Weekend Getaway: El Cuyo, Yucatan

It’s time for another weekend getaway! This week let’s travel to El Cuyo in Yucatan – a remote fishing village on the tip of the peninsula, known for its incredible flora and fauna. 

El-Cuyo, Yucatan

What is El Cuyo?

El Cuyo is a small village, located on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, inside the Rio Lagartos National Park – a region known for the thousands of flamingos that call the area home, along with sea turtles and other sea birds. Surrounded by nature and located in a remote area, the center of town is just one square, and many of the streets are unpaved. This sleepy village is exceptionally safe and a great place to relax and recharge, away from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities.

el-cuyo-yucatan-mexico

How to get to El Cuyo

You will definitely want a car to travel to El Cuyo as it is in a remote area of the Yucatan peninsula.

If you are driving from Playa del Carmen, you will need to leave Playa via the Playa-Nuevo XCan Highway and travel towards Holbox. Once you arrive at Kantunilkin, you will take a left to go towards Colonia Yucatan and then to the right towards El Cuyo. It is a two-and-a-half hour drive, but you will pass through small delightful Mayan villages and fields where you can stop and take pictures or purchase small homemade goods.

If you are coming from Merida, you should travel via Tizimin and then follow the instructions through Colonia Yucatan.

Some small colectivo vans travel between Tizimin and El Cuyo; however there are no set schedules, so you will want to ensure your timing options are flexible should you be traveling without a car.

 mapa-el-cuyo

What to do while you’re there

As a small fishing village, there are no large resorts or name-brand hotels in El Cuyo. However, there are many cabanas in town that you may be able to rent once you arrive. There is poor cell service and internet in El Cuyo so you will want to ensure that you have a plan in place beforehand!

With such a small native population of only 1,700, you can rest assured that you will have no problem finding the perfect spot on the endless miles of white sand beaches in El Cuyo to relax and recharge. For those that love to sunbathe and unwind on the shore, you will not be disappointed here.

If you prefer to have more vigorous activities, there are also plenty of options for you as well! El Cuyo is the perfect spot to go out with some real fishermen and try your hand at catching some grub while enjoying the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

If you don’t like to fish, but you do love to be on the water, you might be interested in renting a kayak, and rowing through the mangroves where you will be able to catch a glimpse of some of the incredible nature and wildlife of the area. Thousands of flamingos, sea birds and sea turtles inhabit this area and are a vision you will not want to miss.

Whatever you decide, be sure to you take the time to observe and learn about the culture and experience in this authentic rural Mexican village!

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