Cancun is one of the most important tourist sites in Mexico, but also in the world. This is a place full of magic and wonderful places that you must visit. And although now it seems that it is a very modern city, full of luxury hotels, and wonderful attractions. In reality, it is a city full of history that you should know.
Although walking, exploring and visiting Cancun’s restaurants to learn about its gastronomy can be an ideal way to learn a lot about its history. The best thing to do in these cases is to read about it to learn the origin of each of the things. That is why today we will be telling you about the Cancun History and several details that you surely didn’t know.
Where Does the Name “Cancun”Come From?
Mexico has an important ancestral heritage. That is why each of its cities has very significant names. In the case of Cancun, this is a rather bombastic and unique name, but it has been chosen because it is representative of the locality and Mexican history.
This name comes from the Mayan language and means “Nest of snakes”. This is because before the city grew as we know it today, it was a jungle site inhabited by the Itzaes. This was a group of locals who realized how wonderful the site was and began to develop the first activities.
An important fact about the Cancun history is that this site has received several names. When the Spanish conquest took place, Cancun was registered as Isla Cancuén or Punta Kancune. This happened in 1776, but with the passing of time it regained its more native origin and became what we know today.
How much has Cancun Grown?
A wonderful thing about Cancun history is that it is a place that has grown very fast in a very short time. In 1970, the city was inhabited by very few residents. Many of them stayed for a short time, but now this is one of the most populated cities in Mexico. At the moment it is close to reaching one million inhabitants and may reach this goal very soon.
The Beginning of the Story
Although in terms of trade and expansion, the Cancun history is somewhat short, it actually goes back thousands of years into the past. Archaeological remains attest to the fact that before colonization, there was already a Mayan civilization developing in the locality. This was a territory full of natural riches, so it was ideal to begin building an exemplary pre-Columbian society.
A very important moment in Cancun history is the arrival of the Spaniards. They arrived to the territory in the XVI century and dominated the place. This caused the population in the place to decrease very fast and in a short time Cancun was almost uninhabited. But between the 19th and 20th centuries, development began and Cancun became one of the most important cities in Mexico.
When was Cancun Founded?
Undoubtedly, the foundation is another of the most important moments of Cancun history. Although this may have been a territory where there was civilization in the past, it was not until 1967 when its foundation was made official. At that time, FONATUR was created, which was an organization that sought to increase tourism development in Mexico.
After much analysis, it was decided that Cancun was the perfect place to carry out an urban development project specially designed for tourism. This gave way to hotel and commercial growth, and it was specifically in 1970 when hotel development began.
What was the first hotel in Cancun?
If we review the Cancun history, we realize that hotel growth is something quite recent in the city. This is due to the fact that it was not until 1972 when the first hotel was built in the city.
According to the official data of the Cancun history, the first hotel in the city is the Hotel Bojórquez. It was exactly in 1972 when the first stone was laid in this construction. Now, after several years, the place has almost 36,000 rooms and about 70,000 square meters of construction.
When was the Airport in Cancun Inaugurated?
As part of the project to make Cancun great, the construction of the airport also took longer than expected. It was not until 1973 that the international airport was inaugurated, being one of the most important milestones in Cancun history. This is currently one of the airports that receives the most visitors per year, and in 2019 it managed to exceed 25 million people.
Today Cancun is the number one tourist destination in Mexico and one of the best in the world. Delight yourself with the most spectacular beaches with crystal clear water that you can find in the entire Caribbean, in addition to the best national and world cuisine, including great attractions on the Caribbean Sea such as catamaran tours.
Catamaran tours are one of the most popular activities below the tours through Chichén Itzá, Aquatours is one of the expert brands in this, so a Catamaran tour would not be bad for you in the company of your partner, families or friends.
