I just returned from Cancun on a three-day personal business trip and was able to fit in a two hour city tour with an English speaking driver/guide. Travelers love Cancun for its pristine turquoise waters and wide, white-sandy beaches. My driver wanted to take me on a drive through of "Zona Hotelera” or “Tourist Hotel Zone,” a narrow 14 mile long island where tourists spend most of their time. While my driver offered to take a photo in front of The Shark Tower in Puerto Cancun, the most exclusive community of condos, a shopping mall, restaurants, exclusive golf course and private marina he spotted a black iguana to my right (photo). As I bent down to get a tad closer, it quickly scurried into a nearby hole in the ground to seek refuge. The Westin Resort and Spa gives their customers a chance to feed a few friendlier iguanas. Though the black iguanas are one of the species that are not dangerous, the ones roaming around do have sharp teeth and sharp claws and it would be a mistake to try to pick them up.
While I didn’t mind seeing some of the more unique hotels and beautiful beaches and of course the iguana, I was very interested in the colorful Mexican Street Art Scene. Over the past couple of years large-scale public murals created by renowned Mexican and international street artists that has turned the bustling resort town into a vibrant open-air art gallery. The truth is there are no organized tours of murals. But my driver finally caught on and began to take me to several downtown buildings, sea walls, and street underpasses that had gone through a major transformation while highlighting a message of ecotourism and ocean conservation. I also saw some abstract lawn sculptures
My short visit wouldn’t be complete without a visit and photo in front of the famous and colorful Cancun sign in Playa Delfines.
Postscript: One of the more interesting and unusual murals is the museum or gallery of prominent figures including alleged corrupted politicians who abused their positions and damaged the country. It is a public Wall of Shame if you will that appears under the bottom of a bridge (Photo).