As Cancun, Mexico celebrates the country's 200th anniversary of independence, AMY PACKER explores its stalactite-studded water caves and the towering pyramids of ancient civilisations

SITTING in pitch black and total silence, save the occasional drip from the cave ceiling, my eyes tried and failed to adjust to the darkness engulfing me. Our group of eight had paused and turned off headtorches to experience the blackness of the cave system we were in.

Suddenly I felt something brush my calf and emitted a shriek. Quickly turning my headtorch back on, I was relieved to see the tiniest minnow dart away through the crystal-clear water.

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In an oh-so-attractive get-up of wetsuit, life jacket and hard hat, I'd spent almost an hour swimming, climbing and crawling along the network of limestone tunnels of the Rio Secreto (secret river), on Mexico's Mayan Riviera.

Discovered just four years ago by a farmer who spotted an opening on his land, later investigations unearthed eight miles of spectacular tunnels and underground pools decorated with thousands of stalagmites and stalactites from the size of a toothpick to an elephant trunk.

This place was about as far removed from the riviera's frenetic main resort of Cancun as I could imagine, especially as I was in Mexico during Spring Break when thousands of American teens flock south to take advantage of the lower drinking age and long, hot days.

Luckily my hotel, The Westin Resort & Spa, was a civilised distance from the famously buzzy Cancun town. It straddles a bank between the Caribbean Sea and a large lagoon, Laguna del Amor.

My simple, whitewashed room with its cool marble floors and giant bed swathed in soft white sheets was everything you could want in the humidity while my balcony, which overlooked cobalt waters and bright sands, quickly became a favourite retreat during the hottest hours of the day.

The resort is popular with families.

Children spend the days dive-bombing into the main pool while parents use the swim-up bar and plentiful sunloungers.

I preferred to set off along the sandy beach with a novel and a cocktail to try the free 10-minute taster massage offered by the hotel's impressive-looking Heavenly Spa. Having adapted to the laid-back pace of life, I was ready to explore the Yucatán Peninsula. One of my favourite attractions was the adventure playground Selvática. With a 12-station zip-line circuit high in the jungle, it was easy to see why the park has become one of the most popular tourist draws in the whole of Mexico.

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After being strapped into a harness I spent an exhilarating hour flying from tree to tree, going ever higher into the forest canopy. Back on solid ground I hopped into one of the park's army trucks for a trip to the cenote, a large, freshwater sink hole you could zip, dive or walk into for a much-needed and refreshing swim.

Cancun offers so much to holidaymakers with a sense of fun and adventure but those with a genuine thirst for the more cultural side of life are well catered for too.

Exploration of the Yucatán region wouldn't be complete without seeing some of the ancient Mayan ruins.

However, my Chichen Itza experience w as to exceed that of most tourists.

My trip coincided with Sir Elton John's concert which was to be staged in the grounds of the temple, once used for ceremonial killings, which meant the complex was closed in the days running up to the event. Therefore, my first glimpse of the majestic, preHispanic pyramids was on the night of the gig itself, as the 6,000-strong audience heard Elton strike up the familiar opening chords of, appropriately, his hit song Sacrifice.

As he sang, the Temple of Kukulkan, arguably the most famous of all the archaeological buildings in the region, was floodlit in all the colours of the rainbow.

As memorable as that evening was, though, I was pleased I managed to see other Mayan sites, namely Coba and Tulum, in the more traditional manner.

Coba sits around 100 miles from Cancun and is a pre-Columbian Mayan city which once had 50,000 inhabitants and dates from between 600 and 800 AD.

WHILE I explored the complex by bicycle my guide explained the intricacies of the ancient civilisation.

Coba is home to the tallest pyramid in the region at 140ft and those who don't suffer from vertigo can still make the perilous ascent up the uneven, sheer steps to take in views of the lush forest and lagoons.

Contrasting starkly to this shady paradise is the walled city of Tulum (the ancient Mayan word for wall) which sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking white sand beaches, inviting turquoise waters and the stunning barrier reefs of the Caribbean.

Decorated with stuccos and figurines of a Mayan diving god, Tulum was an important trading port in its heyday and its sea views made it my firm favourite of the three World Heritage archaeological wonders that I managed to explore during my stay.

I spent the last evening of my trip in a traditional palapa (straw hut), which houses the Sea & Stones, the Westin's best restaurant.

Positioned on the hotel's beachfront, it's the perfect spot to sip a cerveza (beer) accompanied by the sounds of the waves crashing on the sand and the sizzle of the hot rocks that are brought to your table to help prepare dishes in front of you.

Tucking into mouthwatering seafood, I promised myself that it wouldn't be too long before I returned down Mexico way.

GETTING THERE:
British Airways (0844 493 0783/ www.ba.com/cancun) offers seven nights at The Westin Resort & Spa (www.westin.com/cancun) from £810pp (two sharing), room only.

Price includes return flights from Gatwick to Cancun with British Airways. Departing November 2010.

Excursions to Chichen Itza can be booked from £36pp.

Rio Secreto (www.riosecretomexico.com), admission £38pp.

Cancun CVB: 020 8686 2300/ www.cancun.travel