Cancun and the Yucatan For Dummies

For Lynne Bairstow (who wrote Chapters 1 through 12, 16 through 18, and the Appendix), Mexico has become more home to her than her native United States. After exploring the country and living in Puerto Vallarta for most of the past 15 years, she has developed a true love of Mexico and its complex, colorful culture. Her local friends now claim she has patas saladas -- a term translated as "salty feet," meaning she has become a true Vallarta local. Her travel articles on Mexico have been published in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Private Air, Luxury Living, and Alaska Airlines Magazine. In 2000, Lynne was awarded the Pluma de Plata, an honor granted by the Mexican Government to foreign writers, for her work with the Frommer's guide to Mexico. David Baird (who wrote Chapters 13, 14, and 15) is a writer, editor, and translator who feels uncomfortable writing about himself in the third person (too much like writing his own obituary). Now based in Austin, Texas, he spent years living in various parts of Mexico, Brazil, Peru, and Puerto Rico. But, whenever possible, he manages to get back to the turquoise-blue waters of the Yucatan because he thinks he looks good in that color, and because he's excessively fond of the local cooking.

Introduction. Part I: Introducing Cancun and the Yucatan. Chapter 1:Discovering the Best of Cancun and the Yucatan. Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into the Yucatan. Chapter 3: Choosing Where to Go. Chapter 4: Deciding When to Go. Part II: Planning Your Trip to Cancun and the Yucatan. Chapter 5: Managing Your Money. Chapter 6: Getting to the Yucatan. Chapter 7: Booking Your Accommodations. Chapter 8: Catering to Special Needs or Interests. Chapter 9: Taking Care of the Remaining Details. Part III: Discovering Cancun. Chapter 10: Settling into Cancun. Chapter 11: Exploring Cancun. Part IV: Traveling Around Isla Mujeres and Cozumel. Chapter 12: Isla Mujeres. Chapter 13: Cozumel. Part V: Exploring the Yucatan. Chapter 14: Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya. Chapter 15: A Taste of the Maya: Nearby Ruins. Part VI: The Part of Tens. Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Avoid Looking Like a Gringo. Chapter 17: Ten (or So) Top Myths and Misconceptions about Mexico. Chapter 18: Ten Most Delicious Yucatecan Dishes. Appendix: Quick Concierge. Index.