Check-in time is anytime after 2:00 pm. Although we do request that you don’t arrive too late. And if you are planning to, please let us know in advance. Checkout time is 11:00...
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If your flight into Cancun arrives much after 12:00 pm, you may be better off spending the night in either Cancun or Tulum. So assume you have an hour to hour and a half to get through immigration and customs at the...
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Cenotes are sink holes. The geology of the Yucatan is of a lot of limestone, with all flowing fresh water underground in systems of caves and underground rivers. The caves contain stalactites and stalagmites as water filters...
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When coming to Xcalak, sometimes flights force you to spend a night or two in Cancun. If you are like me and the thought of going to a Señor Frogs or Coco Bongo for dinner makes your skin crawl, I have a different type of...
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So I am a bit of a foody, and one of the things I like is finding out of the way eateries that are punching way above their weight class. Sometimes it’s a pastry cart in Bangkok, or an Oden cart in Tokyo on a winter’s day that...
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The Mayan Cultural Museum is located in downtown Chetumal. Its right off the main drag or Avenida Heroes right next to the market. It has two floors and air conditioning, which is a godsend if you have been...
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Kohunlich (koh-Hoon-litch), is a Mayan derivation of Cohune Ridge. It was so named because of the Cohune palms that grew there. The original name of the site is unknown. The site was initially settled as...
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Dzibanche (jih-Bahn-chay), means “writing on wood”. It was so named because of the large wooden lintels that were found in one of the pyramids. Dzibanche was inhabited during the classic Mayan period, and...
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A bit of a misnomer as this is a ruin that is just south of Tulum. So it is more of a stop on the way driving from Cancun, or on your way back than a day trip. It is a smaller site. Compared to Tulum, or...
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Again not quite a day trip. This is a ruin that is just west of Tulum. So it is more of a stop on the way driving from Cancun, or on your way back. Coba has the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan. It is also...
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After Chichen Itza, Tulum is probably the most visited ruin in the Yucatan. You will likely see 30-40 tour buses in the parking lot but it is a very large site and can handle the crowds. There is a large...
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Cenote Azul is right next door to Jardin del Eden on 307 near Puerto Aventuras. We actually didn’t go into the water there, although I am sure it is similar to Jardin del Eden. The reason was we couldn’t...
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Jardin del Eden is in a group of four cenotes just south of Puerto Aventuras across from the Barcelo Maya Hotel. It has a couple of smaller pools and one main pool. The main cenote has two areas to do some...
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7 Bocas is on the Ruta de los cenotes. You pick it up heading west from Puerto Morelos. This one is a cavern cenote that goes up to 500 feet deep. Definitely try going close to mid-day as most of the bocas...
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We actually didn’t get to swim here because we couldn’t find anyone taking money. But we were able to take some pictures. It is a pretty large surface cenote with crystal clear water. Looks like it would...
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Jaguar is on the bumpy road to Dos Ojos. We didn’t actually go in but were able to take some pictures. It had a couple of platforms to jump in as well as a zip line. If I had to guess, it is about the same...
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Casa Cenote is a few minutes north of Tulum off of 307 on Tankah bay. It is a surface cenote and because it is on the east side it is very close to the ocean and the water definitely has some salt in it....
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About mid-way between Akumal and Tulum on highway 307 on the west side of the road is a clump of cenotes centered on Dos Ojos (or two eyes). It is a bit confusing, since when you come off of the highway...
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Located on the road to Coba out of Tulum. We actually didn’t go in to this one. It is a surface cenote that taxi driver’s used to use to wash their cars. When we arrived, the water was a murky green that...
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This is on the road to Coba out of Tulum. We actually didn’t go into this one. Just checked it out and took some pictures, so I can’t tell you about the water temp. Though a good guess would be around 70...
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This cenote is very close to Tulum (walking distance from the San Francisco grocery store) on the road to Coba. Calavera means skull and it's obvious why. It has a large opening and two small openings....
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Located just outside of Tulum on the road to Coba, Gran Cenote has probably the nicest facilities of any of the cenotes we have been to. They have clean changing rooms, and lockers. The grass is manicured....
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San Filipe Museum in Bacalar is located in San Filipe Fort on the main square of the Pueblo Magico. It overlooks Bacalar lagoon, the lagoon of 7 colors. The fort itself was built in 1733 to defend the town...
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Chacchoben (Chalk-Choe Ben), was discovered by a Yucatec Mayan man named Serviliano Cohuo. in 1942. Serviliano built his home at the base of the Basamento and lived there as the honorary guard of the ruins...
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Because our Xcalak hotel has full kitchens in each suite, many of our guests like to cook their own meals for at least some of their stay. One issue we have is that there are no grocery stores here in Xcalak. We have a few...
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So this is always a difficulty for people new to the Yucatan. Driving down from Cancun to Xcalak and our hotel, one sees numerous places with names that include multiple X’s. Places like Xel-ha, Xcaret, and Xahuayxol are...
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Update April 13, 2017: Added image of Mayan Grill Menu
Located in the Tierra Maya hotel. The restaurant is in a palapa roofed building with nice wooden furniture. With the Leaky Palapa closed, this is the upper end...
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Located inside the Costa de Cocos resort, they brew their own craft beer and distill their own moonshine. The restaurant has Pizza, as well as other traditional dishes, like tacos and even chicken fingers. Their signature pizza...
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Silvia’s is right next to Toby’s on the main drag of Xcalak, but set back a few yards from the road. Silvia serves fresh seafood and Mexican dishes. All are made to order, so this is not fast food. During the lobster season you...
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Toby’s is in the middle of Xcalak town and serves fresh seafood and more traditional Mexican fare such as tacos and quesadilla as well. Toby’s also has complementary wifi for those that need to stay connected. Although he...
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When I first started coming to Xcalak, going to eat at the Leaky Palapa was always the highlight (Unless you happen to catch a permit ;). Who would expect a fine dining establishment in this remote part of the world? But...
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Located right at the entrance to town, Gringo Dave’s sign says International and Wild Seafood. That sounds kind of weird but it is surprisingly delicious. Gringo Dave’s is run by a Japanese man, Go Nakamura, He takes local...
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You are finally making that salt water fly fishing "Trip of a lifetime" to Xcalak, Mexico. You have your flights and your hotel accommodations set. The last thing you want to do is forget something important while you are...
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A question that often comes up when people are coming down to Xcalak for the first time is “what should I bring?” I’ll try to answer that question here.
UPDATE: July 15, 2019 - Put up new signs again. Replaced some posts etc. that were falling apart.
UPDATE: June 14, 2017 - Just put in new signs. And added a couple. One right at the bridge says "Ahead 8KM" and there is one...
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So if you know me, the first thing I would want to do on a trip to Xcalak, Mexico would be to go out fly fishing for permit. Now I know that not everyone that comes down here wants to do that, or has a spouse or family that...
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If you are on a daytrip to Bacalar, or to the ruins at Dzibanche and you want to get some good food. Give Savora Bakhalal a try. It is an Italian...
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Right on the main square in Bacalar, there is a small gelato shop called Porque No (means Why Not?). And indeed why not get a hand made gelato or sorebeto made with fresh fruit, on a hot day in Bacalar. If you are in...
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[Updated Nov. 6, 2018 Currently it is not possible to get a boat from Xcalak to San Pedro. The only legal way to do it at this time is to leave from Chetumal using the water taxis]
So Xcalak is only 7 miles...
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Located at mile marker 8 KM on route 307 between Chetumal and Bacalar is the restaurant at Los Rapidos. It is located on a creek that connects the Xul-ha Lagoon and Bacalar lagoon. The difference in elevation is enough to...
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Palmar is an interesting little place that is not in your normal tourist literature. This is not sparkling white elegance on the beach. It is way off the beaten track, but if you are going to [Kohunlich](...
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This one is actually not a day-trip per se, but is something to consider on the drive down or back to Cancun if you have some extra time. The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is a huge protected area south of...
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A very cool private Mexican Folk Art Collection in the colonial city of Valladolid. There are over 3,000 pieces in an 18,000 sq. ft. private home. This huge private home took 10 years to renovate and is...
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I have been having a difficult time keeping in Roberita glasses. Over time, they get broken, and the only place I know of to get rather unremarkable margarita glasses is at a hotel supply store in Cancun....
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So a bit of a misnomer as this is not really a day-trip from Xcalak, but it is an option on the drive down from Cancun. If you arrive early enough you can get to Valladolid in about an hour and half to 2 hours....
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This is a quick one, the restaurant overlooking the Cenote Zaci in the middle of Valladolid is a great place for lunch. They have a full Yucatecan menu with specialties like Queso Relleno and cochinita pibil....
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This place was recommended to me by a bellman at the 4 Points by Sheraton. And it is a great find. You won't find any gringos at this place. It is located just before the turnoff to the CUN airport on 307 on the southbound...
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So this is cheating a bit. This is probably not a day trip from Xcalak for most people. It took us about 6 hours one way to get there from Xcalak. When I was first researching it, google maps said 6 hours, and I couldn't...
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If you are staying in Tulum on your way down to Xcalak, and you have a hankering for a good steak, give La Braceria a try.
So we went to La Braceria on the recommendation of one of...
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After cheating a bit on this blog calling Calakmul a "Day-trip", this is truly a day-trip from Xcalak. If you are in Chetumal and have some...
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Ok, another post of a not quite restaurant. This is in the Market at Filipe Carillo Puerto. Driving down from Cancun, Filipe Carillo Puerto is the largest town you will run into south of Tulum. It is roughly half way...
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This is another attraction in Valladolid. Traveling around the American West, you get used to seeing "really old" stuff be from 1800's, and even on the east coast the 1700's. Valladolid is a very different experience. The...
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This restaurant is in the hotel in the main square in Valladolid, The hotel is a nice place to stay as well, but this is a review of the restaurant. You enter the restaurant from main square in Valladolid. It...
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Every year between May and September the whale sharks congregate near the north end of the Yucatan Penninsula. This also happens to be the time when snapper, grouper and other fish come here to do their...
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This is a good day trip if you are looking for something completely different. If you need a break from fishing or diving, a trip to Bacalar should definitely be on your radar. This can also be tacked on to...
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So this is another bit of a cheat. It really isn't for a day trip to Xcalak, but more if you have time on the drive down to Xcalak or on your way back to Cancun. But this was a great time riding a mountain bike in the...
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So this is kinda embarrassing but for all the times I have traveled to this part of the world and the nearly 5 years I have lived here, I had never been to the island of Cozumel. This is also not a day trip...
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