Xcalak - Costa de Cocos
Things to do
Things to do ( besides fish - some people don't fish )
Although fishing is the primary reason you are visiting this web site you may have a traveling companion that doesn't like to fish as much as you do. We often get mixed groups with a few people fishing, a few people into diving or just plain relaxing.
Kayaking: Rent a kayak for day paddles along the reef OR to a nearby Yucatan lagoon and explore the mangrove jungle from the inside. We have both tandem and single (Wilderness Systems Sealution) kayaks available.
Rentals: $3.00 per hour or $15.00 full day.
The reef is easily accessed by Kayak. Located along Mexico´s Caribbean coastline, the Great Maya Reef is the second largest reef in the world. Enjoy sea kayaking in a pristine environment.
Please contact us for groups of 6-12 people for a customized kayak river trip.
Snorkel: You can snorkel on your own as the reef is just a little ways off the shore or you can go on organized snorkeling tours that leave right form the dock.
Diving: Costa de Cocos maintains its own dive shop as well. Starting in Isla Mujeres and running the entire way down to Costa Rica stretches the second longest reef in the world. One portion of this Costa Maya Barrier Reef lies a short distance away from our front steps. Here, you will find, the local diving along this reef is more than exceptional. Within a 5 to 20 minute boat ride off our dock, we have many dive sites available. With the guidance of our dive masters, you can experience walls, canyons, chimneys or "blue holes" offering incredible views of corals, fans, sponges, turtles and a variety of tropical fish. There is something to see at any depth, whether you are a novice or an expert: all levels are welcome. We can take your diving experience to another level: from your first scuba experience all the way to instructor's level including specialty courses, right here on site. Here, at secluded Costa de Cocos, you will find yourself diving in an almost private domain.
If snorkeling is more your style, a short swim off our dock finds you amidst incredible coral heads in the protected water on the inside of a barrier reef.
Here you will view tropical fish, rays, turtles, live corals and numerous types of crustaceans. Our boat excursions to other areas of the reef offer opportunities to view different coral formations.
If creating your own adventure is more to your taste, sea kayaks are available.
Whether you are diving, snorkeling or paddling, our full dive shop is equipped with rental gear for all your needs.
Chinchorro Bank
A two-hour trip or 30 kms. offshore is Chinchorro Bank, Mexico's largest coral atoll. 240 square miles of jagged reefs create a ring of coral with depths that range between 2 and 25 meters. Beyond the reef the depth of the water plunges dramatically to a 1000 meter deep channel that separates Chinchorro from the mainland.
Spectacular coral formations and abundant marine life aside, Chinchorro offers divers excitement few others reefs can match. It's a veritable graveyard of ships! The sea floor is littered with the wrecks of vessels that have foundered on the reefs over the centuries. Divers can explore Spanish galleons as well as the rusting hulks of modern cargo ships like the 120m. long, 12m. high Glenview, which ran aground in 1960.
In order to protect Chinchorro's reefs, marine life, shipwrecks and wildlife, the Mexican government intends to declare the area a reserve.
"Chinchorro" refers to a 'fishing net like bag' and is the namesake of three small islands; Cayo Norte, Cayo Lobos and Cayo Centro (which is the biggest of the three). A community of fisherman live in wooden stilt houses over the water. Their only communication with the mainland is by radio.
Around these three small islands there are numerous shipwrecks in various stages of decay, some completely engulfed by the coral reef. A galvanized metal lighthouse that operates on solar cells warns mariners of the hazard. Numerous marine birds like pelicans, ducks, gulls, etc., frequent Chinchorro and coconut palms thrive on the islands.
Take a day trip to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize
Birding: Tours to Bird Island with English speaking guides. Several bird rookeries are found in Chetumal Bay.
Jungle Tours: Experience a variety of natural settings as you are led by experienced guides, on foot and in canoes, through savannah, lake, bush and jungle. Tours leave out of Pedro A. Santos on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Other Attractions Include: Laguna Bacalaar, The Blue Cenote, Chetumal and the Mayan ruins. Each area has spectacular sites, shops, museums, colorful markets and fabulous restaurants.
The Mayan Ruins of Dzibanche and Kohunlich
Historical information about these sites was taken from INAH's plaques at each location.
Dzibanche means "writing on wood" and is one of southern Quintana Roo's premiere ruins sites. Its inhabitants settled on some 40 square kilometers of hilly land surround by plains. They built stone temples for worshipping their gods, as well as homes and public buildings that comprised the backbone of their society and the structure for their day to day lives. Dzibanche has been dated back to the Classic period, 300-900 AD.
Kohunlich was a Mayan city that was built in the early 6th century AD and abandoned during the 7th or 8th centuries. Its original name is now lost; and it is now known as "Kohunlich", from the English "Cohoon Ridge", a reference to a particular type of palm tree which is plentiful at the site. Its architecture resembles the Rio Bec style to the south in Campeche, and the Peten style of northern Guatemala and Belize. These two styles tie Kohunlich to other important areas inhabited by the ancient Maya.
Xcalak - Costa de Cocos
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