Punta Allen

Introducing Punta Allen

The town of Javier Rojo Gómez is more commonly called by the name of the point 2km south. Hurricane Gilbert nearly destroyed the town in 1988, and there was some damage, and a lot of wind-scrubbed palms, after Hurricane Dean. But Punta Allen is still walking tall. This is truly the end of the road. The 400-some-odd residents mostly work as fishers, and some also work in restaurants that are popular with day-trippers. The village sports a laid-back ambience reminiscent of the Belizean cayes. There’s also a healthy reef 400m from shore that offers fishermen, snorkelers and divers wonderful sights.

The area is known primarily for its catch-and-release bonefishing. Tarpon and snook are very popular sport fish as well. The guides listed for Sian Ka’an, as well as cooperatives in town (inquire at Galletanes or Vigía Grande), do fishing trips for about M$2000, including lunch. There’s also a fishing outfit just north of town called Pesca Maya (998-883-42-04; www.pescamaya.com; 5am-10pm), which does daily saltwater fly-fishing runs, and it has an onsite restaurant for guests only.

An hour’s tour of the lagoon, including turtles, bird-watching and a quick snorkel, costs M$400 to M$500. You’ll be offered trips by one of the three co-ops. Encourage your captain not to get so close to birdlife that it is scared away. Though very rare, manatee spottings are possible.

There are no ATMs or internet cafés in town. Electricity generally works between 11am and 2pm, and 4pm to midnight.

Last updated: Sep 24, 2008