Xcalak (ish call ach) might be the Mayan word for the 'end of the road'. If
it isnt, it should be.

Getting there
You could take a bus from Cancun or Chetumal or you could even fly (if you
are really brave - the only airline has lost either 2 or 3 planes in the
last year depending on who you listen to.)  I drove.  A VW bug with no
muffler and no AC.

It is about 400K and takes about 5 hours from Cancun.  You do NOT want to do
this at night.  The last two hours you might see 10 cars during the day and
if something happened at night - well you would spend a lonely night in a
mangrove swamp.

Head S out of Cancun on 307.  Stop in Puerto Carillo and pick up anything
you need - food, water, but especially gas since it is the last real
oppporunity to get any.  There are no more gas stations til you get to
Chetumal and you arent going there.

Just S of Puerto Carillo there is an army roadblock.  They are mostly
looking for drugs and you may or may not get stopped and searched. I did
not.  About 63K S of Puerto Carillo you will get to the small town of
Limones.  Another 3K and you will see hi voltage power lines running east
along a two lane road.  Depending on the state of construction there may or
may not be signs (there weren't last week) but this is the road to Mahahual
(also spelled Majahual) and also to Xcalak.  Turn left.  You are now
entering the Mayan twilite zone.

Just keep going until you hit the next army roadblock (about another 60K).
It will be at an intersection.  Go straight and you will hit Mahahual very
shortly.  Turn right and it is the road to Xcalak.  60K long.  When you get
to the end, you can turn right and go to the airport or turn left and go to
the town.  In either case, you will quickly run out of pavement.  The roads
in the town are all basically sand and coral with a liberal dollop of shells
and other debris.  There is not much way to go wrong but you will be getting
depressed about your lodgings.

Be of good cheer. They are all on the north side of the town and you have to
drive all the way thru the town to find them.  Marina Mike's is the first
you will find.  The rest are strung out along the beach for the next 10K
north of the town.  Best bet for finding things is www.xcalak.com.

Lodging
I stayed at Marina Mike's.  Nice place.  Clean with plumbing that works and
a functional kitchen.  That is important cause Mike's does not have a
restaurant. In fact, there are only 2 in town (and 1 was closed).  Mike will
make you  a pizza if you ask but you are pretty much on your own for
breakfast and lunch. I cooked some fish that MIke was kind enough to share
one night and on Easter night had a hot dog at the fiesta in town (the only
open restaurant was closed that night.)  Some of the other hotels do offer
food and some will accept diners from others (check cause some want
reservations a day in advance - supplies are hard to come by.)  Electricity
is at about 85 volts tho Mike had an inverter and a generator so it was 110.
Most places are generating their own power but electricity is a commodity
and phone lines about non-existent.  Dont bother to bring your laptop.

Things to do
Sleep
Read
Eat
Dive
Sit on the beach
Bird watch
do it all again

The area
There is a barrier reef so there is a constant roar of surf on the reef.
Inside the reef it is mostly very shallow and not really suitable for a
shore dive unless you like really long swims or very shallow (LT 3FSW)
dives.

That and the mud bottom pretty much limits the activities on the beach.

Diving
1st day was blown out.  Gale force winds kept the boats in the harbor.  15
foot seas outside the reef.  And... the Chinchorro boat broke a shaft so the
rest of the diving was local.

2nd day
1st dive was at La Posa.  About 80FSW.  Start inside the reef and swim thru
a cut in about 15FSW then drop over a wall into a canyon.  The most striking
thing about the dive was the schools of hundreds of tarpon.  I looked it up
and the world record is 283 lbs.  There is probably a world record down
there if someone can catch it.  A lot of really big fish that are not at all
intimidated by divers.

The topography is very different from Cozumel.  It is like natures china
cabinet got dumped here.  Huge stacks of coral plates towering at all sorts
of bizarre angles from the bottom to just below the surface.  Lots of
canyons and places to explore.

2nd dive was at Blanqueza??  (didnt really understand what the DM said and
did not have the tim to look it up.)  60FSW.  Lots more stacks of coral and
lots of fish.  Some turtles and a green moray.  A  very pretty  dive.

Day 3
1st dive was at La Chiminea.  85FSW.  Swim thru a canyon and down to the
bottom and then up thru a chimney.  Repeat in another place.  All in all,
not as nice as some of the swim thrus in Cozumel and since I dont really
care for swim thrus anyway (with one or two exceptions) we wont go further.
Lots of fish again.  Hogfish (and no speargun handy) groupers, angels, usual
assortment of FLRF.

2nd dive was at La Poseta. 65FSW.  Another canyon just outside the barrier.
A school of spotted eagle rays hangs out here.  Watching them  could consume
a dive.  Also saw some southern rays.  One was going south down a passage
while we were going north.  Did all sorts of loops and whirls trying to
avoid us.  A couple of turtles rounded out the party.

Day 4 was the return drive to Cancun and a dose of the turistas.  Then off
to Cozumel for 1 day to repair a computer (and of course, Murphy's law of
computer repair was in full vigor.)  And now alas, back in Dallas.

CH

So make peace with your God be he hairy thunderer or cosmic muffin. Despite
its hopes, dreams, and urban renewal, the world continues to deteriorate.  -
Deteriorata

http://www.casaquetzal.com
http://www.islacozumel.net/homes/quetzal.htm