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The Caribbean sea washes Mexico from the South-East of the Yucatan Peninsula . The coastline stretches across the state of Quintana Roo . Cancun and Riviera Maya , the most famous and fashionable Mexican resorts , are there too . Both resort areas accommodate hotels designed to suit the needs of all travelers ranging from “ goldy ” classics and ethnics to the ultra-modern minimalist styles .

Cancun is an urban resort in nature ( this does not affect in any way the cleanliness of its beaches ), with many entertainment options and widely popular with American tourists . This is a relatively young city : until the 1950s Cancun was a small fishing village . Tourism began to develop here in the early 1970s , one of the first in Mexico . Dozens of beaches , a lot of restaurants , bars , discos and shops are visited by millions of tourists every year . Beach hotels , likewise the most of the tourist facilities , are located in a special hotel zone ( Zona hoteliera ). It ’ s a tongue of land , an island resembling the figure seven . The island is separated from the continent by the Nichupte Lagoon and two bridges , so that water can be seen from every corner of the Hotel area with one street only – the Kukulkan Boulevard .

Riviera Maya is a favorite place among European travelers . There is also only one city here , Playa del Carmen , known for the neocolonial architecture and hundreds of restaurants and cafes . It ’ s a great place for those seeking relax and privacy :

luxury hotels are located mostly in the countryside and masterfully blended with the natural landscape . Particularly noteworthy in this regard is resort development of Mayakoba built simply right in the middle of the jungle . It unites four beachfront five-star hotels of famous international chains , private villas and bungalows , a championship golf course ( the first in Latin America to host PGA competitions ), a picturesque

square with a chapel and a cooking school . Each of the hotels boasts a vast territory with almost untouched nature .

The Great Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the major natural attraction of Cancun and the Mayan Riviera . This is a natural coral reef that stretches 100 km from the North of the Yucatan Peninsula across the entire Caribbean coast to Honduras . There are 65 species of corals

growing on the reef , and more than 500 fish species are found there . Besides , it ’ s one of the world ’ s best diving spots .

In addition to the continental beach area , there are several islands near the Caribbean coast of Mexico . Cozumel is one of the most scenic of them . Its underwater beauty was unveiled to the world by the famous underwater explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau in 1961 .