Xcalak

Introducing Xcalak

The rickety wooden houses, beached fishing launches and lazy gliding pelicans make this tiny town plopped in the middle of nowhere a perfect escape. Despite its proximity to Hurricane Dean’s Ground Zero in Mahahual, Xcalak (pronounced ish-kah-lak) escaped the brunt of the storm. And blessed by virtue of its remoteness and the Chinchorro barrier reef (preventing the creation of a cruise ship port), Xcalak may yet escape the development boom.

After Dean, the inner portions of the coastal reefs near Xcalak are reportedly in better shape than the outer sections, which were hammered by heavy seas (waves reached up to 5m). Ask around before you commit to a tour. Xcalak also offers easy access to the Banco Chinchorro.

If diving isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty to do. Come here to walk in dusty streets and sip frozen drinks while frigates soar above translucent green lagoons. Explore a mangrove swamp by kayak, or just doze in a hammock and soak in some sun. Perhaps best of all, you won’t hear a single offer for hamacas or Cuban cigars. And, though tiny, Xcalak boasts a few nice restaurants and an easygoing mix of foreigners and local fishermen.

The mangrove swamps stretching inland from the coastal road hides some large lagoons and forms tunnels that invite kayakers to explore. It and the drier forest teem with wildlife and, as well as the usual herons, egrets and other waterfowl, you can see agouti, jabiru (storks), iguanas, javelinas (peccaries), parakeets, kingfishers, alligators and more. Unfortunately, the mangrove also breeds mosquitoes and some vicious jejenes (sand flies). There’s a remote Maya ruin on the western side of the lagoon. Your hotelier can tell you how to get there.

Xcalak is actually seeing negative population growth. Specializing in coconuts, it was an important port during the War of the Castes, and the town even had a cinema until a series of hurricanes wiped everything away. Today, there’s no signs of getting a bank, grocery store or gas station anytime soon, so stock up before you come.

Aventuras Xcalak to Chinchorro Dive Center (983-839-88-65; www.xtcdivecenter.com), about 300m north of town on the coast road, offers dive and snorkel trips (from M$650) to the wondrous barrier reef just offshore, and to Banco Chinchorro (three-tank dive M$1750, not including rental gear). It also rents diving equipment and offers PADI open-water certificate for M$3850, NAUI and SDI instruction, as well as fishing and birding tours.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009