Cancún

Frequently Asked Questions About Cancún

What is Cancún? Cancún is a major tourist destination and the most populous city in the state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. Situated on the Caribbean Sea, the city serves as the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez and encompasses the prominent Hotel Zone.

How did Cancún become a major destination? The area underwent a historical turning point when development officially started on January 23, 1970, transforming the location from a fisherman's island into a planned city created to foster tourism. Originally an island with only three residents who cared for a coconut plantation, alongside a small population in nearby Puerto Juárez, the site was selected following a 1967 feasibility fund administered by the Bank of Mexico. Because investors were initially reluctant to gamble on an unknown area, the federal government financed the first nine hotels, launching a project that eventually exceeded the expectations of state planners.

What does the name Cancún mean? Derived from the Mayan name kàan kun—composed of kàan meaning snake and the verb kum or kun meaning to swell or overfill—the most accepted translation is nest of snakes. Early Spanish sources noted that the island was originally known to its Maya inhabitants as Nizuc, meaning promontory or point of grass, while the name Cancún first appeared on 18th-century maps.

Cancún is a major tourist destination in Mexico and the most populous city in the state of Quintana Roo. Located on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea, the city serves as the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez.

What was the historical turning point that transformed the region?

The history of Cancún shifted dramatically when the area was selected as a government project to boost tourism. On 23 January 1970, the development of the resort area started on Isla Cancún, which at the time had only three residents who worked as caretakers of a coconut plantation owned by Don José de Jesús Lima Gutiérrez. Nearby, the fishing village and military base of Puerto Juárez accommodated approximately 117 people.

To determine the feasibility of creating new recreational zones where no other viable development alternatives existed, the Mexican government allocated a 2 million-dollar fund in 1967. This fund was administered by the Bank of Mexico and entrusted to an agency named INFRATUR. Because private investors were initially reluctant to gamble on an unknown area, the Mexican federal government financed the first nine hotels.

The location officially began as a tourism project in 1974 as an Integrally Planned Center under FONATUR, formerly known as INFRATUR. This initiative drove a comprehensive transformation, converting a quiet fisherman's island into one of Mexico's most prominent resort cities alongside Acapulco. During the late 20th century, the urban growth significantly outpaced the rest of Quintana Roo, with the population surging at an average annual rate of 62.3% between 1970 and 1980. This rapid expansion far exceeded the initial expectations set by Mexican state planners.