Situated between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, the Yucatan Peninsula comprises the Mexican states of Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo. This area boasts 320 days of sunshine per year and an average annual temperature of 85 degrees (30 Celsius). Add to that gorgeous white sand beaches with clear turquoise water, the world's second-largest coral reef right off the coast and the opportunity to practice every watersports activity imaginable, and you've got the perfect destination for a beach vacation. But the attractions the Yucatan Peninsula offers go far beyond its beaches.

• Cancun, Quintana Roo
• The Mayan Riviera
• The colonial town of Merida
• Mayan archaeological sites of the Yucatan Peninsula

_{Satellite image of the Yucatan Peninsula courtesy of NASA.}