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The favorite destination for RV travelers, who take advantage of generous long-term rates to settle in for the whole winter. The campsite also has cabañas (see Cabañas María del Mar, Isla Mujeres), a beach bar (see Paamul), and a dive shop.

Brightly painted wooden parrots, toucans, and boxes provide one of the prettiest images of tropical Mexico.

An extraordinary coral mountain riven with giant canyons that seem to fall straight from the surface to the invisible depths of the ocean. Nearby, the Yucab and El Cedral reefs are also famous for their colonies of moray eels and groupers, and tree-like coral heads (see Cozumel).

Campeche has a distinctive and very varied cuisine of its own that, as befits a port, makes great use of local fish and seafood. This is one of the most popular campechano favorites, and features chopped hammerhead shark (cazón ), mixed with spices and a tomato sauce; it is served between two soft corn tortillas.

The best palm hats are from northern Campeche; the place to buy them is Mérida.

The liveliest, most enjoyable bar-restaurant and dance club in central Mérida has Mexican bandit decor, welcoming staff, and a tiny, buzzing open-air dance floor.

Small, crisp-fried tortillas covered in refried beans and topped with strips of chicken or turkey and chopped tomato, onion, avocado, and chilis.

A Mayan dish of chopped hard-boiled eggs in a sweet pumpkin-seed sauce, rolled in tortillas – often served with a spicy tomato sauce.

Right on the beach at the end of the dirt road out to Punta Bete are these lovely cabañas built by an American couple. Decorated with Mexican textiles, all have kitchenettes and beach terraces, and are exceptional value. There’s also a little bar-restaurant alongside.