsets. A bit further along the bay, Mismaloya is where John Huston filmed Night of the Iguana.

No matter where you’re based in Puerto Vallarta, there’s something (or nothing) to do. Highlights include: great beaches and watersports; golf; exploring the highlands of the Sierra Madre; learning folkloric dance and art or local cooking; taking a day trip to archaeological digs; visiting a turtle preservation camp; and so much more. Whether you’re a single, a couple, seniors, or family and whether you want to be part of the action or removed from it, Puerto Vallarta offers the kind of Mexico experience you want.

Los Cabos

Located at the end of the world’s longest peninsula, Baja California, Los Cabos is a vibrant and fast-growing destination with a history and diversity as rich as all of Mexico. Whether romantics or outdoors enthusiasts, visitors relish in the selection of hotels (budget to luxury) and the wealth of activities (sunbathing to marlin fishing) found in this picturesque destination surrounded by the sands of both desert and sea.

From the moment visitors approach Los Cabos, they are witness to the diversity of landscape. Craggy peaks of the Sierra de la Laguna mountains create a backdrop for miles of golden beach, azure water, and dramatic rock formations. Yards, but worlds, away, saguaro cactus, palms, and cultivated gardens dot the landscape.

Los Cabos is comprised of two small and very different towns--San Jose del Cabo to the northeast and Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip--that bracket a 20-mile seacoast corridor. Picturesque and historic, San Jose del Cabo was once a sleepy mission town that has developed a charming patina appealing to those in search of something other than modern resorts. Cabo San Lucas pulses in round-the-clock contrast, with shops, restaurants, nightclubs, and varied resorts offering virtually every activity and amenity.

Thus, from bustling Cancun to equally active Los Cabos and the Riviera Maya and Puerto Vallarta in between, it’s easy to see why these four Mexico destinations are so hot. Say ‘si’ to one or more of them soon!