Xcalak
Things to do ( besides fish)
The 3 most popular things to do here are: Laze on the beach, Fish or dive - it is a world class destination if you are a beginner or expert in any of these activities! Take a look a t what there is to offer in this area. Ocean kayaks, snorkel gear, and bicycles are offered for your use at no additional charge.
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: You can dive to your hearts content as the local dive shop will be happy to pick you up at Tierra Maya.
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. Tours start from 8 AM to 12 PM and can last 3-5 hours. Tours cost
$50 USD/person.
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
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