Cancun is a very popular tourist resort, renowned for luxurious hotels and beautiful beaches, so you might be surprised to hear that only 40 short years ago (not 40 long years, short years!) the island which is now Cancun’s Hotel Zone was occupied by three residents and a coconut plantation.  Although tourists flock to the magical island of Cancun to relax, enjoy the sun and the glorious beaches, be spoiled in first class accommodation and learn a little about Mayan history, the actual development of the area in such a short space of time really is one of the most fascinating stories which Cancun has to offer.

The Mayan Kingdom in Cancun

In the days of the high period of the Mayan Kingdom, Kaank’uun (that’s Cancun in Mayan) was inhabited by a sizable population of mostly merchants and fishermen. It was an important site for the Mayans, after all, it had terrific access to the resources of the Caribbean (location, location, location – even in those days!). The citizens of Cancun supplied large settlements with food, and many trade routes were developed to make use of the ideal location of Cancun. Unfortunately, once the Spanish arrived many of the people of Cancun either died or moved out, leaving the island virtually empty for hundreds of years (there’s always somebody ready to spoil the party). There are some great sites where you can find out the incredible history of the Mayan Kingdom on your trip to Cancun, such as Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza – all located within only a few hours of the city and well worth the effort.

In Search of Cancun

Cancun, as we’ve already said, was more or less deserted for hundreds of years (awwww) until, sometime during the winter of 1967, the Bank of Mexico went on a mission in search of the ideal travel destination, as a way of increasing tourism and the income for the country.  A group of economists set out to travel the entire 11,000 miles of Mexican coastline looking for the perfect site, they were looking at scenery, weather and the potential opportunities for recreational activities. After completing their initial research, the story becomes a little unclear – some insist that the data of all locations was put through a computer, with the island of Cancun being analytically selected as the best location, others maintain that the bank officials reviewed the data and decided upon Cancun. Either way it doesn’t really matter, Cancun was proclaimed to be the most desirable site in Mexico, and within two short years, the luxurious destination of the Cancun we know and love to this day, was beginning to take shape.

The Rise of Cancun

In January 1970 development began on Cancun, which up to that point was a coconut farm. Of course, the beaches, the clean water and the spectacular scenery were there too, that’s what convinced the Mexican government to move forward in the first place. Foreign investors were naturally a little skeptical about investing in a complete unknown, so Mexico actually financed the first nine of the hotels alone. The master plan for Cancun involved developing an internationally focused hotel and tourist site, with native workers being encouraged to develop the mainland section of the city – El Centro.

Cancun in the 1970′s wasn’t exactly an international tourist destination, but an increasing number of Mexican visitors began to take advantage of the facilities and luxurious location. As the city was more developed, investors began take an interest and see the possibilities emerging – especially once an international airport was constructed. Cancun has been clever though, because in spite of lots of international influence, many of the businesses are still owned by the locals – even the large chains and fast food restaurants. Cancun is still a very important source of income for the citizens of Mexico.

Cancun Today

Though the Cancun of today is less than 40 years old, it is now widely regarded as not only one of the most enticing destinations in the Caribbean, but one of the best resort cities in the entire world. Just shows what a bit of vision can do! With almost 600,000 residents, approximately 3 million visitors flock to Cancun every year from all around the world. Many of these people won’t even know about the rise of Cancun, but if they were told the story they’d be certain to agree, after witnessing first hand the scenery, the beaches, the weather and the beautiful city itself. I wonder what the next 40 years will bring?