Share the article
Last updated
Historically, Mexico City has been Mexico’s top tourist destination.
After all, it is the country’s capital, largest metropolis, as well as its main cultural center and access point, but it appears that CDMX’s decades-long reign is coming to an end.
Actually, it might as well have ended already.
According to the latest data informed by the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), Cancunpreviously Mexico’s second best offering, it now concentrates the majority of foreign arrivals in Mexico and also has the busiest air traffic.
So far this year it has received 7.48 million international visitors, the majority from the US and Canada, compared to CDMX’s 3.13 million and the ever-trendy Cabo’s 1.72 million. This makes it irrefutably Mexico’s premier destination.
The question is: why is Cancun still so popular?and why does its popularity persist? increasing?
Cancun is Mexico’s new number one tourist hotspot
As new figures from Sectur suggest, Cancun is Mexico’s number one destination, surpassing cultural hotspot Mexico City and wellness center Los Cabos.
In a sense it is not hard to understand why:
This is a city famous for its long hotel zone, bordered by the Caribbean Sea, where some of the most traditional and luxurious hospitality brands can be found, from Rius to Hiltons, Le Blancs and JW Marriotts: it is a place where most Americans go there to live on it and get started world-class amenities.
When they book a trip to Cancun, they know just now what awaits them: a week at a state-of-the-art beachfront resort with access to a private white-sand beach, lavish buffets with exquisite chef-curated ranges and award-winning catering.
Cancun is one easy enough holiday.
Why do Americans love Cancun?
The majority of guests in the Caribbean city are US and Canadian passport holders, who normally do not get many opportunities to go abroad each year, and if they do, they will consciously avoid less stressful, most obvious choice.
Not that that is necessarily bad.
Cancun’s all-inclusive resorts are the perfect place to escape your everyday worries and pamper yourself, whether it’s margaritas from the beach bar at sunset or an hour-long deep tissue massage at the spa center, and they are simply worth every cent.
Nowhere else in Mexico is the catering industry as developed and well equipped as Cancun and the associated Riviera Maya.
Then there is the region’s varied tourist offering.
Cancun is so much more than just beaches
Although many visitors will be reluctant to leave their hotel grounds and are solely looking for a sunny holiday, this doesn’t mean that Cancun and the wider Mexican Caribbean don’t have more than beaches to offer.
The modern city has developed on one of the most historically important parts of Mexico: the Yucatán Peninsula previously ruled by the indigenous Mayan peoples.
Before the arrival of the colonists and the Hispanization of Mexico, it was the Maya who, through their highly advanced cities and trade routes, controlled the Yucatan for more than a millennium, and further down the map of the Americas, the Central American Isthmus.
These may now lie largely in ruins, and only a shadow of their former glorious self, but important Mayan cities can still be admired throughout the Yucatan, within short driving distance from Cancun.
The most iconic ones are Chichen Itzaa popular selfie spot for tourists, with its characteristic step pyramid and ancient temples, and the archaeological site of Tulum, located in the lively seaside resort of Tulum.
Perched on the edge of a prominent cliff overlooking the bright blue Caribbean, Tulum’s picture-postcard ruins are among Mexico’s most recognizable monuments and a national treasure.
Breathtaking tropical nature
In addition to the Mayan ruins, visitors to Cancun also have an abundance of natural attractions to discover in the Mexican Caribbean during their stay, including idyllic islandsunderground cenotes – natural limestone-shaped reservoirs with typically crystal clear water – jungle reserves and hiking trails.
In addition, there are several picturesque colonial-era towns just a two- to three-hour drive from Cancun, such as Merida, where you can the oldest cathedral built in continental Americaand Valladolid, with a historic center full of 16th-century colonial mansions.
Numerous tour companies offer day trips and different activities, and it’s really up to you how to make your trip to Cancun more interesting, based on your own personal preferences.
Your hotel concierge may be able to assist you with bookings, or you can book activities directly through trusted third parties.
Cancun is reinventing itself
Finally, Cancun continues to become popular and grow as a destination because it continues to reinvent itself and improving tourism infrastructure.
An example of this is the Mayan Traina scenic rail line that opens in December and connects Cancun to all the trendiest spots on the Riviera Maya, including the smaller resort towns of Tulum and Playa Del Carmen and the colonial settlements of Merida and Valladolid.
Cancun does one of the most tourist-friendly destinations south of the border, and it’s really no wonder that Americans continue to flock to the beaches, even though it’s been a household name for years.
Read more:
Top 5 Travel Insurance Plans for 2023 from $10 per week
How to easily earn points for free travel
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LATEST POSTS
Enter your email address to subscribe to the latest Travel Off Path breaking travel news, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
