Frommer's Cancun, Cozumel & the Yucatan 2000

Sometimes pictures speak volumes. Open Frommer's 2000 Cancún, Cozumel & the Yucatán and the 15 glossy color photographs that comprise the introduction will tell you, better than any text, if this is the place for you. They depict the quiet of a Yucatán beach town and the social activity of bathing-suited, cocktail-sipping frolickers at a Cancún poolside bar; the built-up luxury of Cancún's hotel zone and the beauty of Tulum, a walled Mayan city on the beach. It is soon vividly clear that there is, as the brochures say, something for everyone. Once you're set on going to Cancún, Cozumel, or the Yucatán, the next task is planning your trip and narrowing down your itinerary and lodgings options. Frommer's 2000 is prepared to assist with all the details and logistics. The "Best Of" section helps set priorities with its lists of best beach vacations, best cultural experiences, and best archaeological sites, as well as the best active vacations, places to get away from it all, and hottest nightlife. There's advice on health and safety, plus reviews of the lodging, dining, and sightseeing options for Cancún, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya, Mérida, the Maya interior, Tabasco, and Chiapas. There are appendixes covering history, the land, and art, the architecture, religion, and cuisine, as well as a glossary of useful phrases. There's an online directory to enable more research, and a large pullout map in back. David Baird and Lynne Bairstow have done travelers a favor with their full-service guide, their thorough coverage, and genuine feel for the region. --Stephanie Gold