Dreams Cancun Article

On my last day in Cancan, a local remarked that the chief difference between Miami and Cancan is that "in Miami you hear Spanish, in Cancun you hear English."

What I discovered was that Cancan is a chameleon, capable of appealing to any type of visitor. There's the main drag with its Chilis, Gaps and .'s for those who like a packaged American product. But there are also many ways to be more adventurous.

FAMILY FUN

The Xcaret ecopark (the name means "little inlet" in Mayan) is believed to be the entryway used by the first Mayans on the Yucatan Peninsula. For travelers with children, the park is a kind of xcaret into the deep waters of Mayan culture. It mixes pre-Columbian legend with the very serious mission of enhancing ecological awareness. The park offers live coral exhibits, the first ecosystem of reefs to be reproduced in aquariums. There are also butterflies and the plants that keep them in nectar, and indigenous animals--saw-tailed birds, jaguars, spider monkeys--that are prominent in Mayan mythology. You can snorkel in two underground rivers, swim with dolphins and see Mexican dancing.

A two-hour visit to the caves of Aktun Chen is a less manicured experience, but well worth the admission for its astonishing network of caverns. (Subterranean caves are a common feature of the Yucatan geology.) Guided tours take you past breathtaking stalactites and stalagmites.

PYRAMID PLAN

There are ancient ruins throughout the Yucatan, many just a two-hour drive from Cancun. The most extensively excavated are Chichen Itza and Tulum. The Mayans were early mathematicians and astronomers who had elaborate rituals and customs. The sites are fascinating for their pyramids, sculpture, frescoes and stelae (carved stone slabs depicting various ceremonies). Tulum also happens to hug one of the most gorgeous beaches you'll find anywhere, so bring your swimsuit.

These pyramids and temples have been so overrun with tourists in the last century that most of their stately structures are off-limits, to be admired only from the foot of their steep steps. The pyramids at Coba. (along the way to Chichen Itza), on the other hand, have barely been excavated. You can scale the buildings and catch embracing views of the lush jungles that surround them. Nohoch Mul, at more than 137 feet, isn't for the faint of heart, but if you tackle its 121 steps, the feeling of accomplishment is thrilling.

CLOSER ENCOUNTERS

If total immersion is what you're looking for, you can't beat the tours organized by a company called Altournative ([800] 221-5340) to the working Mayan village of Pak Chen. The operators have fashioned an encounter that is part adventure, part mystical communion with a vanishing way of life. On a day trip to Pak Chen, you'll eat authentic Mayan cuisine (red beans, cucumber salad with hot chili, grilled chicken dusted with achiote powder) prepared by women from the village. You'll learn how the 23 families who live here harvest rubber trees and survive without plumbing or electricity. You can swing on a zip line suspended over a lake inhabited by crocodiles and rappel into the mineral-rich waters of a cenote (pronounced thay no' tay), one of many pools all over the Yucatan located inside sinkholes and fed by subterranean rivers. The really adventurous types can even spend the night in thatched huts.

SPA DREAMS

A little too much action? If you prefer your Mayan experience served poolside on a chaise, there are wonderful spas in and around Cancun, especially along the Riviera Maya south of Xcaret. Ceiba del Mar and Paradisus Riviera Cancun are my favorites. Ceiba looks like a cross between the whitewashed hamlets of the Greek isles and the thatched-hut Mayan village of Pak Chen. It boasts a temazcal, or communal Mayan sweat lodge, where a shaman will induce you to slather honey and aloe all over your body, then chant, howl and commune with your "animal totem," the beast-spirit that guides you through life and self-discovery. The session ends with a moonlight swim in the sea.

Paradisus has no temazcal, but the Zen of its architecture and decoration, with its interior pools and rich, warm teak walkways and details, practically commands you to relax and meditate.

There's much more to see and do within shouting distance of Cancun: the hip nightlife of Playa del Carmen, Cozumel (a ferry ride away) and the rustic charms of Puerto Morelos (a quaint fishing village), to name a few. Like a chameleon, Cancun can change color to suit your mood. This can be just the beginning of many, many journeys.

WHERE TO STAY

* PALACE RESORTS has six properties in and around Cancun (Xpu-Ha' is the loveliest). All-inclusive double-occupancy rates start at $306 off-season, $454 in-season, and include meals, access to all the resorts and amenities, airport transfers and more. Call (800) 635-1836 or visit .

* CEIBA DEL MAR HOTEL & SPA in Puerto Morelos offers off-season packages from $635 (three nights) to $1,940 (seven nights) that include two meals a day, all taxes, tips and airport transfers. Call (888) 955-7155 or visit .

* PARADISUS RIVIERA CANCUN in Puerto Morelos has all-inclusive rates that start at $267 (off-season), $301 (in season). Call (800) 33-MELIA or visit .

* For general information about Cancun, including listings of more moderately priced accommodations, visit .

Above, thanks to extensive excavation, the ruins at Chichen Itza are probably the most famous in the Yucatan Peninsula. Here, a woman dressed in the typical embroidered Mayan garments still worn today stands in front of the Pyramid of Kuculcan.