Oh yes, you can buy water and beer and most necessary items There is a community there with ex-pats even and the diving is really spectacular. If the weather is right to get boats out there, don't miss going out to the Chinchorro reef, really unspoiled so far and gorgeous. Long boat ride, but worth it. Right off Xcalak the reef is also beautiful and there are dive shops there.
Hurricane Dean's eye hit Mahahual and pretty much destroyed it. It's rebuilt now and considered better by many. Xcalak got hit hard too but they were south of the eye, it's always better to be south rather than north of the eye. Still, it's just a sand peninsula and the storm surge washed over it. It all looked fine in March when we were there last. It's a perfect spot for kayaking and diving, you'll like it.
Get gas at F.Carrillo Puerto or Limones (not sure if there is a Pemex in Limones actually) as the nearest gas station is in Mahahual and the turn off for Xcalak is before it. Of course, there are people selling gas from barrels if you really need some but the water/sand possibilities are higher. Also hit a supermarket for major stuff, there are small stores there but they up the prices to cover the long drive.
We were right in the middle of town in that picture, on a hard packed road. If you go up the coast on the old road it gets dicier with sand and potholes. Some bridges were taken out in hurricanes - before Dean - so you can only go about 8 miles up the old road along the beach. The road coming in is pretty good.
keelhauler1 wrote: We usually travel the West coast of Mexico and if you go to my website you can read my reports and blogs.
This year we thought we might leave earlier and go to Yucatan. So I have have some questions for you travelers to that area.
1. Palmul looks nice, do I need reservations, will they honor them to stay for a few weeks in late December?
2. If we decide to fly home for the holidays is there a safe place to park the motorhome for a week or so in that area?
3. Any other recommended campgrounds heading south to Chetumal, we have solar panels and enjoy dry camping.
4. What foods do I need to get out of my refrigerator before entering Campeche beside pork, chicken and eggs?
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West Coast question
We may head over to Huatulco on our way back. A year ago the nice campground next to the golf course was closed do to construction. Has it reopened, are there any alternatives if it has not?
Hey! I haven't been in this forum in forever.
1) We live in PaaMul (with our 4 kids) and you will definitely need reservations but last winter was much less crowded than the winter before. I suspect that the US economy downturn might disuade some of the snowbirds from coming next year also. Last summer quite a few spots were carved out of the jungle (I posted last year to Ed - was it 16 spots?) and while many of those now have palapas (let me think...4 have palapas, so that isn't many) all have some semblance of utilities. I haven't ever checked the plugs so I really don't know for sure but if people are building there, they must have services (though I do continue to see electrical cords strung over the exposed limestone path). So, make reservations.
2) I would leave the motorhome in PaaMul, but negotiate with the office for a non-service site and a very reduced fee. I really can't think of any other place you that is secure where you could leave your rig.
3) South towards Chetumal I would stay at a ruin site in the Xpuhil area and maybe Kathe's Calderitis (did I spell that correctly, Jonna?) and definitely Cenote Azul next to Laguna Bacalar. Xcalak is REALLY out of the way and remote but Jonna made a very enticing picture there. I would say Xcalak is more ex-pat than national, wouldn't you say, Jonna?
4) We always hide food at Tabasco, Yucatan, Sonora and Campeche state. QRoo doesn't seem to care.
- Kathy
2002 Ford Econoline E350 PSD 7.3L TV.
2005 Ameri-Camp T315QBS.
re Xcalak more ex-pat than Mahahual... maybe, but it is also a much smaller town without the cruise ship dock and all that. I think the ratio is about the same, way more nationals than ex-pats in both but there is an ex-pat presence in both.
Calderitas is very national except for the RV park and Kathe! It's a suburb really of Chetumal. I think Bacalar is becoming quite an ex-pat center but I haven't been there - other than driving by on the highway - in several years.
I'm always forgetting where to hide the food other than Campeche. Tabasco too? Like, coming into Tabasco from Veracruz? and also from Campeche into Tabasco? I don't remember that. I think Tabasco and Campeche have a kind of snitty thing with each other. Sonora surprises me too, going north into Sonora from Sinaloa?
I'm glad I have my log books because I forget this stuff so quickly. I have to read up in my log before we start traveling and I love knowing what the tolls used to be and where the Pemex are and the good boondocking sights. If I didn't write it down, it is long gone in my brain.
We hope to get on the road in November and after some time at Catemaco and Palenque head to Bacalar and Xcalak. Stay a while, then finally go North to Paamul in time to head back home by air for the Christmas/New Year's holidays. I figure we can find a safe place to leave our motorhome by then. Then we may head back down to Costa Maya to places that we really liked or missed on the way North.
Going back to the West coast is an option if we tire of the Yucatan. Of course we will stop in Merida. We were there 20 years ago and really liked the city.
Hope to meet some of you along the way.
John
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There is a community there with ex-pats even and the diving is really spectacular. If the weather is right to get boats out there, don't miss going out to the Chinchorro reef, really unspoiled so far and gorgeous. Long boat ride, but worth it. Right off Xcalak the reef is also beautiful and there are dive shops there. 
