Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies® Book

	Introduction	1
	About This Book	2
	Conventions Used in This Book	2
	Foolish Assumptions	4
	How This Book Is Organized	4
	Icons Used in This Book	6
	Where to Go from Here	7
Part I	Getting Started	9
Chapter 1	Discovering the Yucatan	11
	Understanding the Lay of the Land	11
	Picking the Right Beach Resort	12
	Choosing Cancun	13
	Contemplating Isla Mujeres	16
	Diving into Cozumel	17
	Considering Playa del Carmen	18
	Exploring the Riviera Maya	18
Chapter 2	Deciding When to Go	21
	Forecasting the Weather	21
	Unlocking the Secret of the Seasons	22
	Yucatan's Calendar of Events	22
	January/February/March	23
	April/May/June	24
	July/August/September	24
	October/November/December	25
Chapter 3	Planning Your Budget	27
	Calculating Your Hotel Cost	28
	Totaling Transportation Costs	29
	Estimating Dining Dollars	30
	Tipping Tips	31
	Spending Wisely on Activities, Attractions, and Shopping	31
	Cutting Costs	32
Chapter 4	Planning Ahead for Special Travel Needs	35
	Vacationing with Children	35
	Seeking Specials for Seniors	36
	Ensuring Access for Travelers with Disabilities	38
	Gathering Advice for Gays and Lesbians	39
	Traveling Solo	40
	Planning a Wedding in Mexico	41
Part II	Ironing Out the Details	43
Chapter 5	Making Your Travel Arrangements	45
	Using a Travel Agent versus Planning on Your Own	45
	Going with a travel agent	46
	Opting to plan on your own	46
	Getting the Most from Your Travel Agent	47
	Understanding Escorted and Package Tours	48
	Coping with Airport Security Measures	51
	Finding the Best Airline and Airfare	52
	Researching and Booking Your Trip Online	54
	Knowing the benefits	54
	Using an "opaque-fare" service	55
	Choosing a Room That's Right for You	56
	Finding Hotel Deals Online	57
Chapter 6	Money Matters	59
	Making Sense of the Peso	59
	Choosing Traveler's Checks, Credit Cards, or Cash	60
	ATMs and cash	60
	Credit cards	61
	Traveler's checks	61
	Knowing What to Do If Your Wallet Gets Stolen	62
	Taxing Matters	63
Chapter 7	Taking Care of the Remaining Details	65
	Arriving In and Departing from Mexico	65
	Obtaining a Passport	66
	Applying for a U.S. passport	67
	Renewing a U.S. passport by mail	68
	Getting your passport in a hurry	68
	Applying for passports from other countries	69
	Dealing with lost passports	69
	Clearing U.S. Customs	70
	Considering Insurance	71
	Getting Sick Away from Home	72
	Staying Safe and Healthy	73
	Renting a Car	74
	Finding the best car-rental deal	75
	Remembering safety comes first	76
	Packing for the Yucatan	77
Part III	Cancun	79
Chapter 8	The Lowdown on Cancun's Hotel Scene	81
	Choosing a Location	82
	Cancun's Best Accommodations	83
Chapter 9	Settling into Cancun	99
	Arriving in Cancun	99
	Navigating passport control and Customs	99
	Getting to your hotel	100
	Getting Around Cancun	103
	Taking a taxi	104
	Catching a bus	105
	Zipping around on a moped	105
	Fast Facts: Cancun	105
Chapter 10	Dining in Cancun	109
	Cancun's Best Restaurants	110
Chapter 11	Having Fun On and Off the Beach in Cancun	121
	Finding Water Fun for Everyone	121
	Basking on a Cancun beach	122
	Skiing and surfing	123
	Exploring the deep blue	124
	Reeling in the big one	125
	Swimming with dolphins	125
	What to See and Do on Dry Land	126
	Teeing off	126
	Making time for tennis	127
	Galloping along on horseback	127
	Trailing away through the jungle	127
	Getting a bird's-eye view	127
	Sightseeing in Cancun	127
	Nearby Attractions and Side Trips	129
	Day-trips to Isla Mujeres	129
	Scenic boat trips	130
	Seeing the archeological sites	131
	Exploring an ecotheme park	131
	Shopping in Cancun	133
	Enjoying Cancun's Nightlife	135
	Partying at a club	135
	Enjoying a cultural event	137
Part IV	Isla Mujeres and Cozumel	139
Chapter 12	Isla Mujeres	141
	Settling into Isla Mujeres	142
	Arriving to Isla Mujeres by ferry	142
	Getting from the ferry dock to your hotel	144
	Getting around	145
	Staying in Isla	145
	Dining in Isla Mujeres	150
	Fun On and Off the Beach in Isla Mujeres	153
	Isla's best beaches	153
	Deep blue explorations in Isla	154
	Sightseeing and shopping in Isla	156
	Isla Mujeres after dark	158
	Fast Facts: Isla Mujeres	158
Chapter 13	Cozumel	161
	Getting to Cozumel	161
	By air	161
	By sea	162
	Getting around Cozumel	164
	Fast Facts: Cozumel	167
	Staying in Cozumel	168
	Finding the place that's right for you	168
	Checking out Cozumel's best hotels	169
	Dining in Cozumel	174
	Having Fun on the Beach and in the Water	177
	Scoring quality beach time	178
	Going deep: Scuba diving	178
	Enjoying snorkeling	180
	Visiting the nature parks	180
	Cruising the seas	181
	Catching the big one	181
	Swimming with dolphins	182
	Keeping Your Feet on Dry Land	182
	Hitting the links	182
	Seeing the sites	183
	Exploring Maya ruins on Cozumel	183
	Day-tripping off to the mainland	183
	Looking at the island's natural history	184
	Shopping in Cozumel	184
	Enjoying Cozumel's Nightlife	184
Part V	Exploring the Yucatan	187
Chapter 14	Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya	189
	Exploring the Riviera Maya	189
	Playa del Carmen	192
	Settling into Playa	192
	Fast Facts: Playa del Carmen	194
	Staying in Playa	195
	Dining in Playa	198
	Having fun on and off the beach	200
	The Riviera Maya	202
	Puerto Morelos and Environs	203
	Tres Rios	208
	Xcaret	208
	Xpu-Ha	209
	Akumal	210
	Xel-Ha	213
	On the way to Tulum	214
	Tulum	215
Chapter 15	A Taste of the Maya: Nearby Ruins	219
	Deciding Which Ruins to Visit	220
	Chichen Itza	221
	Getting there	222
	Where to stay	222
	Where to dine	224
	Exploring Chichen Itza	225
	Other highlights of Chichen Itza	227
	Fast Facts: Chichen Itza	230
	Tulum: Fortress City	230
	Coba ("Water Stirred by Wind")	232
	Ek Balam (Dark Jaguar)	234
Part VI	The Part of Tens	235
Chapter 16	Ten Ways to Avoid Looking Like a Gringo	237
	Wake Up and Ask for the Coffee ... Correctly	237
	Practice Your Check Etiquette	237
	Be on the Lookout for the Bus	238
	Go to the Pharmacy for Advice	238
	Beware the Jewelry Scams	238
	Know the Truth about the "Flower Girls"	239
	Say Hello Like a Local	239
	Distinguish between a Catcall and a Compliment	239
	Recognize the Sign of the Cross	239
	Mind the Macho Manner	240
Chapter 17	Top Ten (or So) Myths and Misconceptions about Mexico	241
	Don't Drink the Water	241
	Mexicans Who Don't Speak English Are Hard of Hearing	242
	Mexico Is the Land of Sombreros and Siestas	242
	All Mexican Food Is Spicy	242
	Mexico Has No Drinking or Drug Laws	243
	A Jeep Rental Is Really $10 a Day	243
	If in Trouble, Pay a Mordida	243
	You Can Go Everywhere Wearing Just Your Swimsuit	244
	Mexico Is a Desert, and It's Hot Everywhere	244
Chapter 18	Top Ten Most Delicious Yucatecan Dishes	245
	Pescado Tikik-Chik	245
	Pibil	245
	Tamales	246
	Panuchos	246
	Salbutes	246
	Huevos Motulenos	247
	Ceviche	247
	Puchero	247
	Liquados	247
	Cafe de Olla	247
Appendix A	Quick Concierge	249
	Toll-Free Numbers and Web Sites	254
	Where to Get More Information	256
	Health information	257
	Local sources of information	257
	Mexico on the Web	257
	Other Internet travel resources	258
Appendix B	Glossary of Spanish Words and Phrases	259
	Glossary of Spanish Menu Terms	264
	Worksheets	267
	Index	275