History of Cancun

As documented in the earliest colonial sources the island of Cancun was originally known to its Maya inhabitants as Nizuc (Yucatec Maya) meaning either “promontory” or “point of grass”. In the years after the Conquest, much of the population died off or left as a result of disease, warfare, piracy, and famines, leaving only small settlements on Isla Mujeres and Cozumel Island.

Cancun – Where Did the Name Come From?

The name Cancun, Cancum or Cankun first appears on maps from the 18th century. The meaning of Cancun is unknown, and it is also unknown whether the name is of Maya origin. If it is of Maya origin, possible translations include “Place/Seat/Throne of the Snake” or “Enchanted Snake”. Snake iconography was prevalent at the pre-columbian site of Nizuc.

When development was started on Jan. 23, 1970, Isla Cancún had only three residents, caretakers of the coconut plantation of Don José de Jesús Lima Gutiérrez, who lived on Isla Mujeres, and there were only 117 people living in nearby Puerto Juárez, a fishing village and military base.

Mexican Created City

“Due to the reluctance of investors to bet on an unknown area, the Mexican government had to finance the first nine hotels.” The first hotel financed was the Hyatt Cancun Caribe, but the first hotel actually built was the Playa Blanca, which later became a Blue Bay hotel, and is now Temptation Resort.

Most ‘Cancunenses’ here are from Yucatan and other Mexican states. A growing number are from the rest of the Americas and Europe. The municipal authorities have struggled to provide public services for the constant influx of people, as well as to control squatters and irregular developments, which now occupy an estimated ten to fifteen percent of the mainland area on the fringes of the city.