Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula

If you're travelling with youngsters, then this could be the right destination for you. It has everything from ruins to riches, whether it be natural, archaeological, or modern. Cancun's 22-kilometre-long resort zone, shaped like the number seven (and technically an island) boasts silky soft white sand beaches contrasting dramatically with the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.

The town itself (pop. 200,000) has some 200 restaurants featuring every kind of fast food chain and national cuisine imaginable, and more than a dozen shopping malls.

But if you want something quieter, with plenty of fine accommodations but emphasizing natural beauty, and with a wide choice of soft adventure, then travel about an hour south to the Maya Riviera. Here, buildings are limited to three storeys, giving the area a far different look from Cancun. As well as tours to the nearby Mayan ruins, daytrips from your resort might include expeditions to Punta Soliman, and Nohoch Nah Chich.

The former, a remote bay near Akumel, can be accessed by kayak from the beach. Its coral formations attract colourful fish, a delight for snorkellers. The big feature of Nohoch Nah Chich, in the tiny Mayan village of Rancho San Felipe, is a cenotem a natural sinkhole with stalactites and stalagmites. (Cenotes are a peculiarity of this coastline, and a popular attraction with snorkellers and swimmers.) If you join a tour, you'll swim with a guide who will light your path with a high-powered underwater flashlight.

"The water was so clear that swimming felt more like flying," says Gerry Rayner, who visited last year. "And it's best to proceed in silence, to absorb the beauty of the place." Gerry's tour included lunch with a Mayan family. "It was amazing. They served up this great meal -- chicken and rice, and tortillas and salsa -- without any electricity. All the cooking was done over an open fire." The small group was invited to lounge on handmade hammocks before making the return journey through the jungle.