One of the greatest success stories in tourism was the creation of Cancun. In 1974, a team of Mexican government computer analysts picked this long sliver of land on the Atlantic shoreline as the country's next Acapulco. The powdery white sands and turquoise waters, separated from the mainland by a lagoon were ripe for development. Sheraton, Hilton, and Marriott swiftly built their hotels, soon joined by upscale Ritz-Carlton and the flashy Le Meridien, and Americans took to it wholeheartedly. Soon the all-inclusive resorts arrived, with the Spanish-owned Riu leading the way.

Riu has three hotels in the region, but I love the location of the Riu Cancun, perfectly set on the beach with an infinity pool that looks over the vast expanse of the Atlantic, yet near all the shopping and restaurants downtown. With a Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Cafe, Outback Steak House, and a McDonald's or shopping mall on every other block, the 14-mile-long Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone) looks much more like Miami Beach than any Mexican village. Even the Cancun version of the daily Miami Herald can be found at the nearest gift shop. Indeed, Cancun today has almost everything an American would want to feel at home in a foreign country. Experienced travelers will find the experience canned and will probably want to head to a more authentic destination like the beach towns around Tulum. For the family who yearns to get a taste of the overseas experience without too much of the adventure, the pearly white sands are hard to beat.

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