| Head South for the Winter to Visit Cancun
Only Southern Tip Affected By Recent Hurricane, Tourism Thriving
The Signal - Business Section, January, 2006
Cancun is so much more than the Southern most tip of Mexico that was hit so hard by a hurricane at the end of last year. It is miles of sandy beaches, upscale resorts and a thriving tourist destination. Although Mother Nature swept through with furious weather, the hurricane damaged only an isolated area of the region which is sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Ocean.
For the rest of northern Cancun, past the airport in the area called Riviera Maya, you honestly would never know anything had happened. The whole region on the Caribbean side of the cape, which features the famous Mayan Ruins, is still in good condition. Having recently returned from there, I can say firsthand that it is business as usual in this bustling Mexican hot spot.
Hotels are operating at capacity, local sights, shopping and dining attractions are as busy as ever. This hugely popular honeymoon and family destination is booked with couples and families well into the New Year. With beautiful stretches of beach, some of the best underwater sights anywhere for diving and snorkeling, great accommodations and the lure of all-inclusive packages, most of Cancun is going strong.
Like any news, the storm reports we saw on television from the area were contained to a single area of Mexico. When the hurricane landed, it sat at the South point of the peninsula and never went beyond. While many properties suffered damage in that one location, for the most part, the rest of Northern Cancun including the Riviera Maya remained untouched, as did its neighbor Cozumel.
The hotels which were hit hardest, are now rebuilding and in a bigger and better way. Taking their time to reconstruct, these properties are using the opportunity to upgrade, add to and expand what they were before. Once completed, downtown Cancun will be ripe with new, impressive and sought-after hotel rooms designed to meet the needs of every traveler.
For those of us in Southern California, getting to Cancun couldn’t be any easier. Alaska Air offers daily non-stop service from LA. In just 4.5 hours you can go from the traffic-filled 405 to the casual pace of Southern paradise.
If exploring ancient civilizations is your idea of a good time, the Cancun region offers it up by the shovel full. For a unique insight on the pre-Columbian civilization of Mexico, surrounding cities boast Mayan sights, pyramids and ruins just waiting to be seen. By tour bus, rental car, bicycle or foot, visitors can get an up close and personal old-world experience.
While many locals have their own storm stories to tell, they are carrying on with everyday life like we would after a rainy day. Those at the Southern tip who were truly affected are now rebuilding. It is that simple.
With this in mind, there is no reason to avoid heading south for the winter to enjoy some sun and surf. There really is so much more to Cancun than just the tip of the peninsula. Adios.
For more information
contact Nicole Stinson, Public Relations
(310) 312-3368
