Xcalak - Banco Chinchorro

[lthomas132]

My dive bud and I are considering a trip next month, July, to Xcalak, Quintana Roo, Mexico. I have been in contact with XTC Dive Center there XTC DIVE CENTER | Scuba diving, Snorkelling, Fishing and Excursions in Xcalak, Costa Maya Mexico concerning the best times to attempt a trip to Chinchorro. They seem to be one of the few shops with permits to enter Chinchorro. They have said that June & July are the best months. They have done 3 trips in the last month with weather allowing and a minimum of 5 divers. Has any one been down there lately (since hurricane Dean) and do you have any tips on where to stay and the best transportation there? XTC said that the ADO buses do not run there now, stopping at Majahual. We are considering renting a car at the Cancun airport rather that do 5 hours on the ADO. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[mikeycanuk]

Unless things have changed Easyway car rental is the best. We went to Mahaual in June 2010 just for a trip. Our son was 9 so we had a year to go before we all got certified. I picked a date to do a snorkel and atoll visit for the day after Father's Day and the seas were FLAT! I picked this date months before. It was a great day, worth every penny. We sure got lucky with the weather. It soon got windier and soon tropical storm Alex BLEW through and he was so big we had the 2nd week of nothing but wind wind WIND! 11 days of Mahaual was enough so we decamped to Cancun for 3fun days.


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[sparky923]

My son and I are heading down to Mahahual in August and plan on a trip to Banco Chinchirro. It looks like there are a few shops out of Mahahual that offer trips out there, if they have enough reservations. I don't know if Mahahaul interests you, but like you said, you can get there by bus. Plus, they do have A/C's, and that's definitely a must for me.

We are staying at a VRBO apartment Mahahual Vacation Rental - VRBO 194744 - 1 BR Quintana Roo Apartment in Mexico, The Heart of Majahual - Breathtaking Beach View from Terrace for a week and plan on diving from there. Hopefully we can book at least one trip out to Banco Chinchirro. I would also like to drive down to Xcalak one day for a dive there (it's about an hour drive).

Whatever you decide to do, let us know how it goes. I'm sure the diving will be great, wherever you end up going.

 

[lthomas132]

Still waiting on my dive bud for confirmation. I'm shooting for the 1st-mid. July, but who knows, may end up being August. So, are you guys riding the ADO to Mahahual? We're seriously considering renting a car at Cancun airport for $400-500 for 2 weeks. It seems like the bridge from Xcalak to XTC divers is gone, so we'd have to drive from Mahahual to XTC, nothing but dirt roads, bummer. Our PDC friend recommended Dreamtime Diving in Mahahual (- Dreamtime Diving Resort), looks like they have the permits also to go to Chinchorro. We'll spend a week down there and if we can't get to the atoll, we'll do some diving there then drive back to Playa del Carmen and dive with a friend of ours there. Enjoy!

---------- Post added June 10th, 2013 at 04:55 PM ----------

I've got 2 missing dots on my map of the Mesoamerican Reef from Isla Mujeres to Panama. One being Banco Chinchorro, the other being Corn Islands off of Nicaragua (The Corn Islands - Hotels - Fishing - Diving). Hopefully, I can do both in the next year. Getting to the Corn Islands is worse than getting to Xcalak!

 

[sparky923]

We are plannning on renting a car with either easyway or http://www.cancunrentacar.com/. Then if it works out where we can go to Xcalak, we will be set. Plus, on the way to Mahahual, I'd like to stop by some of the towns along the coast.

We went diving in Mahahual on 2 different occasions while in port on a cruise ship, so getting to spend a week there is going to be pretty special. My son and I took our first open water dive there after being open water certified in a mud pond in Texas, so it was quite memorable. We dove with a little shop located in Mahahual hotel. Not sure if Gorge is even still there. Bucanero del Caribe divers. Not sure who we will use this time.

 

[mikeycanuk]

The atoll is wild. The ground is literally alive with crabs and lobsters. Watch out for elgrande lizard. He's 6' long, about half tail and he knows he's boss. You'll have to walk around him. Our guide also went to the pond in the middle and splashed an oar to get the attention of the local salty croc. He eventually came within 10' and rolled/splashed suddenly and reappeared 25' away. Nothing like Mexican safety standards! Don't eat at the Mexican kitchen, 8 of us got sick there.
Cancun Rentacar (our 3rd time with them) gave us a jeep with no lock nut key and dodgy a/c. We got a flat from the awful beach road and our housekeeper took us into town to patch the tire. I was in a huge rush on a 3rd attempt to visit the zip line park and I get the the car and Arggggggggg. So I rush to change the tire only to be unable to take off the spare! Easyway has newer cars, at least when we were last there in 2011.
As for stopping in towns... It's a long trip. After landing around noon, stopping or food and groceries in Tulum we arrived THANKFULLY just before dark.
Bug spray..LOTS. Too buggy for us, those taqanoes are vicious nasty hell spawn, even the ants bite back!
Have to visit the Travel'In. Visit Steve at Tropicante for yummy food too.

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[BRT]

Still waiting on my dive bud for confirmation. I'm shooting for the 1st-mid. July, but who knows, may end up being August. So, are you guys riding the ADO to Mahahual? We're seriously considering renting a car at Cancun airport for $400-500 for 2 weeks. It seems like the bridge from Xcalak to XTC divers is gone, so we'd have to drive from Mahahual to XTC, nothing but dirt roads, bummer. Our PDC friend recommended Dreamtime Diving in Mahahual (- Dreamtime Diving Resort), looks like they have the permits also to go to Chinchorro. We'll spend a week down there and if we can't get to the atoll, we'll do some diving there then drive back to Playa del Carmen and dive with a friend of ours there. Enjoy!

---------- Post added June 10th, 2013 at 04:55 PM ----------

I've got 2 missing dots on my map of the Mesoamerican Reef from Isla Mujeres to Panama. One being Banco Chinchorro, the other being Corn Islands off of Nicaragua (The Corn Islands - Hotels - Fishing - Diving). Hopefully, I can do both in the next year. Getting to the Corn Islands is worse than getting to Xcalak!

I believe the missing bridge is on the dirt road. It burned years ago. If the bridge from Xcalak to XTC is out there is no way to drive to XTC. They would still be happy to pick you up in Xcalak a mile or less from their shop. The new road to Xcalak is nicely paved but is developing a few potholes. If you are going to Majahual a rental car is good. Majahual is a long way from anywhere and Xcalak is the ends of the earth. With a rental car you can explore the beach road between the two and the road north of Majahual and from Xcalak out to Chetumal Bay.

 

[Augustus]

As BRT says the way to get to Ixcalak is on the paved road which you catch just before you get to Majahual. Fine road. If you want to dive Chinchorro you should stay in Ixcalk instead of Majahual. Various places to stay but top of the list is Costa de Cocos which is about 1/4 mile north of the dive shop. Ixcalak is very basic and you will either love it or hate it. Sand street no AC etc. Costa de Cocos runs on generators. Costa de Cocos Resort - Xcalak, Mexico - Beauty and Tranquility at the End of the Road Less Traveled Also think getting a rental car is the best way to go. There is a Pemex gas station in Majahual by the way. Diving out of Ixcalak is nice as well. Drive time from Cancun say 4-5 hours. Road is excellent all the way. You might run into a military road block but no big deal.

 

[lthomas132]

As BRT says the way to get to Ixcalak is on the paved road which you catch just before you get to Majahual. Fine road. If you want to dive Chinchorro you should stay in Ixcalk instead of Majahual. Various places to stay but top of the list is Costa de Cocos which is about 1/4 mile north of the dive shop. Ixcalak is very basic and you will either love it or hate it. Sand street no AC etc. Costa de Cocos runs on generators. Costa de Cocos Resort - Xcalak, Mexico - Beauty and Tranquility at the End of the Road Less Traveled Also think getting a rental car is the best way to go. There is a Pemex gas station in Majahual by the way. Diving out of Ixcalak is nice as well. Drive time from Cancun say 4-5 hours. Road is excellent all the way. You might run into a military road block but no big deal.

If the wooden bridge is out betwee Xcalak and XTC, you would have to leave the vehicle in Xcalak if they picked you up by boat. I wouldn't want to do that for security reasons and it would be useless for the rest of the stay there. What I've seen and heard, the dirt road from Majahual to XTC is the only way unless they have paved it lately (which I doubt seriously). Thanks for the input!

 

[Augustus]

I think they are referring to the old wooden bridge on the old sand road from Majahual to Ixcalak. That bridge is not the bridge just past Ixcalak. The bridge that burned down 8 or so years ago was never repaired since the new road connected Ixcalak to Majahual (its about 8 miles from the town). If in doubt you can always contact the dive shop or Costa de Cocos. but I think its confusion about which bridge. If the bridge just past the town was burned then I would have heard about it.