by Gloria Donaldson

Created on: July 20, 2008   Last Updated: July 21, 2008

GET OFF THE COUCH: Go Get Some Much Needed Exercise in Cancun, Mexico!

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Good now get up, get moving and do something about it. Stat the process with physical exercise and adventure with a twist. Book a cruise or flight to Cancun. Begin your get-a-way with a couple of all-inclusive day tours to the eco-adventure theme parks Xcaret and Xel-Ha - and to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. Carry extra money, a pair of sun glasses, a camera, a swimming suit or trunks, beach towels, walking shoes, ecological sun block, and a hat or cap.

Take a high-powered boat ride or an hour long drive from Cancun to Playa del Carmen. Spend a whole day at Xcaret; the most famous eco-archaeological park in the whole world. The Park opens from 8:30a to 9:00p. Here you'll swim with dolphins; enjoy live Mexican folk-music; and float down the river in an inner tube. Observe flamingos and toucans, a butterfly pavilion, an orchid Botanical Garden; a wild bird breeding aviary; Coral Reef Aquarium; a lagoon with manatees, pumas and jaguars in their natural habitats; stables offering horseback rides, shows and a fair. There's a rotating scenic tower, and five restaurants that serve both Mexican and Caribbean specialties, contributing to a spectacular nightlife experience. Oh yeah, you will be moving it and shaking it!

Next, take a combined all-inclusive day tour to Xel-Ha and Tulum. Tulum is an archaeological site located by the Caribbean Sea. It was a major hub for maritime trade and commerce. The Tulum tour can be completed in 2-3 hours. Not only do you get to explore intriguing Mayan ruins and enjoy the awesome white sand beach; but you can, also, go snorkeling here. Take your time, walk around the grounds and scrutinize the ruins including El Castillo a phenomenal temple perched on Tulum's highest cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The Castle served as a watchtower and as a lighthouse. It yields spectacular views of the ocean and coastline.

If you'd like to see more of the ruins, consider taking another all-inclusive day tour to Chichen Itza, the ancient Mayan capital with the most impressive archaeological zone in the Yucatan Peninsula. There you can see El Castillo the Temple of Kukulcan, a 75 feet high pyramid. It has 91 steps on each of its sides and one shared step to the platform on top for a total of 365 steps the number of days in our calendar year. See, also, the Temple of the Warriors, Sacred Well where people were used as sacrificial objects

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