Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9411170002
SECTION: TRAVEL PAGE: F8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF MILLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
\ "Bon-dias," I said, not realizing my limited French (bonjour) was horning in on my Mexican greeting (buenos dias).
The old man behind the bar on Isla Mujeres looked confused as his numerous wrinkles followed his rising eyebrows. After more mangled Spanish and some international pantomime, I had my cold beer, he had his money, and we had shared a few stories and a few smiles.
"Garcia," I said with confidence, proud I was getting the hang of things. He smiled and replied with feeling, "Gracias, amigo."
For many tourists, a week on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula means staying at one of Cancun's international hotels where everyone speaks English, the water is drinkable, American food is plentiful, and the beach is magnificent. To get a local feel, there's always day tours to such places as famous - but crowded - Chichen Itza. Altogether, a good vacation.
But for those who want a little adventure, and a lot more of the Mexican culture beyond a tour bus, alternatives are numerous and easily discovered along the Yucatan coast.
On a first trip to Mexico, my wife and I chose the adventuresome route and were not disappointed. We spent a few days on Isla Mujeres (the Isle of Women), drove along the coast for a few more days - taking a side excursion to the peninsula's tallest temple at the little known ruins of Coba - then finished with a night of luxury in Cancun.
During the week, we walked empty stretches of pristine beaches, browsed sleepy little villages, snorkeled in nearly deserted lagoons, explored jungle-draped ruins, and rarely heard English. It was a perfect combination of exploration and relaxation.
Our trip began when we flew into Cancun, the major entry point for the Yucatan's east coast. From the airport we hailed a taxi for Puerto Juarez, 20 miles north, then caught the half-an-hour ferry to Isla Mujeres.
The island emerged from the sea's dazzling colors and shades like a shy mermaid. A sliver of land only five miles long and 600-to-2,400 feet wide, the Isle of Women received its distinctive name in 1517 when the Spanish found numerous female clay figurines honoring Ixchel, the goddess of fertility.
Today, 13,500 residents live mostly around the town, at the north end of the island, where the ferry lands. Caribbean-styled brightly painted clapboard houses with wide wooden verandas mix nicely with adobe homes, Mexican-styled plazas and palm-roofed palapas (wooden beach umbrellas). The town is only 10 by 5 blocks, so it's easy to explore. Narrow streets wind through strings of shops and restaurants.
On the north edge of town, hotels line the island's best beach, Playa Cocoteros (a.k.a. Playa Norte, Coco Beach or Nautibeach). Walking on Coco Beach we discovered one of Yucatan's most endearing features - cool sand. Even under a blazing sun, the sand stays cool (reportedly, larger grains of sand let the air circulate around them). In contrast, the water is warm and shimmers with surreal colors - distant deep blues glide into light turquoises before foaming into the silver of wave crests. Swaying palms and vendors selling freshly cut coconuts complete Coco Beach's idyllic image.
While Isla is popular with day visitors from cruise ships and Cancun, the island is a completely different experience for those who stay overnight.
Early in the mornings or after 5 p.m. - during the cool parts of the day and before and after the day-trippers - the central plaza is alive with children playing and older residents watching the world go by. The town's numerous restaurants and bars offer both local and international atmospheres - and good Mexican fare. Shopping in the local market gave us a chance to mangle the little Spanish we knew, while earning us appreciative smiles.
The island's east side has good swimming beaches, while the west side has a rugged coastline battered by heavy surf. On the southern end, famous Garrafon National Park has a large complex of shops, snack bars and shaded lounge chair areas terraced down to a snorkeling trail. It's definitely worth a stop - especially before the daily influx of tourists.
After three relaxing days on Isla, we took the ferry back to Puerto Juarez, caught a taxi to the airport and picked up our rental car for the self-drive portion of our trip.
Driving in Mexico is on the right, and the coast road, Mexico 307, is fairly well maintained, although it has only one lane in each direction. The stretch from Cancun to Tulum - about 80 miles - is called Touristic Corridor. Construction of resort projects all along the way make people who have traveled the route before lament how it's changed. But for those who have never wandered this stretch, the coast holds great charm.
Tourist spots seem to have leap-frogged over out-of-the-way places all down the coast: The bustling activity of the large town, Playa del Carmen, can't be found in the sleepy village of Puerto Morelos. The numerous tourists on the beaches of Cancun and Cozumel aren't so plentiful on the beaches of Akumal and Chemuyil. The hordes of snorkelers in the theme park, Xcaret, and at Xel-Ha Underwater National Park don't know about the nearly deserted Yal-Ku lagoon near Akumal. And the busloads of tourists visiting the ruins of Tulum are nowhere to be found at Coba.
The coast still has unspoiled places, it's just a matter of ferreting them out. For our exploration, we stayed at centrally located Akumal, 60 miles south of Cancun.
From a few grass huts for scuba divers, Akumal has evolved into three or four resorts that offer everything from luxury condos to reasonably priced hotel rooms. What's remained the same is Akumal's magnificent palm-fringed beach and some of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean.
For snorkeling, we found good spots right off the beach behind the protection of the coral reef. At Yal-Ku, a jungle-fringed lagoon a half mile north of Akumal on the road that runs past Half Moon Bay, we spent hours drifting among neon-colored tropical fish - rarely seeing other snorkelers.
For Mayan ruins, we drove south about 15 miles to Tulum - an ancient walled city perched on coastal cliffs. While it can be crowded at times, Tulum - which was built between 900 and 1200 - has the prettiest location of all the peninsula's archaeological sites. El Castillo, the most impressive structure, is a temple standing on a cliff overlooking the turquoise ocean.
To experience Mayan ruins as modern day archaeologists do, with vines and ground cover dripping off them, we drove to Coba, 29 miles inland (take the road that branches off Mexico 307 one mile north of Tulum). Narrow trails wind through thick forest to partially cleared temples and pyramids - most of them more than a mile apart.
Coba is the largest ancient city found on the peninsula and has an estimated 6,500 structures under the jungle - only 5 percent have been excavated so far. The most impressive is the great pyramid of Nohoch Mul, at 140 feet the tallest on the northern Yucatan. After we climbed the 120 steps to the top and gazed out across the unbroken jungle, we sensed the greatness of a culture that could build such structures out of such a jungle.
After a hot day of climbing ruins, we stopped off at Chemuyil, a sheltered cove two miles south of Akumal. The half-moon beach, shaded by coconut palms, is excellent for swimming and snorkeling. With thatched roof pavilions and a circular bar, it seems to ooze Mexican charm and graceful relaxation.
We finished our week's adventure with a stay in one of Cancun's luxury resort hotels, the Westin. The beach at Cancun has to be one of the finest in the Caribbean, and the international hotels line it like a string of charms on a giant's bracelet. A favorite of Americans looking for a hassle-free vacation, Cancun has something for everyone - from chic shopping to parasailing over the sparkling warm water.
\ Jeff Miller is a freelance travel writer based in Denver.
by CNB