Looking back on a vacation my wife and I spent in Cancun, we apparently did everything that every other tourist does while in the Mexican resort city. While we had the time of our lives while there, the suggestions from ABC News (linked-to below) sound like absolutely fantastic ideas for a vacation, especially the suggestion to visit Xel-Ha, which is on our list of things to do the next time we go.

Cancun's allure is world-famous. A tropical oasis accented by a rich history, Cancun is as popular with day tripping cruisers as with sun worshipping vacationers, in large part for the warm weather it has to offer year-round. But don't think Cancun is little more than beaches, bars and tourist traps. Alternative experiences abound, and here are a few.

See the Museum, Skip the Beach

How about a little culture between tanning sessions on the shore? After a six-year, $15 million investment, the Maya Museum opened in November 2012 in Cancun's hotel zone. Ancient Mayan culture is promoted through hundreds of artifacts, including 14,000 year-old skeletal remains discovered in the underwater caves of Tulum.

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