10 Little Known Facts About Cancun

Our little, cozy and paradisiac hometown is having its 45th birthday today, that´s why we thought it would be a good idea to share some little known facts about Cancun so you get to know its history better.

1. There are 2 hypothesis of where the name Cancun came from: some say it means “The Snake´s Nest” and some others say it means “Place of the Golden Snake”.
2. The first mayan settlements and built structures in the area are from the 16th century, we know them today as the archaeological sites “El Meco” “El Rey” and “Yamil Lu´um”.
3. The place where Cancun lays today was first explored in 1517 by spanish expeditioner Francisco Fernández de Córdoba.
4. In 1967, after the success of Acapulco, the mexican government was urged to find a new tourist spot for its increasing visitors and a search throughout the country begun. Cancun was the first place to get approval for its development.
5. By the time the construction of the city was about to begin, there were only 3 families living in the area. The place where these families lived is known today as “The Founders Neighborhood” of the city.
6. These 3 families used to cultivate coconuts. And no, coconuts don´t migrate.
7. The city has 3 main areas: The Hotel Zone, Downtown and Puerto Juárez.
8. The Hotel Zone is a strip of land of about 14 miles long with 9 main public beaches.
9. Out of these 9 beaches, 3 of them (Las Perlas, Chac Mool and Playa Delfines) have the Blue Flag distinction for the quality of the water.
10. The water in all of the beaches in Cancun is so clean that you can actually see your toes most days.

We hope next time you visit Cancun you will impress people by all the knowledge you have about the city and its history, a place that was built from scratch and that keeps developing and morphing, you will be able to witness that everyday there´s a handfull of things to do in Cancun that you sure won´t find anywhere else.

And last but not least ¡Feliz Cumpleaños Cancún!