Page 37 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles
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When development was started on Janu- of illegal drugs and reportedly known for Cancún is served by Cancún International
ary 23, 1970, Isla Cancún had only three retail drug sales to tourists and as a center of Airport with an added main runway that
residents, caretakers of the coconut planta- money laundering. The links with Cancún commenced operation as of October 2010. It
tion of Don José de Jesús Lima Gutiérrez, date from the 1990s and early 2000s, when has many flights to North America, Central
who lived on Isla Mujeres, and there were the area was controlled by the Juárez and America, South America, Asia, and Europe.
only 117 people living in nearby Puerto Gulf drug cartels. In recent years Los Zetas, a It is located on the northeast of the Yucatán
Juarez, a fishing village and military base. group that broke away from the Gulf Cartel, Peninsula serving an average of about fifteen
Due to the reluctance of investors to bet on has taken control of many smuggling routes million passengers per year. The airport is
an unknown area, the Mexican government through the Yucatán, according to the U.S. located around 20 km (12 miles) from the
had to finance the first nine hotels.” The first Drug Enforcement Administration. hotel zone, approximately a 20 minute trip
hotel financed was the Hyatt Cancún Caribe, Apart from the island tourist zone (actu- by car. There is also a public transit bus
but the first hotel actually built was the Playa ally part of the world’s second-longest coral system, servicing the hotel zone. The island
Blanca, which later became a Blue Bay hotel, reef), the Mexican residential section of the of Isla Mujeres is located off the coast and is
and is now Temptation Resort. At the time city, the downtown part of which is known accessible by ferry from Puerto Juárez.
it was an elite destination, famous for its as “El Centro,” follows a master plan. Ave. Cancún has a tropical climate, specifically a
virgin white sand beaches. Since then, it has Tulum is the main north-south artery, con- tropical wet and dry climate. with few tem-
undergone a comprehensive transformation necting downtown to the airport, which is perature differences between seasons, but
from being a fisherman’s island surrounded some 30 km (19 mi) south of downtown. pronounced rainy seasons. The city is warm
by virgin forest and undiscovered shores to The main ferry to Isla Mujeres is located year-round, and moderated by onshore trade
being one of the two most well-known Mexi- in Puerto Juarez, on Ave. Paseo José López winds, with an annual mean temperature of
can resorts, along with Acapulco. Portillo. Cancún’s Mainland or Downtown 27.1 °C (80.8 °F). Unlike inland areas of the
Most ‘Cancunenses’ are from Yucatán and area has diverged from the original plan; Yucatán Peninsula, sea breezes restrict high
other Mexican states. A growing number are development is scattered around the city. temperatures from reaching 35 °C (95 °F) on
from the rest of the Americas and Europe. The remaining undeveloped beach and most afternoons. More temperate conditions
The municipal authorities have struggled lagoon front areas outside the hotel zone are occur from November to February with
to provide public services for the constant now under varying stages of development, in occasional refreshing northerly breezes, it
influx of people, as well as limiting squat- Punta Sam and Puerto Juarez to the north, is drier and becomes hotter in March and
ters and irregular developments, which now continuing along Bonampak and south April. It is hottest from May to September,
occupy an estimated ten to fifteen percent toward the airport along Boulevard Don- due to proximity to the Caribbean and Gulf
of the mainland area on the fringes of the aldo Colosio. One development abutting the humidity is high the year round, especially
city. In the 21st century, Cancún had largely hotel zone is Puerto Cancún, also Malecon so during hurricane season (averages close
avoided bloodshed associated with the trade Cancún[16] is another large development. to 70% on rain free days).
