Vivien Lougheed - Yucatan. Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Isla Holbox

1. Cancn
   1. 1. History
      2. Getting Here & Around
      3. What to See & Do
   2. 1. 1. In the Air
         2. On Water
      2. 1. 1. Aquariums, Water Parks & Water Tours
            2. Booze Cruises
            3. Diving & Snorkeling
         2. 1. Dive Sites Near Cancn
         1. Adventures on Horseback
         2. Bullfights
         3. At the Zoo
         4. Adventures on Foot
         5. On Wheels
      1. Tour Operators
      2. Nightlife
      3. Shopping
      4. Hotels
      5. Restaurants
2. Isla Mujeres
   1. History
   2. Orientation
   3. Getting Here & Around
   4. What to See & Do
   5. Tour Operators
   6. Nightlife
   7. Shopping
   8. Hotels
   9. Restaurants
3. Isla Holbox
   1. History
   2. Orientation
   3. Getting Here
   4. What to See & Do
   5. Tour Operators
   6. Hotels
   7. Restaurants

La Tarola , Av Yaxchilan and Sunyaxchen, tel. 8883-9765, is a popular steak house that serves fresh grilled Argentinean beef steak and shish kabobs to perfection for about $8. It is my favorite downtown restaurant. The atmosphere is good, the service is better and the food is best. You must go early as there is often a line to get in after 7:30 pm .

El Rincon , Av Yaxchilan and Uxmal , tel. 887-2358, offers a Cuban Creole buffet on Sunday at 1 pm , $7 for adults, $5 for children. They have live music shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There is no cover charge.

Labn , Margaritas #29, across from Las Palapas Park, tel. 892-3056, www.labna.com, open 4 pm-2 am daily, is next to Cancn's most famous restaurant, La Habichuela. At Labn, the Queso Relleno ($10) ground pork, with Edam cheese, tomato, raisins, capers, almonds olives and spices covered with a red sauce is a treat. But so are their appetizers, done in their famous lime sauce. For dessert, try the butterscotch and walnut crpes.

La Habichuela , Margaritas #25, tel. 884-3158, www.lahabichuela.com, is open daily from 6 pm to midnight . This was the home of the Pezzotti family. In 1977 they decided to make their residence a restaurant and it quickly became the prize-winning best in Mexico . For an elegant treat, book a table in the Maya garden, designed after Uxmal with flowering plants and native trees. Order the most famous dish, Cocobichuela, a coconut shell filled with curried lobster and shrimp poured over rice ($32) and topped with a slice of fresh pineapple. Although they serve beef and chicken, seafood is their specialty.

The Club Sandwich , Av Tulum #9 and Azucenas, tel. 884-5762, www.clubsandwich.com, is open Tuesday to Sunday, 12 to 12 . It has a Canadian motif, Canadian menu and good coffee.

The sandwiches ($4-$6 each), named after Canadian provinces, are tasty (although Canadian provinces don't have traditional sandwiches Canadians prefer donuts!) The bread is fresh and made with little or no preservatives. The flavored coffees and frapuccinos ($3.50 each) are the best in Cancn.

Le Basilic, Km 9.5, in the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Hotel, tel. 881-3200, is open 6-11 pm daily.

This is an elegant, high-end Mediterranean restaurant heavily influenced by French cuisine. Foods like duck leg in orange sauce or cracked pepper filet melt in your mouth. Music from the white grand piano filters through the room unnoticed.

Che Futbol, Av Tulum #75, tel. 884-8865, specializes in Argentinean beef steaks and shish kabobs and wines definitely a long way up the gourmet ladder from Mexican beef or wine. They also have a children's menu.

Thai Lounge , Km 12.5, tel. 883-1401, is located in La Isla Mall. The restaurant overlooks the aquarium and its dolphins. The atmosphere is serene, the service attentive. Typical foods of Thailand such as peanut satay, Thai salad or spicy chicken are excellent, although a bit pricey (+$10).

Casa Rolandi , Km 8.5, tel. 883-2557, offers exquisitely prepared Italian food with my favorite being the four-cheese gnocchi. Washed down with a bottle of good red wine that eliminates any cholesterol from the gnocchi, it leaves you feeling full and virtuous. Plan on spending about $20 per person.

Dragon Lady Chinese Food , Km 13.5, tel. 885-3056, is an eat-in or order-out, inexpensive restaurant with decent fusion Chinese foods ($5-$8 per dish).

Along the strip, there are also Captain's Cove, Chili's (Tex-Mex), Dady Rock, Hooters, Hard Rock, KFC, Pizza Hut, Pat O'Brien's, Subway and other North American franchises. Or why not try Bubba Gump? With a name like that the food would have to be equally as creative. Sadly, I have not tried it yet.