“The Yucatan Peninsula is home to an astonishing number of ecosystems such as mangroves, lagoons, cenotes, coastal dunes, seagrass beds and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (the second largest barrier on the planet). All of this ecosystems contirbute to the region´s breathtaking beauty, wiht its dazzling abundance and diversity of life.

Mexico shelters an amazing variety of life, but sadly more than 1,200 of its species are listed and threatened or endangered. Many of these live in Yucatan Península, including sea turtles, manatees, ocellated turkeys and margays. This animals and their habitats are threatened  by unsustainable development,  pollution,  ilegal fishing/hunting and climate change.

The growht of tourism, accompained by a widespread lack of understanding about the region´s habitats, places pressure on the enironment….

 “ VISITORS TO THE MEXICAN CARIBBEAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP….

1. Do not litter, trash can injure and kill animals that get entangled in it or choke on it.
2. Do not touch tourtles, coral or any wildlife.
3. Use biodegradable sunblock or preferably wear a t.shirt or rash guard.
4. In México, fishing is prohibited within 250 meters of bathing beaches.
5. Do not purchase (or sell) products made from coral, shells. turtles, seahorses, starfish or shark.
6. Conserve water and electricty
7. Do not throw any higienic products wast down the drain.
8. Avoid using dissponsalbe bags, containers and table wear made of styrofoam or plastic. …………………

When you travel ¿Do you do something to protect our planet?

 From The Green Guide. 2008. http://www.mexiconservacion.org  

North Beach                                         East Beach

Cancun’s beaches are formed by sand of calcareous origin, accounting for its white color, its fine texture and temperature, always cool regardless of the sun’s strong rays.

In Cancun, two beach zones can be distinguished: the first one located at north of the hotel zone, facing Isla Mujeres, protected by its location within the Bahia Mujeres bay. Due to this it has calm waves ideal for children and for to practice a lot of aquatic activities like jet skiing, water skiing, sailing and surfing, plus safe swimmig.

The other beach zone is located on the eastern side of the hotel zone, facing the Caribbean open sea. This is a spectacular beach with tiny white sands and waves which intensity varies according to the season. For your safety, hotel beaches and the marinas use colored warning flags. Before swimming, we suggest consider them. But the aea is ideal for relax, to socialize and to get a tan.

By other hand, bordered on one side by the vast Caribbean Sea and by extensive lagoons on the other, Cancun’s hotel zone is a paradise for aquatic activities. The numerous marinas offer from an entire day of fishing in the high seas to diving classes and deep-sea diving, including a visit to sharks’ caves or the zones inhabited by whale sharks and sting rays.

At western side of the Cancun hotel zone there is the Nichupte lagoon sourranded by a mangrove jungle that oferrs the unique experienc of the Joungle tour, Severals marines in the area give you to a water trip on jet ski or small boats inner the tunnels of vegetation where you can see the wild life of the area like birds, jellyfish or crocodiles and the “cenotes” characteristics of the Yucatan Peninsula.

From CancunTravel.com 2008

Tulum is located 82 miles south of Cancun. It has a great cultural importance and is the front door to the north coast Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an. Is one of the most beautiful cities of the Mayan culture with the most spectacular view of the Mexican Caribbean.
Tulum o Tulu’um in Modern Maya or Tulúm in Spanish  is a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city serving as a major port for Cobá located at the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. One of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites.

The Maya site may have been formerly also known by the name Zama, meaning city of Dawn. Tulúm is also the Yucatec Mayan word for fence or wall, and the walls surrounding the site allowed the Tulum fort to serve as a defense against invasion. From the numerous depictions in murals and other works around the site, Tulum appears to have been an important site for the worship of the Diving or Descending God.

The archaeological site is relatively compact, and is one of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites. Its proximity to the Riviera Maya and Cancún has made it a popular destination for tourists the third most-visited archaeological site in Mexico, after Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza . This tourist destination is now divided into three main areas: the archaeological site, the pueblo (or town), and the zona hotelera (or hotel zone).

From CancunTravel.com, http://www.cancuntravel.com/itulum.asp, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulum and Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau  http://cancun.travel/en/experiences/mayan-culture/tulum/.