January

• 1/1 Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day): A legal holiday traditionally observed with families and with the closure of banks, schools, and most businesses.
• 1/6 El Día de los Reyes Magos: Of equal or greater importance than Christmas, and traditionally marked by the exchange of gifts.

February

• The annual Carnival Cancún marks the beginning of Lent. An extremely festive atmosphere pervades the city, with parades, food, music, and dancing in the streets. A great time to visit and experience the culture.
• 2/5 Día de la Constitución (Constitution Day): Speeches and ceremonies are enacted throughout Mexico in celebration of the Constitution.
• 2/24 Día de la Bandera (Flag Day): Mexicans show their patriotism and deference to the national flag through animated festivities.

March

• Late in the month, Inicio Primavera (Spring Equinox) occurs: The sun casts a shadow of the serpent Kukulcán, moving down 91 steps of the main pyramid at Chichén Itzá. This is a particularly popular time to visit the ruins.
• 3/21 Aniversario de Benito Juárez: Banks and offices closed in honor of the President, who was noted for heading up the 19th-Century reform movement.

April

• Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Pascua (Easter): Yearly in middle to late April, with major celebrations and processions across the country. Popular vacation time— beaches and hotels are crowded.
• Late April/early May, Sol a Sol International Regatta: Boat races begin in St. Petersburg, Florida, and end in Isla Mujeres with music and dance festivals.

May

• 5/1 Día del Trabajo (Labor Day): Banks and offices closed.
• 5/5 Cinco de Mayo: Celebrates Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of the Puebla (1862) with parades and fireworks. Banks and offices are closed.
• May 8-12 Cancún International Gay Festival: Call (800) 765-4370 for information.
• In the middle of the month (close to Memorial Day), Cancún hosts its annual Jazz Festival, with fanfare and musical performances.

August

• 8/17 Cruz de la Bahía founding of Isla Mujeres (1854): Parades, music, and dancing throughout the region.

September

• 9/16 Día de la Independencia (Independence Day): Folk dancing, mariachi bands, and fireworks all over Mexico celebrating independence from Spain (1821).
• 9/21 Fall Equinox: Sun casts a shadow of a serpent moving down the steps of the main pyramid at Chichén Itzá. This is a very popular time to visit the ruins.

October

• Second week: Isla Mujeres International Music Festival.

November

• 11/1-11/2 Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Families gather for All Saints Day at gravesites of loved ones for picnics.
• 11/ 20 Día de la Revolución: Parades, ceremonies and speeches throughout the country in honor of the Revolution of 1910. Banks and offices closed.

December

• 12/3-12/8 Fiesta de la Concepción Immaculate (Feast of the Immaculate Conception): Music, fireworks, and bullfights.
• The week before Christmas, parades throughout Mexico commemorate Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.
• 12/25 Navidad (Christmas Day): Candlelight processions and festive celebrations with the breaking of piñatas are typical during the week of Christmas and New Year’s.

For entry into Mexico and readmission into your home country, you must provide proof of citizenship; generally a passport is required. A passport is recommended for citizens of the U.S. and Canada, but according to the U.S. State Department, a birth certificate with a raised seal, an original Certificate of Citizenship, or a Naturalization Certificate along with a photo ID are acceptable forms of documentation. Minors need a notarized consent from both parents if traveling alone.

A tourist card will be given to you on your flight, which you will fill out and present when passing through Mexican Customs. Arriving by air or sea, you can take up to $300USD worth of goods, duty free, into Mexico. By land, the limit is $50.

For re-entry to the U.S., each person can bring a limited value of Mexican goods into the country, duty free, and up to one liter of alcohol. Confirm the exact dollar value ahead of time with your airline.

In the spirit of convenience, your Cancún vacation can be planned as a package. Booking this way can be both economical and efficient.

Many resorts offer all-inclusive packages, meaning that your meals and drinks are included in the room rate. A few hotels actually require that you participate, and do not offer a European plan, or a la carte option. All-inclusive can be a convenient choice if you are traveling with a family, as many of the hotels offer discounts for children, and have decent restaurants. It is also a popular and economical deal for the party crowd—hotel bars are usually open long hours, and alcoholic beverages can quickly become an expense when purchased individually. On the other hand, an all-inclusive plan will naturally limit your ability and motivation to explore the surprising number of quality restaurants on the hotel strip and downtown. See the hotels profiles on pages 62 to 107 to find out which hotels offer all-inclusive options.

If you are planning your own trip, you can make flight, hotel and car reservations online. A number of websites offer discounted rates, as well as hotel and air packages. Of the travelers we surveyed, 21 percent booked their travel to Cancún online. Here are the sites they used:

• www.expedia.com (8%)
• www.travelocity.com (4%)
• www.priceline.com (3%)
• www.orbitz.com (3%)
• www.cheaptickets.com (3%)

For information on the Yucatan’s history and culture, as well as updates and warnings for travelers headed to Cancún, check out these sites:

• Cancún Convention and Visitors Bureau official website
• Yahoo directory for travel within Mexico website
• U.S. State Department website, offering information on entry requirements, travel warnings, as well as crime and safety details for U.S. travelers to Mexico website
• Center for Disease Control Travelers’ Health information for Mexico and Central America website