If the water where you live is too cold to enjoy or if the ocean is simply too far away, the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau invites you and your family to soak up the fun in Cancun this winter. Cancun�s numerous tour operators, hotels and resorts offer nonstop nautical action through amazing sun-and-fun packages that are sure to make a splash with the whole family this year. In addition, the destination�s leading authority on all-things nautical, the Nautical Association of Cancun (+52 (998) 883 2553, nauticos@qroo1.telmex.net.mx), is a great resource for information, deals and tips for all kinds of water lovers.

If relaxation and exploration are more your flavor, a dazzling array of marine life is on continual display in Cancun�s crystal-clear seas. Many marinas and some hotels offer lessons and guided tours for everyone from beginning snorkelers to pro divers. Water lovers will want to investigate the popular reefs of Farito, Manchones and Chitales, just to name a few. Here is a sampling of the aquatic excitement waiting for you in Cancun:

Underwater � Rated five-stars by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Scuba Cancun is a popular dive center located along Cancun�s hotel zone since 1980. It is owned and operated by Captain Luis Hurtado, whose experience includes more than 50 years of commercial, military and sport scuba diving. Scuba Cancun offers packages for divers of all levels of expertise as well as deep sea fishing and cave diving packages, just to name a few. For additional information, please visit www.scubacancun.com.mx.

� At Xcaret, a world-famous eco-park located just a few minutes south of Cancun�s hotel zone, certified open water divers will love Barracuda Reef and the sunken wreck of the Mama Vi�a. Not certified? Not to worry. You can explore depths of up to 15 feet at the park�s shallow lagoons, a wonderful way to experience the vivid tropical marine life at Xcaret. If you�ve ever thought of learning to dive, the park�s professional dive masters are ready to help you take the plunge. For additional information, please visit www.xcaretcancun.com.

� The AquaWorld Marina in Cancun is a haven for water sports aficionados from all walks of life. Visitors can dive here, receive PADI open water certification, tour the Nichupte Lagoon aboard a wave runner, or snorkel the Great Mayan Reef � the second largest natural reef in the world. With a team of PADI-certified instructors available to train beginners or advanced enthusiasts alike, AquaWorld also offers a variety of specialty diver courses: boat diver, cavern diver, deep diver, drift diver, and night diver, just to name a few. Please visit www.aquaworld.com.mx for more information.

On the Water � One of the best-kept secrets in the Mexican Caribbean is the wonderful flats fishing just north of Cancun. Such species as tarpon, bonefish, snapper, and even barracuda await the novice or seasoned angler year-round in one of Mexico�s most pristine fishing areas. It is light tackle fishing at its best for both fly and conventional gear, and many tour operators offer great day packages. Please visit www.cancun.info for more information.

� Into sailing or windsurfing? The winds of the Mexican Caribbean pick up in the wintertime � making for great sailing and windsurfing all around the Yucatan, and particularly in the Nichupte Lagoon. Many of Cancun�s hotels and resorts offer complete water sports facilities that include sailboat, kayak, canoe and jet-ski rentals, as well as windsurfing, parasailing and water-skiing packages that will leave visitors breathless. For additional information, please visit www.cancun.info.

� If you just feel like getting away for a quiet evening cruise, Bluewater Adventures offers a ride on the most luxurious catamaran in Cancun. This popular operator also specializes in all-day cruises to the nearby island of Isla Mujeres, providing breakfast and a lunch buffet with domestic bar open all day. Bluewater Adventures is Cancun's second largest aqua activity center; it offers jungle tours, glass bottom sightseeing tours, sunset cruises, all-inclusive day-trips to Isla Mujeres or a variety of snorkeling adventures. Please visit www.cancun.info for more information.

In and Out of the Water � Xel-H�, one of Mexico�s most spectacular natural aquariums and the site of the first European settlement in Mexico, is just over an hour�s drive from Cancun. Visitors to Xel-H� are invited to explore its system of caverns, coves and lagoons that are home to hundreds of marine species. Want to get face to face with marine life? You can! Experience the park�s interactive �Dolphinarium� and swim with its six resident marine mammals; or dive the park�s ancient cave system and get up close with fish so friendly, they kiss you. For additional information, please visit the park�s web site at www.xel-ha.com.mx.

� A charming 25-minute cruise to the southern tip of Isla Mujeres and you arrive at Garrafon Park, the only reef park in the Mexican Caribbean and home to what is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and accessible reefs in the world. Garrafon is also renown for its spectacular cliffs, which house an ancient Mayan temple and mark the highest elevation in the Yucatan, offering dazzling views of the island. The park offers snorkeling, scuba diving, ocean trekking and zip lining over Cancun�s scintillating blue-green waters. You�ve never seen a natural reef like this. For more information, please visit www.garrafon.com.

� Parque Nizuc offers winter travelers a multitude of natural wonders, including an aquarium where visitors can meet nurse sharks eye-to-eye, as they snorkel among dozens of species of tropical fish; a wading pool where friendly rays rise to your touch; and a spectacular water park, where you and your family can enjoy a variety of water rides and slides, or simply soak up the sun. Please visit www.parquenizuc.com for more information.

Underground The Yucatan Peninsula is interconnected with subterranean rivers and honeycombed with cenotes, which offer an unforgettable experience to tourists who enjoy cave diving, snorkeling and exploring. A cenote (pronounced seh-no-tay) is a freshwater sinkhole caused by the erosion of limestone by rainwater. Its entrance is a cavern and provides access to the underground waterways and hidden rivers that abound on the coast and in the jungles surrounding Cancun.

� At Hidden Worlds Cenotes, just an hour and a half south of Cancun, certified open-water divers and snorkelers alike can enjoy the ultimate in underwater cavern exploration at the Dos Ojos (Two Eyes) cenotes and the Caverna de Murcielagos (Bat Cave). In Dos Ojos the play of light and colors has a kaleidoscopic effect on the ancient formations and at the (Bat Cave) you can swim through galleries containing huge columns and stalactites and intricate formations. All tours are lead by experienced, full cave certified guides in groups of no more than four. For more information visit http://www.hiddenworlds.com.mx/.

� Another favorite spot for exploring cenotes is Aktun Chen, also located about an hour and a half from Cancun. The park has three caves, the main cave is ideal for a walking tour � no swimsuit required. There you can see how thousands of stalactites, stalagmites and natural sculptures have been formed by water and Calcium carbonate over five million years. On your journey through the park your guide will show you the fascinating ways that the ancient Mayans made use of the caves and your tour will end at a breathtaking cenote of crystalline water and a magnificent vault with thousands of stalactites. For more information please visit http://www.aktunchen.com/info_eng.html.

About Cancun A Mecca for travelers from all walks of life, with treasures for every taste, Cancun combines rich traditions and legends of the past with the luxury and comforts of the present � in the heart of an ancient and mysterious Mayan world. With 27,000 first-class hotel rooms, and a host of attractions from adventure, romance and golf, to spa, dining and shopping, Cancun is the Million Dollar Getaway. The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau invites visitors to experience the warm hospitality and natural wonders of Cancun. For further information, visit www.cancun.info.

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Media Contact: Ana Mari Irabien +52 998 8846531 amirabien@prodigy.net.mx