Cancun General Information

Cancun Exotic Travel and Tours Vacation Packages

Cancun General Information - Travel Facts

The wonders of the great Maya Reef

The great Maya Reef may well be the focus of your visit, especially if you are a scuba diver or snorkeled. Directly or indirectly, it affects nearly every aspect of your visit. It's big and beautiful. It's vast, yet secluded. It's wild, but tame. It's glorious and primeval. And it's at the doorstep of your hotel or bungalow, at the edge of your beach or picturesque lagoon. It's the Great Maya Reef, one of Riviera most magnificent natural attraction- the greatest coral reef in the Caribbean.
An Ancient version of this reef formed the Yucatan peninsula. Much later, it was directly responsible for the first human settlements along the shore. It influenced trading routes of the ancient Maya civilization. Later, the reef became the sea gate of the Spanish Conquistadors and the passage for pirates seeking protection of coves behind it. From the colonial era to the present, it is responsible for thousands of shipwrecks that now lie scattered along its ramparts. It is also responsible for the occasional gold doubloon that washes ashore.
The reef is a vast oceanic ecosystem- the largest most complex in the Western Hemisphere. Much more than a single barrier reef, it is a myriad of shallow patch reefs, coral gardens and precipitous drop-offs. It is also a weave of coast hugging, fringing reefs, sand banks, islets and immense coral atolls stretching from the tip of Yucatan southward to the Bay of Honduras a distance of more than 600 miles.
The key word in describing the reefs of the Riviera

Maya is diversity. Divers have already discovered much of the Caribbean, including nearby Cancun and Cozumel. However, this section of the great Maya reef is comparatively new to diver travelers. The result is an abundance of marine life more 500 species of fish can be found here. Furthermore, the reef of this area dont' display the "sameness" of many popular dive destinations. Hundreds of dive sites are named and visited along the cost, providing every kind of reef formation possible. There are deep walls and shallow plateaus, delicate coral gardens and mammoth coral buttresses. Yawning caverns, narrow swim through, current-swept reefs and placid, still lagoons add to the appeal. Diving several areas of very different experiences. While many sites are known, long stretches of the reefs remain undiscovered.
The undersea panorama of the great reef is breathtaking. The predominant colors is the many shades of blue, but as you approach the reef, a rainbow of colors and strange shapes appear before your eyes. Beneath the waves lies a silent kingdom of coral pinnacles and mounds, vibrant sponges, waving sea fans and shimmering clouds of tropical fish - all easily accessible and very photographic.
One of the best things about the reef is you don't have to be a scuba diver to enjoy the magnificent wonders of the underwater world. Snorkelers can enjoy the magnificent wonders of the underwater world. Snorkel gear for rent readily available at the parks or at your hotel.
While the stony coral is the main actor in the drama of reef-building it is supported a cast of thousands. In addition to the hard coral that form enormous plates and buttresses, there are soft corals ( sea whips, sea plumes, sea fans) sprouting from the reef. Divers will also see encrusting calcareous algae and uncountable species of colorful sponges in symmetrical asymmetric she's, some of which are as wide as 8 feet across. Hovering over the reef are brightly hued angelfish, butterfly-fish, parrotfish, schools of grunts, blue chromis jacks and snappers. Occasionally a graceful ray or turtle swims by. There are few places in the world where the human senses are so overwhelmed by the creative exuberance of nature as on the coral reefs.

Give us a call at for more information
877.786.6826
or

Cancun - Exotic Travel and Tours Vacation Packages
Cancun = Fun in the Sun and and the finest travel vacation value
Experience Mexico and the Riviera Maya
The Ultimate Source to Cancun
For air - hotel -reservations give us a call we love to give personalized service

California - USA
877.786.6826