Cancun, Mexico, beckons with all-inclusive vacations

Tequila Mexico  If it's not the gradient blue Caribbean waters, it will be the white sands of its shoreline that tickles your soul. Or it could be the Mexican heat, or the tequila and cerveza that flow liberally in this tropical vacation destination. Maybe it will be the wide smiles and gentle service of the native people who live and work in the region that make you want to go back again and again.Poised at the tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun is the northernmost city on the shores of the Mexican Caribbean. It's hard to believe that little more than 35 years ago this vacation paradise was a skinny finger of jungle-choked land. Before 1971 there weren't even roads cut through the dense jungle to the tiny fishing village that would become the heart of today's Cancun.  When development hit Cancun, it hit big. Cancun today is the No. 1 travel destination in Mexico. Carved from the jungle for the modern tourist, is it any wonder it's surpassed Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta in popularity? English is widely spoken here, signage is in both Spanish and English, and every shop, restaurant or tourist attraction within 100 miles accepts American currency and ATMs are plentiful and trustworthy. Hotels claim you can even drink the water from the tap, although most hotels still provide guests with free bottled water.Downtown Cancun has its Hard Rock Café, its Starbucks and McDonalds. The Plaza La Isla shopping mall could be downtown Anywhere, USA. Simply put, Americans feel comfortable here.The isle of Cancun, that finger of land 18 miles long and less than a quarter-mile wide, has water on each side. This means that most every hotel room along the island's hotel zone has a water view. Some rooms face the turquoise Caribbean and others face the sapphire blue Nichupté Lagoon.Water views and water activities literally surround Cancun. Along Avenue Kukulcan, the main route through the hotel zone, you'll find every brand of hotel, from the Ritz-Carlton to the Holiday Inn, in addition to dozens of condo rentals and time shares.All-Inclusive FunOne of the most attractive trends in Mexico tourism is the all-inclusive resorts that operate like cruise ships on land. Cruise enthusiasts claim it's having all of their activities covered in a single fee that attracts them; guests don't have to pull out their wallets every time they buy a drink at the pool or lunch in the oceanfront café.All-inclusive resorts offer this same type of service, the feeling of being spoiled and pampered right from the minute you're greeted at the airport, swept to your hotel in an air-conditioned van, and you enter your room to find a chilled bottle of champagne waiting and unlimited access to the minibar. Palace Resorts has four all-inclusive properties in Cancun. Imagine a room with a large private balcony facing a sweeping view of gem-colored water. A double Jacuzzi tub is standard in all rooms, as is a flat-screen TV and fully-stocked refrigerator with sodas, bottled water, beer, wine and snacks. A pull-out drawer in the minibar includes full-size tapped bottles of brandy, rum, scotch, and of course, tequila. Room amenities boast liquid bubble bath for enhanced enjoyment in the tub, plus oversized shampoo, conditioner, lotion and shower gel, even a shaving kit and toothbrushes with toothpaste.All-inclusive resorts charge a flat fee per person, per day, which includes 24-hour room service and unlimited dining at all of the resort's restaurants, snack bars and nightclubs. Many people enjoy the all-inclusive resort so much they rarely venture off the property to see what else is out and about Cancun.Of course, there is plenty. Those who choose to stay in a time-share condo or a traditional hotel are more apt to hop on the city buses that run frequently up and down Avenue Kukulcan and explore the local eateries and shops. Mercado 28, in the heart of the city, is the closest you'll come to a traditional Mexican marketplace in Cancun. Here you'll find stalls with silver, gemstone jewelry, Cuban cigars, hand-woven hatsand clothing at prices that can be negotiated.One of the largest reefs in the world, second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, runs along the coast of the Riviera Maya and down to Belize. Even before Cancun grew into the vacation destination that it is today, this reef was known and revered by divers around the globe. Diving and snorkeling outfitters are plentiful and offer excursions to the reef, as well as to Isla Mujares, a small island off the coast of Cancun. Snorkeling outfitters offer instruction and guided swims to beginners, while advanced snorkelers and divers can arrange excursions based on their experience.Kayaking and the ever popular parasailing are also hugely popular water sports in both the Caribbean and the surrounding lagoons.Mayan Ruins NearbyThe great archaeological ruins at Chichen-Itza, once the capital of the Mayan civilization, are only an hour drive from Cancun and worth a day of exploration. Select a respected tour operator and reserve your place before leaving for Cancun, as you'll likely get a better deal and you won't have to slog through all of the choices in the brochure racks around town. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, loose clothing, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellant.Chichen-Itza was recently declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Only a couple of years ago, tourists could climb to the top of El Castillo, the great pyramid at Chichen-Itza. Because of the global emphasis on preservation, tourists are no longer allowed to climb or explore the interiors of any of the ruins.Cancun is one of the most affordable beach vacations available today. There are several direct flights from Los Angeles to/ Cancun daily, while flights with a single connection are available out of Ontario. Americans traveling to Mexico by air will need a passport, but no visa is required for stays of less than 180 days.