Yucatán’s northern shoreline borders the blue-green Gulf of Mexico, the place coastal communities supply serene escapes from the town’s infamous humidity, and tender sand, light waves, and fiery sunsets are the norm. Brace your self for bone-white shoreline, toes-in-the-sand eating places, milky blue-green waters, and pops of neon from the 1000’s of flamingos that stay throughout the biosphere reserves to assist hold this a part of Mexico protected.
Puerto Progreso
There is a purpose Puerto Progreso has turn out to be essentially the most well-known seashore city close to Mérida. The sugary shores and blue-green water from the place the Gulf of Mexico kisses the Caribbean Sea are completely idyllic.
Nearly 40 minutes north of the town, Puerto Progreso is on the northern shoreline of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is a vacation spot the place vacationers will be as lively (or inactive) as they please. Two boardwalks run alongside the shoreline, together with the 1.5-mile Worldwide Boardwalk, full with a carousel and Ferris wheel. Sandy areas have been sectioned off for seashore soccer and volleyball, whereas kitesurfers and windsurfers cruise the waves out on the water.
Puerto Progreso is a well-liked port city, nevertheless it’s rather more low-key than locations like Playa del Carmen and Cancun. It is also the gateway to another nice locations within the Yucatan Peninsula, just like the Mayan archaeological websites of Dzibilchaltun and Xcambo.
Celestun
Celestun has all of the visuals of Puerto Progreso and only a fraction of the folks. This sleepy fishing village, with its sandy streets and picture-perfect view of the Gulf of Mexico, lures seashore lovers with sun-bleached sand and calm, turquoise water. Barefoot, sun-kissed swimmers camp out at plastic tables beneath large palapas, snacking on colourful ceviche, salty grilled fish, and ice-cold beers.
However maybe Celeste’s greatest draw is the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve, an internet of mangrove wetlands wealthy with birdlife, particularly flamingos. Vacationers can rent sputtering launch boats that depart proper from the shoreline and head into the biosphere in quest of the swaths of magnetically pink birds. You could find them by the tons of clustered collectively within the lagoons, their vibrant blush-colored feathers dramatically popping towards the blue-green sea.
For adventures on dry land, Celestun is house to a petrified forest, teeming with greater than 200 species of mammals, like ocelots, jaguars, and spider monkeys.
Sisal
Sandwiched between Progreso and Celestun, Sisal is one other dreamy colour palette come to life with white, turquoise, and pale inexperienced. Whereas Sisal’s historical past began as a port city for Spain, its coastal way of life is rather more laid-back right this moment. Guests can discover remnants of the previous, from the outdated lighthouse to the fort, however what brings most guests to this fishing village is the peaceable, pure great thing about the seashores.
Sisal, like Celstun, is a part of the Ría Celestún Biosphere Reserve, and it is buzzing with wildlife. The mangroves and lagoons are a flurry of flamingos, sea turtles, and migratory birds. Sisal as a group has cemented its dedication to conservation and sustainable tourism to make sure wildlife stays a part of the expertise right here.
Keen nature lovers can set out on guided kayak excursions by means of the close by reserves. There are additionally alternatives for bird-watching and mangrove excursions. Overlook raucous seashore bars and after-hours something in Sisal.
El Cuyo
El Minimize is flecked on a thin ribbon of powdery sand separated from the mainland by a marshy lagoon. The small fishing village, barely extra remoted than different communities, is a three-hour drive from Merida and gives a much-needed escape with its vast stretches of sentimental sand, turquoise water, and swaying palms. There aren’t any large-scale chain inns in El Cuyo, and that is precisely how the locals prefer it.
The protected space is understood for its rosy flamingos that add bursts of colour amid the greens and blues of the mangroves and lagoon.
Isla Columpios
The realm between Sisal and Progreso is a patchy collage of swirling inexperienced lagoons dotted with clusters of mangrove forests. Till very not too long ago, this marshy space, webbed with spits of white sand, was principally ignored by locals and vacationers. Slowly, its popularity for crystal-clear water and sugary tender sandbanks leaked, and vacationers began to catch on to this coastal secret simply north of Merida.
The swings (columpios) that rise out of the shallow waters are the standout of Isla Columpios. Guests come for his or her iconic photograph op swinging over the crystalline water.
Chelem
Chelem is near Puerto Progreso, however appears like a complete world away. The laid-back vibe and undeveloped seashores create an idyllic, castaway expertise that is excellent for disconnecting with e-book and a slowly rocking hammock.
Chelem’s shallow waters make it ultimate for swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding, whereas the small fishing village has a handful of eating places that serve up contemporary ceviche, fish tacos, and plump, grilled shrimp. The pristine shoreline permits for uninterrupted views of the horizon.
Telchac Puerto
An extended strip of white sand frames the milky blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico on this tiny fishing village. Telchac Puerto, east of Puerto Progreso, is a quiet group of just some thousand folks. Locals and expats cycle or stroll down sandy streets on the empty shoreline or stroll down the quiet malecon.
The city has just a few small sights just like the Museo Del Mar, showcasing reveals on regional marine life. The archaeological website of Xcambó is simply quarter-hour away. Guests to Telchac Puerto additionally like to go to close by Xtampú, recognized for its bubble-gum-pink Laguna Rosada.
