Cancun & the Yucatan For Dummies [Paperback]

Victoria Veilleux (Author), David Baird (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 2007

The spectacular coastline of Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula is a diverse playground where you can bask on pristine beaches, explore ancient ruins, play golf or tennis, go biking, snorkeling or scuba diving, do serious shopping, or escape to a secluded lagoon. With info on Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya, plus the nearby ruins, this friendly guide gives you the low down on:

• Everything from unique spa experiences to nature preserves and ecoparks
• Accommodations ranging from a luxury resort where guests can dabble in a Viking-clad kitchen or where rooms spread out through the jungle to a European-style inn that offers Spanish lessons or a peaceful beachside palapa (thatch-roofed) inn
• All kinds of dining options, including fresh seafood, regional specialties such as pork pibil, papadzules, and poc chuc, or Thai, Argentinean, or Italian cuisine
• Diving into the clear depths of the Yucatán cenotes (natural wells)
• Birding at Isla Contoy, with more than 70 species of birds as well as a host of marine and animal life
• The Panoramic Tower on Isla Mujeres. where you get a stunning view of the island and Cancun
• Day trips to the archeological sites at Tulum, Chichén Itzá, and Ek Balam
• The pedestrian-only Avenida 5 in Playa del Carmen that’s the hot social scene
• Night life, including live music venues, tequila bars, sports bars, cafes, and plenty of places where you can dance the night away

Like every For Dummies travel guide, Cancún & the Yucatán For Dummies, 3^rd Edition includes:

• Down-to-earth trip-planning advice
• What you shouldn’t miss — and what you can skip
• The best hotels and restaurants for every budget
• Handy Post-it® Flags to mark your favorite pages

Whether your idea of the perfect vacation is action, sun, and non-stop fun or an escape to   a peaceful haven where life moves along in pure mañana mode, this guide will get you on your way with no problemo, amigo.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Getting ready to go, amigo the fun and easy way®

Cancún & the Yucatán beckon with incredible beaches, a rich, ancient culture, and amazing natural wonders. From plush resorts to secluded tropical getaways . . . from scuba diving, golf, orfly-fishing to basking in the sun . . . from power shopping to barhopping to bird watching, this friendly guide will get you ready to go with no problemo.

• Down-to-earthtrip-planning advice

• What you shouldn't miss —and what you can skip

• The best hotels andrestaurants for every budget

• Handy Post-it® Flags to mark your favorite pages

Travel smart at www.dummies.com

About the Author

Victoria Veilleux (who wrote Chapters 1 through 12, 16 and 17, and the Appendix) travels extensively around the world as a travel writer, uncovering the ins and outs of vacation destinations — from the best places to eat, stay, and play, to the most efficient ways to go about it. In fact, Victoria’s efficient travel planning secured her the winning title of a scavenger hunt circumnavigating the globe in 23 days. She has traveled all over Mexico and personally visited each and every hotel and restaurant listed in this guide (in the chapters that she covered) to share her expert insights on how to make the most out of your time in Cancún and the Yucatán. She currently serves as Travel Editor for Private Air Magazine (for those who travel by private jet), and as a contributor to several publications ranging from Islands, Food Arts, Healing Lifestyles & Spas, and LIFE to Condé Nast Traveler’s www.concierge.com.

David Baird (who wrote Chapters 13, 14, and 15) is a writer, editor, and translator who feels uncomfortable writing about himself in the third person (too much like writing his own obituary). Now based in Austin, Texas, he spent years living in various parts of Mexico, Brazil, Peru, and Puerto Rico. But, whenever possible, he manages to get back to the turquoise-blue waters of the Yucatán because he thinks he looks good in that color, and because he’s excessively fond of the local cooking.

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 3 edition (August 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470120037
• ISBN-13: 978-0470120033
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico > Cancun & Cozumel
  • #33 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico > Yucatan Peninsula

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real How-To Manual For Mexico, June 1, 2004

By 

Kimberly Martin (Kissimmee, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies (Paperback)

I hadn't been to Cancun in twenty years and my traveling companion had never been, so we were looking for more than a book that outlined the location and services of area hotels. We wanted tips, how-to's, cautions, insider secrets and local recommendations. This book had them all. While it's true that the book highlights only the authors' picks for restuarants and hotels and can't be called a comprehensive hotel guide, it was invaluable in the information it lent regarding phones, transportation, money, fees and schedules, customs, activities and more. And when we finally got to Cancun and Cozumel, my companion and I were not only informed and prepared but delighted to find that virtually all of the information (both subjective and objective) was correct. The local restuarant we'd highlighted in the book turned out to be a word-of-mouth tradition in Cozumel. We chose our hotel based on the book's description of offshore snorkeling and found out it was widely known on the island for unrivaled aquatic beauty. True, I could've found much of this information by combing the Internet, but I didn't have to thanks to this book, which also includes any contact info you could ever need. We referred to it constantly while in Mexico and can't reccommend what we came to call "The Book" highly enough.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This guide covered more than I expected., August 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies (Paperback)

I've never been to Cancun before and had no idea where to start planning my trip. I bought this book because it promised to be an easy-to-use reference for the first time visitor. And that's exactly what I found. This guide covered more than I expected, with detailed information on Cozumel, Playa del Carman, and more. The authors obviously knew what they were talking about, as the savvy advice given in the book made my decisions easy to make!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars if your new to this part of the world you need this book, July 19, 2005

By 

G. karlson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cancun and the Yucatan for Dummies (Paperback)

Found it to be a little out of date i.e. the toll roads are almost over US$18 to get from Cancun to Valladolid and only take cash! But, this book offers so much local knowledge that it is a necessity to someone new to the area.
The book is also a little weak when it comes to the ruins - only list 4 of them. So if you go to see and want to know more on the Maya ruins get a good map of the Yucatan and a book specializing on the ruins themselves.
Despite these minor issues, if you want to manage yourself and not go on one of the bus tours you need this book!!!