36 Hours in Cancun

I was in town for work—more on that later—but also had 36 hours to enjoy the sunshine and beaches of Cancun. Not a bad gig, right?

If you find yourself there for a short amount of time, here are a few things that are definitely worth checking out:

Snorkeling

All Tour Native makes experiencing the beauty of the ocean easy with their snorkel adventure package. With morning pickups along the along the Riviera Maya and Cancun, this company takes you straight to Puerto Morelos National Reef Park to mingle with a large variety of brightly colored, exotic sea life.

Plan for a full day of snorkeling, as you’ll be jumping in the water for three 45-minute intervals at different locations in the world’s second-largest reef barrier. While on your underwater excursion, get ready to see sea turtles, squid, barracuda, stingrays and all sorts of fish within the warm, crystal clear waters of the reef.

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Spa Treatments

Le Blanc is an award-winning all-inclusive luxury resort that overlooks a picturesque beach with turquoise blue waters. With an emphasis on wellness and overall harmony of the mind, body and spirit, Le Blanc offers a variety of treatments that include massages, scrubs, fish spa pedicures, facials and more.

Don’t miss out on the complimentary hydrotherapy area, a holistic “health through water” treatment, which seeks to simulate the traditional Greco-Roman. The goal? To attain a relaxing and stimulating feeling throughout your body post- or pre-treatment. How lovely.

Situated on an endless stretch of beach, Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun features 602 ocean view suites and gives guests the opportunity to indulge at its Forbes Travel Guide, 4-star rated Gem Spa.

Coral Beach Cancun’s 40,000 square-foot gem-inspired spa features innovative treatments that involve unique chakra-balancing gems, a ten-step hydrotherapy ritual and ingredients, along with techniques used by the Maya. In addition, many of the spa’s treatments are influenced by Balinese, Indian, Thai and Chinese techniques, making your experience at Gem Spa that much more eclectic.

READ MORE: Eco-Adventures in Cancun

"Columbus Tour" Dinner Cruise

If you happen to be in Cancun with a significant other, book a romantic dinner cruise on the Spanish Galleon Columbus. Imagine sailing on the Nichupte Lagoon at sunset, with vibrant shades of pink and gold lighting up the evening sky as you eat your choice of lobster, steak, or surf and turf with your loved one.

While the views alone are reason to jump aboard, guests can also expect free-flowing tropical drinks and wine, live saxophone music and opportunities for dancing.

Located conveniently in Cancun’s Hotel Zone, the galleon departs from the Marina Aquatours Pier.

READ MORE: Cancun, Riviera Maya Experiencing Tourism Surge

The Big Picture

I was interested to hear what speakers at this year’s Cancun Travel Mart, Mexico Summit 2017 would have to say about the state of tourism. (The work that brought me to Cancun to play.)

During this 30th edition of the event, panelists included Secretary of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid Cordero, and Quintana Roo Governor, Carlos Joaquín Gonzalez, who discussed issues of diversifying tourism, building infrastructure to support the tourism industry and the safety of the increasing influx of visitors.

Despite travel warnings, de la Madrid pointed out that Mexico has received 26 million foreign visitors—a 12 percent increase over the same period in 2016. The key to keeping tourism numbers up? Continuing to work with tour operators, travel agents and airlines to ensure a safer destination, one step at a time.

Put into perspective, Quintana Roo’s estimated 100,000 hotel rooms places it in an advantageous position to attain 40 percent of the nation’s tourism revenues. With the expectation of sales around $3.5 billion USD, it seems like Mexico is heading in the right direction.