By Air

Airport

The Aeropuerto Internacional Cancún is 16 km (9 mi) southwest of the heart of Cancún and 10 km (6 mi) from the Zona Hotelera's southernmost point.

Contacts

Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancún (Carretera Cancún-Chetumal, Km 22. 998/848-7200. www.asur.com.mx).

Carriers

Aeroméxico flies nonstop to Cancún from New York, Atlanta, and Miami, with limited service from Los Angeles. Most flights transfer in Mexico City. American Airlines has limited nonstop service from Chicago, New York, Dallas, and Miami to Cancún; most flights, however, stop over in Dallas or Miami. Continental only has daily direct service from Houston. Mexicana has nonstop flights from Los Angeles and Miami. United Airways has daily direct flights from Washington and limited service from Denver. JetBlue Airways has direct flights from New York and Boston.

From Cancún, Mexicana subsidiary Click Mexicana www.clickmx.com flies to the ruins at Mérida, and other Mexican cities.

Contacts

Aeroméxico (998/287-1860. www.aeromexico.com). American (998/883-4461. www.aa.com). Continental (998/886-0169. www.continental.com). jetBlue Airways (998/886-1148. www.jetblue.com). Mexicana (998/881-9090. www.mexicana.com). United Airlines (800/003-0777. www.united.com).

Airport Transfers

To get to or from the airport, you can take taxis or colectivos (vans); although buses are allowed into the airport, they will only take you as far as the bus station downtown (where you will have to transfer to a public bus to get to the Zona Hotelera). There's a well-marked counter just outside of the main international arrival terminal where you can buy bus tickets. There's also a second counter at the airport exit selling colectivo and taxi tickets; prices range from $15 to $75, depending on the destination and driver. Don't hesitate to barter with the cab drivers. The colectivos have fixed prices and usually wait until they are full before leaving the airport. Tickets start at $9. They drive to the far end of the Zona Hotelera and drop off passengers along the way back to the mainland; it's slow but cheaper than a cab, which can charge anywhere from $32 up to $75. Getting back to the airport for your departure is less expensive; taxi fares range from about $15 to $22. Hotels post current rates. Be sure to agree on a price before getting into a cab.

To Isla Mujeres

Isla's only airport is for private planes and military aircraft, so the closest you'll get to the island by plane is the Aeropuerto Internacional Cancún. Three companies can pick you up at the Cancún airport in an air-conditioned van and deliver you to the ferry docks at Puerto Juárez: AGI Tours, Best Day, and Cancún Valet. Prices for round-trip service range from $35 to $75 for up to four people.

If you aren't in a rush, you may also consider booking a colectivo at the airport. These 12-passenger white vans are the cheapest transportation option. You won't leave until the van is full, but that usually doesn't take long. The downside is that vans drop off passengers in Cancún's Zona Hotelera before heading over to Puerto Juárez. The entire trip takes about 45 minutes. You can also opt to get off in the Zona Hotelera and take the fast Isla ferry that leaves from the docks at Playa Caracol. Look for the sign for the Xcaret nature park just across from the Plaza Caracol Shopping Mall -- the ferry to Isla is right beside the Xcaret store. Colectivos usually congregate just outside the international terminal at the airport. The cost of the trip is $9 per person, one-way.

Contacts

AGI Tours (998/887-6967. www.agitours.com). Best Day (998/881-7206 or 998/881-7202. www.bestday.com/Transfers/). Cancun Valet (998/848-3634 or 888/479-9095. www.cancunvalet.com).