The Yucatán peninsula in eastern Mexico borders both Belize and Guatemala and offers a diverse range of flora, fauna and a large number of UNESCO World Heritage sites including the Mayan ruin of Chichén Itzá.
One way to visit the UNESCO ruins and colonial cities is by self-drive.
Arrive in Cancun, pick up your car hire and begin the journey. The first drive to Chichén Itzá takes around three hours.
The route takes in :
Chichén Itzá
The well-preserved Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá are one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
It's best known for the huge step pyramid known as El Castillo, an ancient city that thrived between 600 A.D. and 1,200.
The complex includes a ball court, the Temple of the Warriors and the Wall of the Skulls all of which have graphic stone carvings.
Each night, a sound and light show illuminates the complex.
Mérida
Mérida is the capital of the Yucatan and one of Mexico's largest cities.
It also has the highest percentage of indigenous people of any Mexican city with over half the population being of Maya ethnicity.
Though this colonial city is not a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is well worth a visit
Uxmal
This ancient Mayan town founded in 700 A.D. once had over 25,000 inhabitants.
The complex which was built between 700 and 1000 A.D. reveals that the people had knowledge of astronomy and includes the Pyramid of the Soothsayer, the Quadrangle of the Nuns, the Governor's Palace, the House of the Tortoises, the Ball Court and ceremonial sites.
Campeche
The fortified harbour town of Campeche is a fine example of Spanish colonial architecture.
The old city is surrounded by walls and a system of fortifications which are deigned to defend against piracy and attacks from the sea.
It was once the most important seaport in Mexico and played a major role in the conquest of the Yucanatan Peninsula and Guatemala from the Spanish.
Calakmul Biosphere Reserve
The Calakmul Biosphere Reserve was only granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2006.
It remains the largest forest reserve in Mexico comprising of over 700,000 hectares of protected land.
The Mayans were some of the first group to live in the forests with the ruins of city complexes abandoned in 900 A.D.
The area offers some of the largest populations of flora and fauna in the country and includes the jaguar, puma, white-lipped peccary, howler monkey, king vulture, gray brocket deer and ornate hawk.
Reserva de la Biósfera Sian-Ka'an
Sian-Ka-an means 'Origin of the Sky' in the language of the Mayan people who once lived in the region.
Located on the eastern coast of the Yucantan peninsula, the reserve is made up of a series of tropical forests, mangroves, marshes and a barrier reef.
Inhabiting the reserve is a range of flora and fauna including 300 species of birds.
Tulum
The Mayan ruins of Tulum is not a UNESCO World Heritage site, but is worth taking some time to explore them on the drive up the coast to Cancun.
The ruins are situated on 12-metre high cliffs overlooking the ocean and were one of the last cities to be built by the Maya.
It managed to hold off conquest by the Spanish for around 70 years but Old World diseases brought by the settlers resulted in the city being abandoned.