Cancún is a major city in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, situated on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula along the Caribbean Sea. It serves as the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez and stands as one of Mexico's easternmost points. The city functions as a significant tourist destination within the region known as the Mexican Caribbean, lying just north of the Riviera Maya resort area.

Originally inhabited by Maya people who called the island Nizuc, the modern city was created in 1970 as a government project to foster tourism. Development began on January 23, 1970, when the island had only three residents. The Mexican federal government financed the first nine hotels due to investor reluctance, transforming the area from a fishing village into a planned Integrally Planned Center under the agency INFRATUR.

The city is divided into two distinct areas: the Hotel Zone, which contains the main tourism infrastructure, and El Centro, the downtown residential section. The layout follows a master plan of superblocks, though development has scattered beyond this original design. Notable sites include the Nizuc archaeological site and the surrounding Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, with the Hotel Zone jutting into the sea.

Cancún is renowned for its white sand beaches, turquoise waters, and world-class vacation amenities, attracting millions of visitors annually. While it serves as a gateway to Mayan heritage sites, the city itself reflects modern Mexico with numerous restaurants, shopping centers, and clubs. The area also faces challenges such as sargassum seaweed impacts on tourism and public safety concerns related to drug trafficking.

The population was 888,797 as of 2020. The economy is heavily driven by tourism, which saw a record 21 million visitors in 2023. The climate is tropical wet and dry with an annual mean temperature of 27.1 °C, featuring distinct rainy and dry seasons. The hurricane season runs from June through November, with significant storms like Wilma and Gilbert having impacted the region historically.