Yucatan. The very word has an air of mystery, adventure, and romance. Like so many things, that reputation is stretched but founded on fact. This Mexican peninsula is definitely the place to enjoy all three, and then some.

It’s no mystery that adventure here is often found in the form of scuba diving. Whether your preferred location is in Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel, or any of a dozen others, you’ll find there are many dive companies ready to equip you from A-Z. Then they teach you, guide you, and do everything to ensure that your dive is safe but still thrilling. Sound like a contradiction? Well, that’s Yucatan.

Want an adventure on dry land? Yucatan offers Amazon-style jungle tours that are a match for anything in Brazil. The Selvatica Canopy Expedition is one of the most popular. Only half an hour south of the Cancun Hotel Zone you’ll start fully prepped and never want to stop.

The tour guides will make sure you’re safe at all times, and that you get the trip of a lifetime. Glide in a harness through the treetops supported by steel cables as you move from platform to platform. Then, dismount and have a swim in a cenote (a small swimming hole with ultra-clear, natural spring water). It doesn’t get any better than this.

Take a trip to Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park and see what an amusement park looks like, Yucatan style. Go snorkeling. Swim in caves. Take the sky bicycle. Feel what it’s like to play in the jungle, knowing your hotel shower isn’t far away.

Once you’re back there you can enjoy a truly fine dining experience. The Yucatan hotels know how to treat their guests and you’ll find the food and wine second to none. The Blue Parrot in Playa Del Carmen is a favorite spot of many. This beachfront bar is a local hangout that attracts people from all over the world.

If you want to learn more about the local cuisine and how you can make it yourself back home, attend one of the courses at the Ritz Carlton Culinary Center. This internationally renowned hotel chain employs some of the world’s finest chefs. They’ll instruct you in the techniques that earn them the highest ratings.

For architectural delights, you couldn’t do better than a visit to Izamal. The structures are cast in a yellow brick that is unlike any elsewhere. You’ll have a chance to shop for antiques, watch the local artisans create handicrafts, and visit small museums.

Take a quick trip to Merida and enjoy all that this colonial town has to show you. Hang out in the local Zocalo (public square) and listen to music. Explore Mexico’s pre-Hispanic heritage. Sample the local food – a true delight.

There’s no mystery, of course, about why the Yucatan Peninsula is so popular: it’s great fun. Snorkeling, swimming, exploring, or just doing nothing – or doing everything you dreamed of on a vacation – is here for the asking. You might even find romance.