Cancún, Mexico is not just a spring break destination for the under-25 crowd, despite the return of Spring Breakers in 2006 when many hotels temporarily lowered their rates to fill beds. Instead, as North America's most popular playground recovers from damages suffered during 2005's hurricane season, we'll begin to see more chic, more sophisticated and probably more upscale lodging and attractions. The island will, of course, still offer plenty for families to enjoy as well. From beautiful beaches and watersports to shopping malls and culture fests, Cancún has something for everyone in the family.

Before I get into that, here's some trivia: What do New York's Battery Park City, Florida's Miami Beach, Bali's Nusa Dua and Mexico's Cancún have in common?

They're all planned waterfront communities built to meet a specific civic need. In the case of New York and Florida, real estate greed was the driving force; in Bali and Mexico it was a desire to contain the influence of tourism.

When you look at the Cancún rising today -- more than 35,000 rooms in the Zona Hotelera, an efficient infrastructure, educated workforce and year-round popularity -- it's hard to believe this tip of the Yucatan peninsula was swampland three decades ago.

Many tourists have been sold on Cancún for a budget beach vacation, but for Europeans it is a gateway to the exotic Yucatan, and to affluent Mexicans, a dream resort destination. How could anything planned by committee work well on so many levels? The answer lies in the region's natural gifts -- quite impressive -- but often enhanced at the expense of the original Mayan and now Mexican cultures.

Natural Pleasures: Beautiful Beaches

Clean, beautiful, crushed-coral sand beaches (with some flat rock patches) line the number 7-shaped strip known as the Cancún peninsula. Despite years of successful promotional campaigns portraying Cancún as 'Mexico's Caribbean', the crystalline, sky blue water on the eastern side of the peninsula is actually the Atlantic Ocean, and on the western, the Gulf of Mexico (also part of the Atlantic.) 

Families with toddlers and younger children should keep in mind that the hotels on the north side, or underside of the top part of the seven, front the calmest part of the ocean. Hotels on the sloping, eastern face open out to an Atlantic that can be deceptively gentle or lashed by winds, with an ever-present riptide. Many resorts have lifeguards stationed by color-coded warning flags, and even skilled swimmers are urged to swim within their jurisdiction.

The Yucatan's naturally mild climate hovers in the mid-80°s F (27°-32°C), with strong sun and brief daily showers in summer, some boisterous winds in the August to November hurricane season, and the occasional cold rain and wind between December and March. Breezes off the Gulf of Mexico keep the sea between 82°-86°F (27°-30°C) year round. 

Behold: Natural Lagoons, Jungles & Turtles

A few budget hotels and some picturesque restaurants face west over the Nichupté Lagoon separating the peninsula from the mainland where the modern city, Cancún Ciudad, is located. Yes, it's scenic and yes, the sunset is breathtaking, but mosquitoes can be a real nuisance. (They're present, much less so, in other areas, so bring kid-friendly bug repellent.)

The lagoon waters, allegedly filled with crocodiles and other indigenous wildlife, are busy with romantic coastal cruises and adventurers. Kayaking, jet skiing, snorkeling, fishing, parasailing, submarine tours and even dinner cruises might suit your brood; contact AquaWorld (52/998/848-8327) for more information. Their excursion boats leave from the AquaRay marina on the Nichupté Lagoon or from the newly rebuilt La Isla shopping center marina.

With a population that ballooned from 3,000 to almost 850,000 in two decades, it's fortunate that Cancún planned for waste treatment to avoid spoiling the region's rich environment. When you snorkel in a marine preserve you'll appreciate the flourishing undersea reef system. You can enjoy the wonderful swimming, observe or play with dolphins, and admire the marine life being successfully bred or rehabilitated in captivity.

Blue Water Adventures (52/998/849-4444) runs many lagoon tours via kayak and wave runner, as well as glass bottom boat, deep sea fishing, and scuba diving excursions. More experienced divers should try snorkeling in the area's unusual cenotes, spring-fed wells that provide access to underground rivers used by Mayan traders. You can also contact Blue Water to charter your own catamaran or sailing yacht for an extended family outing.

Or if you would rather see the beautiful jungle from up above, Selvatica! (52/998/849-5510) offers the longest zip line in all of Mexico: over 2 miles, 24 platforms and 12 lines. The entire tour through the Yucatan (just one hour outside of Cancun) takes 2 hours and transportation to and from the hotel is included in the price. After traversing through the trees, the tour continues with mountain biking. After a one-mile journey, the group arrives at the cenote "Verde Lucero" whose waters have had ancient spiritual meaning to the Mayan people for over a century. Also, although the tour is intense, children as young as 3 can participate and will be assisted by the trained Costa Rican-born tour operators and guides.

Animal lovers will be excited to visit Tortugranja (52/998/877-0595), a turtle farm on Isla Mujeres. Created in 1994 as the Mexican government's effort to save the declining turtle population, Tortugranja is the perfect place for children to get up close and personal. Although you cannot touch the turtles, you can feed them and observe the younger ones in one of the three pools or the larger turtles in sea pens. There is also a small museum with displays about turtles and the ecosystem. All proceeds from the nominal admission go to saving these creatures.

Those interested in getting in touch with the Mexican culture, might be interested in some of the environmentally friendly ecotours that Dos Palmas offers. You can swim with a whaleshark or experience a Mayan Ceremonial Night, consisting of the Temazcal, where participants are reborn as warriors followd by a dip in a cenote, or sinkhole. Not only does Dos Palmas offer a wide variety of unique and divers activities, but it also helps Mayan families and communities to become self-sustainable through ecotourism. 

Manmade Pleasures: Dining & Nightlife

Wonderful resort hotels, elegant boutique hideaways, great nightlife for those under 30, air-conditioned malls, kitschy and quality crafts markets, and fine continental and gourmet Mexican cuisine abound.

La Disteleria is a fun and lively Mexican restaurant built on the site of an old Tequila distillery. The enthusiastic wait staff will give you a soup-to-nuts tour on how Mexican firewater is made. There's an unsupervised playroom upstairs where the kids can run around while you're involved in the tequila taste-testing. They have a gringo kids' menu and a large, tasty variety of Mexican fare, plus a wonderful sunset view. Some of the better Mexican food restaurants include Maria Bonita overlooking the Bay and Pericos, with strolling Mariachi and Marimba bands.

When it comes to nightlife, Cancún has few equals. Sure, Carlos n' Charlies and Señor Frog's still sell US$8 margaritas and announce their presence with music blaring from their strip-view patios. But families who enjoy a stroll al fresco will find lots of other options along Yaxchilan, downtown's prime restaurant row and a safe and lively night time destination. We loved sitting near the big grill at La Parilla (011/52/998/297/8119) and sampling its specialties: poc chuc (grilled pork), codzitos (rolled tortillas with tomato and cheese) and a pitcher of sangria. For US$5 we had the mariachi serenade us, too, much to my son's embarrassment.

My family also enjoyed a stroll around the Parque de las Palapas, downtown's main public park. In this very cool quarter there are several cafes serving World cuisine; local quesadilla vendors for a cheap snack (not for the turista-phobic); restaurants such as La Habichuela for Carib-Mex fusion or Labná for Yucatecan food; and the restored Teatro Tramoya for live music, dance and sushi. Whether you like live music nightly or a cool afternoon frappe, stop at one of the new cafebrerias such as Café Pabilo, which we admired for its book collection and show of watercolors.

Of the world-class discos that change with the season, nothing really compares with The City (011/52/998/848/8380), a 4,500 person-occupancy club with live dancers shimmying on trapezes. That's only the paid dancers; visitors shell out US$15 admission and/or US$35 for an all-you-can-drink pass (watch out!) that grants them bar access through the long night. It's an amazing place to tour by day and has hosted 50 Cent, Beyoncé, Deep Dish and many others for tapings of MTV Spring Breaks. (The Club is now offering shows ranging from Acrobatics, Russian Hammock, Fire, Bungees, Hip Hop and more. However, we have heard 16 is the minimum admission age, and 18 is the minimum drinking age... but things seem pretty loose in town.)

Also at The City's mid-strip location is the upscale Porterhouse Steak & Seafood Grill at the Avalon Reef Club, where parents can sample various cuts of prime beef while kids enjoy burgers and fries, or pasta and a Caesar Salad. Note that we have not had the pleasure of revisiting since The City and neighboring facilities reopened in March 2006 after hurricane renovations were complete, but we understand they are really back and better than ever.

Manmade Arts, Crafts & Kids Play

On my pre-Hurricane Wilma visit I was able to appreciate the city's burgeoning arts scene, a byproduct of its popularity with younger Mexicans hoping to establish careers there. La Casa del Arte Popular Mexicano (011/52/998/849/4332) is at el Embarcadero, the Isla Mujeres ferry pier, and it’s a wonderful collection of more than 3,400 folk and religious pieces of art, set in attractive displays or in tableaux of daily life, that will especially delight children. It's open daily from 9am-9pm so there's no excuse to pass it by; the comprehensive gift shop of folk art items can take care of your entire shopping list. Next door is a gently swirling Scenic Tower ride that your little ones will enjoy.

Traditional shopping and ageless bargaining continue at several mercados in downtown El Centro, where you'll find huarache sandals, huipiles (embroidered Mayan dresses), carved wood, weavings, very stylish silver and pewter ware, talavere ceramics, pottery and baskets. Some modern shopping malls are their own indoor amusement parks, air-conditioned to appeal to local shoppers and cafe-packed to appeal to tourists. 

At the Plaza las Americas we tried Cinépolis VIP, a new concept cinema where tickets mean reserved seats in cushy leather armchairs, a small screening room ambiance and "room service" to your theatre seat from any of the food court's vendors. We ordered sushi and fruit punches and popcorn before the film, took our seats, and in the middle of watching Ashton Kutscher in "The Butterfly Effect" had a waiter deliver a tray full of food.  Don't ask me how he found us in the dark!

Plaza Kukulcan once dominated the shopping scene with a multi-story atrium at the center of the tourist strip but it suffered extensive hurricane damage. Fully renovated, it now features a Planet Hollywood and a few hundred shops. Also damaged were the smaller Plaza Caracol and Forum by the Sea -- both of which sold very high end merchandise. The most fun of the newer malls and one that just reopened is the high concept La Isla, a lifestyle complex criss-crossed with canals, the terrific Cancun Aquarium, fancy shops with more exclusive merchandise, mimes and other performers, and a variety of outdoor restaurants.

Another favorite manmade attraction was the cute Palace Minigolf course at the Cancún Palace Resort, though the resort itself was so badly damaged that no reopening date has been set. But, its two 9-hole courses and replica Mayan temples have recently reopened.

Nothing is as artificially successful in this environment as the Beach Club at km 9.5 on Kukulcán Blvd. The tamer part of The City disco complex, this is a delightful seaside sundeck with clean swimming pools; waterslides; an enormous 20,000-gallon-per-minute Flowrider wave pool used by the hardy for "surfing" and "bodyboarding" (this idea has been copied by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines); some very pleasant shaded cafes; and a large jacuzzi for those over 18-years. There is a wonderful little Kids Club held in a shaded outdoor space and a pleasant air-conditioned room. Under the auspices of two bilingual nannies, kids age 4-11 years can romp in a kiddie pool, do crafts, climb on gym equipment, or watch TV and video games. The club is open 8am-6pm and is part of The Beach's general admission; it's free for kids under 6. The Beach Club entry includes lifeguards and paramedics on duty, towels and all facilities, and for an additional fee, parents can purchase an "all you can drink" card, too.

After all, this is Cancún.