AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 27

PRE-COLUMBIAN GRANDEUR
One of the most popular day trips from Cancún is an excursion to Chichén Itzá, an enormous 4-acre expanse of preColumbian ruins, tombs and pyramids about two hours from Cancún. It’s worth getting up early and arriving when the park opens at 8 a.m. to catch the rosy early morning light as it illuminates bas reliefs and dramatic carvings on temple facades. So much of the city has been restored and landscaped that walking from the Temple of the Warriors to the Steam Bath, the Marketplace, the Great Ball Court and other imposing structures, linked by paved walkways, you can easily imagine crowds of inhabitants scurrying past platforms, columns, statues and sacred altars. Every night at 7 p.m. in winter and at 8 p.m. in the summer an entertaining—and surprisingly educational—light-and-sound

show gives visitors insight into the history and cultural signiﬁcance of the archaeological site.

WORLD-CLASS SNORKELING
Just a 15-minute hop from Cancún by plane, or a ferry ride from nearby Playa del Carmen 45 minutes south of Cancún, Cozumel has lured divers and snorkelers for decades, ever since Jacques Cousteau declared it one of the world’s best diving sites in 1961. Just 200 yards offshore are the coral-studded rock walls that deﬁne the Mesoamerica Reef. They attract every type of tropical ﬁsh, from the iridescent queen angel ﬁsh to the curiously ugly toadﬁsh. The waters surrounding Cozumel are so clear that you can see 200 feet underwater on a good day. Add to that Cozumel’s average 350 days a year of sunshine, and you can see why both amateur snorkelers and advanced scuba divers return year after year.

Snorkeling at Xel-Ha National Park near Cancún

IMAGE:

APRIL 2012

27

AAA Traveler - April 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AAA Traveler - April 2012

AAA Traveler - April 2012
Contents
Departures
Worldwise
Happy Family
Your Story
History at Every Turn
Summer Adventures
Compass
Ask the Experts
Seafaring and Landroving
Travel for Every Season
Easy, Breezy Mexico
Vacations Unplugged
Trip Notes
Photo Challenge
Navigator
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - AAA Traveler - April 2012
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Cover2
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Contents
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Departures
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Worldwise
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 4
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 5
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 6
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Happy Family
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 8
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 9
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Your Story
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 11
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - History at Every Turn
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 13
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Summer Adventures
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 15
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Compass
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Ask the Experts
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Seafaring and Landroving
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 19
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 20
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Travel for Every Season
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 22
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 23
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 24
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 25
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Easy, Breezy Mexico
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 27
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 28
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Vacations Unplugged
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 30
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - 31
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Trip Notes
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Photo Challenge
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Cover4
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - Navigator
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - NCover2
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N1
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N2
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N3
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N4
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N5
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N6
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N7
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N8
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N9
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N10
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N11
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - N12
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - NCover3
AAA Traveler - April 2012 - NCover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20230405_car
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20230405_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20230405_co
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20230203_car
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20230203_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20230203_co
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_dec22jan23_co
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_dec22jan23_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_dec22jan23_car
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20221011_car
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20221011_co
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20221011_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220809_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220809_co
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220809_car
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220607_co
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220607_car
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220607_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220405_co
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220405_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220405_car
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220203_co
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220203_car
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_20220203_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021fall_colorado
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021fall_carolinas
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021fall_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021special_edition_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021special_edition_carolinas
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021special_edition_colorado
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021summer_acg
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2020holiday
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2020fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2020summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2020spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2019holiday
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2019fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2019summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/drivevacations_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2019spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2019winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2018holiday
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2018fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2018winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2016summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2016spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2015spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2015winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2014fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2014spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2014winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2013summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2013spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aaacarolinas/traveler_201202
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com