Long before modern pyramids rose beside the sea, the Maya built temples and homes beside the Caribbean, using the region as a stopover for traders and pilgrims traveling between ancient cities and trading posts. In Cancún, restored Mayan temples rise beside golf fairways at El Rey (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 18). Located smack in the middle of the Zona Hotelera, El Rey serves as a reminder of Cancún's roots as a trading post at the edge of the peninsula. Tour guides await visitors at the entryway and describe the site's various plazas and pyramids, which feel remote and secluded despite the proximity to high-rise hotels and golf fairways. About 20 minutes north of Cancún, perfectly restored Mayan temples and pyramids can be seen at El Meco. The recently opened site, on the road between Puerto Juárez and Punta Sam, faces Mujeres Bay and was the way station for pilgrims sailing to Isla Mujeres. Lizards are more common than humans around the 14 structures, some showing bits of paintings from the post-Classic period. Cancún seems a million miles away. Neither El Meco nor El Rey offer formal tours, so you'll have to show up on your own and hire the guides that gather onsite. Expect to pay about $10.

Celebrations worthy of a World Cup victory rocked the city when Cancún's beaches reopened in April 2006. Shortly after Hurricane Wilma struck, a Belgian company was hired to pump sand and re-create the coastline along the figure-seven-shaped Zona Hotelera. The results were amazing, with beaches far bigger than before. Unfortunately, phase two of the sand reclamation never happened, and the beaches are washing away. Sand is scarce in several areas, especially along the unprotected eastern coastline facing the open sea. Several excellent hotels like the Ritz-Carlton and Le Méridien have lost significant beach space and often have to rely on expanded decks and pool areas to keep guests happy. However, sand levels change with the seasons and the tides, so be sure to check on conditions before you book. The beaches are better on the north side of the zone facing Isla Mujeres and on the southeast coast near Punta Nizúc.

The sand that does exist isn't up to Cancún's previous standards; it's no longer talcum-powder white and cool on bare feet, but rather a pale tan with a few shells and some seaweed. Still, it leads down to what is some of the clearest, bluest water of any major resort area in the Caribbean. The beaches edging the southern leg of the Hotel Zone have the most wave action; Playa Delfines, for example, is a hot spot for local boogie boarders and body surfers. The beaches facing Isla Mujeres are bathtub-calm; of these, Playa Tortugas draws families with kids who zip around in WaveRunners or straddle banana boats (long yellow tubes pulled by a motorboat). Sea grass, which grows thick in summer, can create a somewhat slimy situation at northern beaches near the Embarcadero, such as Playa Langosta and Playa Linda.

OK, so it's not exactly Madrid or even Mexico City, but Cancún's small bullfighting ring, in the El Centro section of town, holds bullfights on Wednesday afternoons. The fights begin and end with mariachi music and rope-twirling performances by charros, Mexican cowboys decked out in huge sombreros.

Motorboats, WaveRunners, and Jet Skis zoom about the lagoons on the Hotel Zone's western shores, defying any definition of an eco-tour. But if you kayak into the mangroves early or late in the day, you'll see graceful egrets swoop to snatch fish from the water, and actually feel like you've escaped the Hotel Zone's cacophony. Aquaworld rents canoes and kayaks, and will guide you toward the quietest areas, where the Río Nizuc flows through the lagoons and into the sea (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 15.2; 52-998-848-8300).

The Yucatán is one of the flattest places on earth—an area with almost no peaks or hills to accent its tropical terrain. As a result, the region's heavy rain collect in a series of unique underground sink wells called cenotes, which emerge as vast subterranean lakes and rivers. Many cenotes are located close to Cancún and make for unusual underground adventure opportunities (hiking, swimming, and snorkeling). Although there are literally hundreds of cenotes throughout the region, Hidden Worlds is one of the safest, and there are guided tours. It's located about 90 minutes south of Cancún and makes a great day trip if paired with the Tulum ruins (984-877-8535; www.hiddenworlds.com.mx; info@hiddenworlds.com.mx).

Cancún has a surprisingly large number of golf courses packed into the narrow strip of the Zona Hotelera. Cancún Golf Club at Pok-ta-Pok was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., in 1976 (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 7.5; 52-998-883-1230; www.cancungolfclub.com). The Gran Meliá Cancún has a nine-hole course open to the public for a fee (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 16.5; 52-998-881-1100; www.granmeliacancun.com/activities). The course at the Hilton Cancún Golf & Spa Resort is better than ever after a $6 million renovation that fixed severe damage from Hurricane Wilma (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 17; 52-998-881-8000; www.hiltoncancun.com/golf). Nearby, the Moon Spa & Golf Club (Carretera Cancún-Chetumal, Km 340; 52-998-881-6000; palaceresorts.com/Golf) also has courses open to the public for a fee, as does the Playa Mujeres Golf Club (Punta Sam; 52-998-887-7322; www.playamujeresgolf.com), designed by Greg Norman in a burgeoning resort area north of Cancún.

Just five miles long and no wider than a city block at each tip, tiny Isla is the antithesis of Cancún. The island's many small hotels weather most storms with little damage and provide the necessary accoutrements (comfy beds, air conditioning, flavorful food) without many frills. Cancún tour companies offer snorkeling, sailing, and dinner cruises to Isla; make sure you have time to wander around the small town to check out the little shops selling Guatemalan textiles and Balinese sarongs. Spend a night (or a week), and you'll have plenty of time to snorkel amid hefty parrot fish at Parque Garrafón, motor the windward coast in a golf cart, and sample ceviche at beach bars on the white sands of Playa Norte. For general info, check out www.isla-mujeres.net.

Vegas-style shopping centers have become the most exciting attractions on land in the Zona Hotelera. Though exceedingly splashy and often stuffed with the same goods you can get back home, they're also a lively (and air-conditioned) break from hot days on the beaches. Local residents now treat malls like the main plazas of colonial cities, dressing in their finest to stroll about with their neighbors. Gondolas glide through canals at Plaza La Isla, a sprawling outdoor entertainment center with designer shops, movie theaters, hip restaurants, and the fanciest McDonald's this side of Buenos Aires. The kiddies get a kick out of the sharks at the aquarium there (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 12.5). Marble and glass gleam at Luxury Avenue, where visitors shop for duty-free goodies from Montblanc, Cartier, and Swarovski and check out the latest Ferragamo and Zegna fashions (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 13). The Avenue anchors the south end of Kukulcán Plaza (Blvd. Kukulcán, Km 13; www.kukulcanplaza.com), a recently remodeled air-conditioned behemoth with free Wi-Fi; a huge play area for children; multiple restaurants, from Ruth's Chris to Chocolate City; and a stunning stained-glass dome depicting the Mayan culture—there's even a sound and light show at 7:30 every evening.