Cancun

A public beach with no hotel on it and a bluff above for looking down. The surf runs strong, so the flag colour is checked before going in.

Finds from across the peninsula are gathered here, with an excavation site behind the building. The ruins sit in forest, so repellent goes on before walking it.

More than five hundred concrete figures were sunk to let coral grow on them. Snorkellers take the shallow section, and the deeper one needs a diving certificate.

Twenty minutes by boat to an island circled in a rented golf cart. On the north beach the water stays waist deep for a long stretch out.

A small Maya site inside the hotel strip where iguanas sit on the stones. It is modest in scale but within walking distance, so it costs little time.

The lagoon behind the hotel strip is driven through channels in the mangrove. Unlike the sea there is no swell, so a first time kayaker manages it.

A market on the town side gathering souvenirs and kitchens in one block. Prices sit below the hotel strip, and bargaining is normal here.

Boats to the island leave every fifteen minutes from north of the town. The fare runs about half that from the hotel strip pier, and the sailings are more frequent.

Turtles nest on these beaches between May and October, and the hatchlings are released at dusk. Torches send them the wrong way, so the lights stay off.

The island's southern end, and the first ground in the country to catch the sunrise. A sculpture park follows the cliff edge, and the wind is constant.

A bird island off Cancun's northern tip; as a national park it caps the number of visitors each day. A short trail and a lookout tower run through woods where frigatebirds and pelicans nest. Only licensed boat tours go, and a trip means booking ahead.

Reached by driving over two hours to the port of Chiquila, then crossing by boat. With no ordinary cars, its sand streets are ridden by golf cart and bicycle. Whale sharks gather offshore in summer, and on moonless nights plankton glows blue in the shallows.

From June to September, whale sharks gather to feed on plankton in the waters beyond Cancun and Isla Mujeres to the north. Swimmers go in two at a time from the boat with a guide and swim alongside. Touching is forbidden, and sunscreen is not allowed either.

The main square of downtown rather than the hotel strip; in the evening local families come out to eat from the stalls. Marquesita and corn carts ring the square, and weekend shows play on the stage. Prices run far below the hotel-zone restaurants.

A beach facing the sheltered bay inside the hotel strip, so waves are almost absent and the water stays knee-deep far out. Even when red flags fly on the open-sea beaches to the east, children paddle here. Boats to Isla Mujeres leave from a nearby pier.

A long, thin sand peninsula reaching north of Cancun, with no big hotels and nearly empty beaches. Caribbean surf breaks on its seaward shore and a calm lagoon lies behind, so kitesurfers gather on windy days. The road turns to dirt toward the tip.

A Maya site by the road north of downtown toward Isla Blanca. Its central castle pyramid is counted as the tallest Maya building on this northern coast. Iguanas bask on the stones, and tour buses hardly ever stop.

A downtown market smaller than Mercado 28, stocked with household goods rather than souvenirs. Neighbourhood kitchens sit between pinata, herb and fruit stalls, serving a cheap lunch. With few tourists, there is little haggling to do.

A patch of tropical forest kept as a park, ringed by city streets. On its short trails coatis, iguanas and birds pass close by, and a traditional Maya thatched house has been rebuilt. Stop in for a side of Cancun that is not the beach.

The island runs about 7km, so a rented golf cart can loop it within a few hours. The east coast road follows cliffs where waves smash on rock, while the west side strings calm beaches and restaurants. Rental shops ask to see a driving licence.