Dozens of special events and activities, taking place from now until December 21st 2012, invite visitors to explore Cancun's culture and heritage while celebrating the destination's rebirth in the year 2012, which closes out the traditional Mayan calendar and welcomes a new era.
For centuries, the world has speculated on the year 2012, which was calculated by the ancient Mayans and announces the end of an era and the beginning of a new age. While individuals throughout the world draw their own conclusions about what will happen on December 21, 2012, Cancun has embraced this important day, welcoming thousands of visitors from all over the world to celebrate a ”new beginning”.
Cancun invites locals and guests to think and behave differently by exploring humanity's evolution, and redefining experiences in the land of the Mayans. Guests visiting Cancun will share in the destination's renewal, offering more than just sun and beaches, but also culture, gastronomy, adventure and self-renewal.
Xcaret, Cancun's eco-archeological park, offers several themed events for families to explore Mayan culture in a fun, interactive way.
From October 30 to November 2, Xcaret invites visitors to learn about Mayan history and its diverse characteristics across regions through the Day of the Dead. Visitors will get to learn and personally experience traditions and cultures.
The special nightly show called Xcaret Mexico Espectacular will commemorate the Mayan culture between December 1 and 21 in the Tlachco area of the park. Also, The Island restaurant will offer Xcaret guests the opportunity to celebrate together the rebirth of the Mayan calendar on the night of December 21 at a gala dinner that will include dancing, a traditional meal, and a special tribute.
Among other celebrations, The Maya had four cosmic directions represented by four different colored trees. The sacred trees were believed to be a way to communicate directly with the Gods. From December 1 to 22, guests are invited to re-enact this tradition by sending their messages to the Gods using the sacred trees.
The ecological Xel-ha park, which has the largest natural aquarium in the world with a large lagoon that juts into the Caribbean Sea, will also be hosting events to celebrate the destination's renewal. These events include monthly yoga and meditation sessions by the ocean, offering guests harmony and peace with a breathtaking backdrop and candlelight ceremonies in the evenings for guests to celebrate the coming of the new era. The park will host a nightly dinner party from December 17 to 22, where guests can observe and learn about the sky from local astronomers as they explain Mayan astronomical predictions.
There are other events and unique activities visitors can find throughout the destination, including some at many of the resorts, which are designed to honor the rebirth of the destination while highlighting all that Cancun has to offer.
Other activities recommend that visitors should explore the regenerative therapies of massages and temazcal treatments offered throughout the destination, which combine the ancient wisdom of pre-Columbian cultures. Cancun encourages visitors to take a swim in the crystal clear waters of the many sinkholes in the region, which Mayans considered to have calming and purifying properties.
Visitors can be part of a mystical journey to the Mayan underworld as they travel between stalactites and stalagmite dripstones, emerging as new beings.
By rappelling through the air while dropping seeds in the forest of Quintana Roo, guests can leave their mark on the area and on the earth.
Cancun is a multicultural destination where people from all over the world go to bask in the sun on powdery-sand beaches, relax at world-class hotels, swim in the turquoise ocean water, enjoy one of the world's most important gastronomic destinations, visit ancient Mayan temples and experience unparalleled adventure activities.
This is the perfect time for visitors to travel to Cancun to recharge their energies under the Caribbean sun and embrace a civilization that studies show dates back to 2600 BC while marveling at the ancient Mayan ruins or challenging oneself to experience something new like swim with a whale shark or dive into a cenote.
Just as Times Square in New York City is the most exciting place to ring in a new year, Cancun is the only place people will want to be to celebrate the beginning of a new era. The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau invites visitors to the CVB's web page to stay informed of news and events, as well as hotels, spas, and restaurants throughout Cancun that will present new and exciting products and festivities to honor the Mayans.
For more information, visit the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau website. Follow us on Twitter @CancunCVB, ”LIKE” us on Facebook page browse through our videos on YouTube and share your pictures of Cancun on our Flickr site.