Cancun, on the tip of the Yucatan peninsula, sizzles as Mexico top tourist destination with expansive white sand shoreline, clear blue-green waters, and a line-up of gleaming hotels. Exciting night life, an overall tropical atmosphere, and the nearby mystique of ancient civilization draw more than two million visitors a year, making it difficult to fathom that a half century ago, Cancun was only a blueprint. Launched in 1974 as a lanned resort?built from scratch, Cancun has 200-plus days of yearly sunshine accompanied by temperatures averaging 80F (25C) that can seem much warmer. The "Hotel Zone" is a 14-mile stretch on an island shaped like a "7." To the North is the Caribbean, with waters to the west sheltered by Isla Mujeres (Isle of Women) creating more gentle wave action.