RV park in Paamul, Yucatan

Thinking of driving your RV to the Yucatan ?    Here are my impressions of the what the trip might entail.  First off, I own an RV,  live full time in it (in Texas, this year) - but did not drive  down to the Yucatan in it, as I had a position lined up to stay 6 months, which later turned sour,  in a duplex in Xcalak -  almost on the Belize border.

 

It is definitely do-able, but,  be prepared for  some long driving days,  have stops  pre-selected along the route (I saw only one  RV camp site right along the main routes down )  - there may be many further off the  beaten path, but I cannot comment as I did not venture off to find them.

 

Las Palmas hotel in Matehuala does have RV spaces &  if the hotel is any indication of the services/value -  I  would definitely recommend it.  From there to the Yucatan, as I said, no  places were right on the route I travelled (Google directions from Laredo, Texas,  to  Xcalak, Mexico for the route I followed).

 

Roads are relatively good -  follow cuotas (toll roads) whenever possible !!!   Tolls  for an auto totaled  just under $200.00  US -  RV  will be  - more.   The free roads (libre)  are often  in much worse condition & go thru the center of small towns w/ numerous topes!    The area around Monterrey is  hilly (mountainous) - but not nearly so bad as the area around the city of Puebla!!   Steep  grades, and quite a bit of truck  traffic will make that area the least fun to drive.  There are two lanes  for most of the climbing / descending,     so opportunities to pass are frequent.  I  would estimate that you will be  climbing/descending  for about   4  hours or  more, depending on your set up .    Road construction before & after the town of Escarcega (you are getting close to the Yucatan - hang in there !) is a crap shoot -   driving down, I  was delayed for about  2 1/2  hours total;  coming back,  only about 1/2 hour.  Good  luck !!

 

Once you  get thru Escarcega,  the  road starts to flatten out but you will start to encounter the dreaded Mexican topes (speed bumps)  4, 5  or  more sets  before, &  after every small town that the road passes thru.  Finally,  after you pass thru the Chetumal  area, you will  be on route 307 -  a  very nice  road, w/  speed limit around 60 / 65 MPH  (100 /110 KPH).

 

Honest, average speed over the road w/ all things considered (topes,  toll stops,  re-fuels, coffee , bathroom breaks  & etc. )  is   50  to  55  MPH  -  your  MPH  may  vary !!  I did not  drive much more than the posted speed limit (within 10 KPH) so that I could report times for someone driving  something other than a car.   Most traffic was travelling significantly  faster than the posted speed limit !

 

So,  all of this leads to the RV site in Paamul,  north of Tulum, north of Akumal,  but  south of Playa del Carmen.  I visited this site for a friend to check it out before his trip down there.

Hope this gives you an idea -  the  exit road is well marked off route 307 - but the access road is quite pot holed - just take it slow.  The office is all the way at the back on the left side.  The sites are small &  exposed to the sun, there is one they showed me w/ palm trees for shade,  but it is right in front (in fact you will back up to the building) that has  bathrooms.   They may have other shaded sites, I just didn't see them.   The sites are located away from the beach, w/  buildings  between the beach & the sites,  so the breeze was negligible;  A/C (electric) cost may be high,  until you adjust to the climate or just say -  cost be damned,  I want comfortable !  Again,  this was in July,  fall/winter may be more moderate.    They have a pool there ,  a private beach a few minutes walk away, a beach is right out front, but not as nice as the private one.  There is a restaurant there &  I  think, a small convenience store as well.  Large super markets are not that far away on route 307 -  Chedraui is a few miles south,  WalMart  further away in Playa del Carmen,  north.  Most of the sites are taken up by permanent residents, but there were spaces available.  I visited during the summer -  the winter months, I was told, is quite a bit busier.  I don't wonder why - the area is  wonderful !
Attached are some  photos.      There  is a  US  Phone number that you can call & speak to the owner -  (612) 597 0888  -   email  is -   paamul@me.com - in Paamul itself.

 Just a suggestion -   make sure you have a surge guard  between your rig & the  shore power - some residents  told me  that  while the electric supply  is  mostly  fine,  there are occasional spikes & drops & the  surge  guard  shuts  down  supply -  as it is designed to do. 

 

There are  NO  ocean  view  sites available for the foreseeable future;  all are taken by permanent residents or  by structures  of the  RV park  /  hotel  itself.  All information / photos were current in July of 2013.    ALL sites are cleaned  of litter, palm fronds, &  etc. before you pull in  -  per management. 

 

Enjoy !!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Akumal to Texas - the return trip

I drove up to Akumal from Xcalak on July 22 -  so I could spend my birthday in my favorite place in Mexico - Akumal.  It's just a personal preference, I  spent quite a bit of time in the area between there & Tulum  way back in the  80's  &  90's. 
The area has certainly changed since then, and in my opinion,  not for the better.  It is now much more  commercialized,  crowded  and  expensive.  Xcalak was like Tulum was back then -  simple, not  tourist oriented -   more  like I remembered Mexico to be.  Ah well,  progress !

Akumal was still a treat for me -  memories ,  memories.  Some of the same  restaurants & dive shops are there  -  and,   the beach side bar  still makes, the best guacamole in Mexico,  in my opinion.  But, it was time to leave and I was not looking forward to the long days of driving ahead of me.

First day  driving -  lots of topes & road construction, still,  before and after Escarcega,  but,  I  did arrive in Palenque at about 4 PM.  A total  of  542 miles, by my odometer.  I stayed at the Hotel Nututun Palenque,  on the road out of town toward Agua Azul.  It is about  3 -4 miles away & - it is on the left hand side of the road.   There is another  Hotel Palenque  (autohotel or something) on the right hand side of the road -  go by that for another 200 or so  meters & there on the left is the hotel I stayed at.   It is a place I stayed at before, situated right on a river & definitely worth the  extra driving.   Cost was  approximately $70.00 US  -  rooms were clean,  AC worked quietly & efficiently & the restaurant had delicious buffets  or a la carte  meals.  They will accommodate requests - I wanted a cheeseburger,  not on the menu,  but they served up one of the best burgers in Mexico!
There is a pool,  and -  in the morning,  you can hear Howler monkeys  roaring off in the not too distance.
Next stop was Puebla -  481 miles away.  This was a day of climbing from sea level to about 7200 feet in little over an hour.  Not a pleasant day, with all the tractor trailers trying to make the climb.  The road is mostly good  &  2 lanes of traffic each way make for  opportunities to pass,  but it still was a long, tiring day behind the steering wheel.   Since I arrived on a Sunday, traffic was  not present, like the trip down, when I arrived on a week day.    I stayed in the same hotel - Cityexpress,
right off route 57 -  but tricky to find -  there is a sign, make sure you stay to the left after taking the exit, or you will end up, like I did, on a dead end street !!   There is no restaurant - but right across the street,  there is a Taco Express  &   a Subway sandwich shop.  This is a modern hotel, like in the states -  AC was flawless,  TV  had a few  English movies, internet was fine -  obtain password at the desk.
Third stop  was  Matehuala, 426 miles away.   When you drive from the south to Matehuala, take the exit at the toll both into the city, not the 1st exit indicating  Matehuala  -   but,   stop on the exit road & wait there for an attendant to collect the toll & unlock & lift the  arm that extends across the road to the town.   Drive on & go right  until you see the overpass, not the 2 or 3  pedestrian crossings,  the road.  Go   right at the overpass,  there is a stop light there,  until you see Las Palmas on the right hand side of the road.   Restaurant has great food,  AC was perfect,  English TV channels & internet was fine.  Cost was  approximately $75.00  US.    Car wash is  about $7.00,  depending on size of vehicle & by this time,  your vehicle will be  pretty  dusty !  You will see a gentleman washing cars -  just ask him the rate for your vehicle, he speaks  quite good English &  does a great job!

Last stop -  Laredo Texas,  about 335 miles away.   Follow route 85, after Monterrey,  you will see signs for International bridge II  -  follow signs  through  Nuevo Laredo.  Sometimes the signs will indicate bridge I,  (Puente I )  -  but  eventually,  bridge II  also.   Don't forget to cancel permits & etc.
at the same building you stopped at,  entering the country to obtain  permits -  go inside to return  visa  (Paso 1 ) .  Outside,  you will see a line of vehicles -  that is where you return you vehicle permit.  You can't miss it -  it's the only line of autos in the area.   Total time to return/cancel  permits was  -  5 minutes inside,  20  minutes outside.   Once that is done, return  back to the stop light,  take  a very sharp  right ,   an  U-turn, basically, toward the  border crossing.   I arrived there  at 1:30 PM  on a Monday, and was  through customs  by  2:05  PM .......   Not bad at all considering the traffic waiting to enter into the US.   Avoid crossing back on a Friday, if at all possible,  very  long lines/wait .

Welcome back to the U.S. A  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the Xcalak experience - 2013

Well,  according to all the locals in town,  this has been an extremely unpleasant few months (June & July) weather-wise.    We have had some nice weather -  warm w/ easterly breezes (normal) but, quite a few stretches where the breeze is  non-existent - which means that it feels like a sauna w/ no door to escape through.  It also means that the biting insects (no-see-ums, gnats, chiggers what ever you may call them  and  mosquitoes)  make sleeping a less than pleasant proposition.  Even inside this casa w/ screened windows & doors though most are ill-fitting and have gaps, the no-see-ums are small enough to pass thru the screens unhindered;  mosquitoes have to be a bit more determined to find their way in.  Mosquito coils help,  but .......
Then, after a few days of that,  the  wind will start to blow at 30-50 MPH, which  takes care of most of the bugs, but  brings  heavy rain & thunder storms.    All in all,  quite an atypical season, so far.

Outside, there are quite a few different variety of birds -  white Ibis,  egrets,  herons (blue, tri-color, & etc),  pelicans,  frigate birds,  loons,  bright yellow & black Orioles, & others that I am not familiar with.   There have also been a few days when  hundreds of butterflies zoom by for hours at a time.  I first thought that they were Monarchs,  but  now I believe that they are  ruddy daggerwings,  but  I am not an expert.

I am attaching more photos -  just to give you an idea of the area &  what is to be seen  here.

 

Xcalak services for gringos

The little village of Xcalak  has all the  basics you could need.  Prices are higher than in Mahahual,  where prices are higher than super stores in Chetumal or Tulum, stock up on non perishables before coming down.  Tinned meat, while not my first choice, are a good idea for when little is available locally.  Trust me,  you will be eating lots of veggies & fruit, so a can of meat occasionally, will not send you to hell.

Here are a few photos of the main road in Xcalak & the services that I have found w/ the best choice of product & best prices.   There are other small tiendas (stores) so, if one does not have what you are looking for, check out another.  A tortillaria opened recently - as you come into town just before you get to the soccer field - turn right.  A few buildings down on the right - you can buy freshly made corn tortillas, otherwise, you will find only packaged, flour tortillas.

 

 

Note :    There is  NO   ATM  machine in Xcalak ;   the ones  in Mahahual  worked only occasionally, so be  prepared  before arriving  -  ie.   bring  plenty of  pesos !!    There is an ATM  in the casitas section that works more consistently than those in town.  Fees are a bit higher, but when you need pesos .....    As you head into the town, there is a left turn (only paved left turn) toward the cruise ship port area.  Bear left there  and across the street from (for the life of me, I can't remember the name) a very good grocery store, down a side street about 20 meters,  there is an ATM on the left hand side of the road,  outside -  can't miss it.  It  is, I believe, the 1st left (note- you will cross the divided road there ). 

Xcalak village

Well the town itself is pretty compact,  you can drive through it in a few minutes.  If the roads were paved,  even less.  But it has pretty much everything I need.  There is a laundry, a tortillaria, a few economical, family run restaurants, some  very good restaurants, a couple of hotels, small stores to buy groceries, tequila , 5 gallon drinking water refills and stalls to buy whatever fruit & vegetables available that day.  There is not a lot of variety, but the basics are there .  For more selection and gas, a trip to Mahahual (about 45 minute drive) is required.  Remember -  there are NO  ATM  machines here;  nearest are in Mahahual !   Bring  more pesos than you think you will need  or you will be driving 45-60 minutes to replenish - if  you can find an ATM  working ! 
I am posting a few photos of the town,  please check back periodically, as I will be adding more.
I will try to put photos of the actual stores,  laundry & such  as I return to the town.

SIRIUS/XM RADIO IN MEXICO

I took my Sirius/XM radio w/ home antenna kit with me on the recommendation of the home owner.
I am so glad I did.  The signal is accessible all the way down in Xcalak (Google it), Mexico.
Antenna pointing is hyper sensitive, and wind sometimes plays havoc w/ reception -  it is worth taking along if you want to listen to music other than on your MP3 device.  If you plan to be here for the long term, an outdoor antenna ( about $50.00 on their website) would be a good investment.

TV & movies are another matter -    I will tell you about my experience, so far,  in the next Post .

Great information - now this was a trip to remember.

I came across this web site before I left for my drive to southern Mexico; compared to the drive recounted on this site, mine was a trip to the corner store.   This has some pretty serious and detailed info - maybe more than you will ever need,  but -----    it is certainly an interesting, informative read.
I appreciate and thank the authors for the work & research that they put in to it!

When I was in my early 30's, a friend & I drove all the way down the Baja, before Route 1  was paved the way it is now.  We then took the car ferry over to the mainland to Puerto Vallarta, drove down the coast,  up into the mountains of Michoacan to Patzcuaro,  from there to Oaxaca & finally over to the Yucatan.  It was a trip of a lifetime - never enjoyed myself more.   Now, as a retired senior,  I don't think I would attempt a journey like that - we slept in a tent the whole time with 2 nights in hotels & about 6 weeks in a palapa (hut) on a beach just south of the Tulum ruins.  My back wouldn't be up to the task now.  I have flown back & driven a rental car to retrace portions of that trip several time,  but never the whole route at once.
 
I am delighted that the spirit of adventure & exploration still exists - not a lot of that left now.  Please do yourself a favor -  go outside & play !  

Here is that link I spoke about -    enjoy !

Overlanding