Saturday morning we drove 45 minutes south to Tulum where the entrance to Sian Kaan begins. We paid the minimal entrance fee at a small office, and soon were heading south into the reserve. Quite quickly we were met with a barrage of pot holes which slowed our speed down to a mere 10 miles an hour. The poor road conditions persisted over the 20 mile drive, delaying the journey by at least an hour, and making us regret already that we would have to traverse these roads on our way back to Tulum.
There is not much to see on the road. Thick jungle towered on either side, masking any sort of interesting sights. We had come poorly prepared and really had done no research on the activities and events in either Punta Allen or in Sian Kaan. In retrospect it would have been nice to actually have a plan since we would only be spending less than 24 hours there.
By nightfall we arrived in the sleepy fishing village of Punta Allen. We were greeted by a small, rustic enclave, which is probably how Playa del Carmen used to look 20 years ago. The roads are made of dirt, and the buildings are very simple concrete structures. We opted to stay at the Serendiad Shardon, a small beach side complex with small cottages and tent rentals, which had come highly recommended by friends. The owner, Nicky, an American now living in Playa, was very nice and accommodating. The $150 USD/night price tag for a very small rustic beach side cottage seemed like a bit much, but we had already committed to staying there, and we weren't in the mood to search for other options.
We quickly accommodated our luggage in the small cottage and headed off for a wonderful rooftop dinner at a local restaurant. The only disappointment was the high price of the meal. Given Punta Allen's desolate location I think the cost of importing goods over those bumpy roads probably warrants the higher price. Luckily we had enough cash to pay for the bill, as the nearest ATM is 20 miles north in Tulum, and most establishments don't accept credit cards. After a nice meal we returned back to the cottage for a good night's sleep.
We awoke the next morning to the realization that Punta Allen has no electricity between the late evening hours and early morning hours. Unless establishments have their own generators, don't plan on taking a shower or watching TV till at least 11am. However, Allan and I are easy travelers, and decided to just roll with the punches and take a leisurely stroll down the beach.
Unfortunately the beach was littered with trash. As far as the eye could see the beach was covered with plastic sandals and plastic bottles. Some locals say the waste is from cruise ships who find it easier and cheaper to drop their garbage in the ocean rather than pay the hefty dock garbage removal fee. It is often less costly to illegally dump and get fined than it is to regularly pay for legal trash removal. If this is true it sounds to me like someone should significantly increase the fine. We also heard another theory, relating to Central American rivers overflowing with trash which empties into the oceans, which in turn floats north to the Yucatan Peninsula.
Regardless of the cause, one would think a little more effort should be put forth into preserving this natural oasis. After all with all the money coming into the Mexican Riviera from tourists one would think the Mexican Government would have a significant investment in the cleanliness of their beaches. Even a simple, local and regular beach garbage pickup operation would do the trick.
We ended our stroll rather quickly and decided to leave Punta Allen a bit early. We weren't looking forward to the drive over those roads and wanted to get it over with. We packed the SUV, had a quick, yet delicious breakfast and braved the awful roads for another 2 hours at 10 miles an hour. If we had planned correctly, perhaps we could have taken a snorkeling trip at the southern end of the peninsula, or a boat to the black lagoon where crocodiles roam. In retrospect, we should have done something more.
I think Punta Allen has a lot to offer to someone looking to explore a sleepy fishing village with a nice lagoon, great snorkeling and out of the way feel. It's certainly a place for the adventurous soul, since the roads do take a strong stomach to handle.
Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals
If I have to wear pants then it is too cold.
Stopping for a coconut break on the way back to Playa.
The deserted beaches between Punta Allen and Tulum.
The road between Punta Allen and Tulum.
The beach trash.
More trash.
A dock between the mainland and the peninsula.
Our trusty SUV being swallowed by the jungle.
Allan is happy that he's returning to Playa.
Allan is searching for beach treasures.
Enjoying a beach moment.
Posing for the camera.
The entrance to the town of Punta Allen.
The road south of Punta Allen.
Bonefish, the restaurant where we had breakfast.
Punta Allen's version of Starbucks. I had the best cappuccino ever - Chiapas coffee and liquid sugar from Venezuela all cooked with a blow torch under an Italian coffee maker.
Our cottage.
The Serendidad Shardon.
A bridge on the way to Punta Allen.
The same bridge, different angle.
Allan is excited as we travel to Punta Allen.
The only snake we saw. Unfortunately this one is barely alive considering I accidentally ran over it.
1 comment:
I think the key phrase in this review is "We had come poorly prepared and really had done no research..." My question is...did you help pick up any trash on your beach stroll? Did you look at the origins of the trash to see where it came from? Did you write to anybody about it? Yes, you would think the government would help. But do you have any idea of the manpower necessary to move all that trash? I think Punta Allen is not for everyone. There are other opinions far more positive and enlightening. Please search for them. Punta Allen is a small town and has been neglected by the government. Until they want us to pay the taxes, but it`s people are doing what they can with what they have to make it a better place for all of us. Contrary to this review, if you have an interest in places off the beaten path, ungroomed nature, and a village with heart, then Punta Allen is very much worth the visit.
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