XCALAK RESTAURANTS

Costa de Cocos: Along the beach road with indoor and outdoor palapa seating. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The owner is brewing his own craft brews and spirits and is receiving rave reviews. Delicious pizzas after 5:00 pm. Try their famous Lobster and Mango Pizza in season.

Silvia's Loncheria: Serving traditional Mexican food in an authentic and pleasant setting – indoor or outdoor seating. Her ceviche is famous and the whole fried fish is delectable. We love her panuchos and shrimp tacos!

Capitan Caribe: New casual restaurant and bar under a palapa roof, right by the sea. Located in the village, across from the Town Pier. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Excellent Shrimp Tacos!

Carnitas: Popular authentic local fare, in the village across from the IMSS Clinic. Salbuttes, panuchos, tacos, burgers etc. Very reasonably priced. Closed Sunday/Monday. Open 8:00am to 2:00pm and 7:00pm to 10:00pm Tuesday to Saturday.

Caribbean Casa Blanca Xcalak: Rooftop casual dining. Varied menu. Reservations in advance please. WhatsApp Lazaro at +52 983 117 5863. He will send you the night's menu for your choices.

The Coral Bar and Grill: XTC Dive Center. A beautiful setting serving Mexican and International dishes made from fresh locally sourced ingredients. Also featuring a comprehensive bar to cater for every taste! Open daily from 7am.

The Fish Bar at Tierra Maya Lodge: Along the beach road in a stunning palapa setting, right beside the sea. Toby and staff prepare fresh full course meals and cocktails. Reservations are required. Contact Jesse: robotsjesseshould@notthexflatssteal.com

ON YOUR WAY TO SIN DUDA VILLAS:
Tulum: Sian Ka'an Biosphere. Tours 8:00am to 4:00pm. Sian Ka'an is Maya 'Birth of the Sky', a primitive and protected ecosystem whose Southern boundary is just North of Sin Duda Villas. Sian Ka'an's 1.3 million acres, with hidden coves and beaches, some accessible only by boat, are home to over 1200 species of plants and animals, enabling the Maya to harvest traditional food sources.

Tulum: Tulum Archaeological Site: Your itinerary should begin this tour by 9:00am.

Cobá: Coba Archaeological Site, 45 minutes West of Tulum. Plan to arrive early because it gets very hot in the jungle.

DAY TRIP ADVENTURES:
Banco Chinchorro: Chinchorro Bank Biosphere Reserve is the largest and oldest reef in the Northern hemisphere. This coral atoll just 90 minutes up the coast from Sin Duda Villas is a necklace of coral enclosing 240 square miles of shallow to 40 foot depth, with dozens of premier dive sites and 600 foot walls. This protected Marine Sanctuary is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site Designation not only because of its amazing reef ecosystem but also its rich shipwreck history. This day-trip is arranged through XTC Dive Center, weather permitting. 

Bird Island Snorkeling Tour: With one of our local Captains or with XTC Dive Center. Take a 3 or 5 hour boat excursion. You'll travel through the Mayan Canal, a narrow waterway teeming with fish, birds, and sometimes manatees. The canal is tangled with mangroves and was cut through the dense growth by Mayans a thousand years ago. This is a grand snorkeling adventure! Snacks provided.

Bacalar: Close to the Belize border, Bacalar is called "The Lake of Seven Colors" due to its blue and turquoise hues. Water sports and great restaurants abound. Fuerte de San Felipe, the ancient fort, was completed in 1729 to protect the villagers from pirates and pillaging. It currently houses a piracy museum. Go for a swim just to the south of town in Cenote Azul. To round out your day, include a visit to the Mayan ruins of Chacchoben, which are basically enroute.

FLY FISHING:
You can fish right from shore. The flats for Bonefish and Permit are close by. We can recommend excellent and experienced Fishing Guides who will help with your preferred style of fishing. Ask for contact information.

SCUBA DIVING:
XTC Dive Center: Refresher courses, Bubble Makers through Dive Master Course. PADI Tec Rec training through TRIMIX and all levels in between.

Underwater and Out-of-the-Way:
Exploring Xcalak and the Banco Chinchorro
Excellent article by Bobbi-Jo Dubush
for SEVENSEAS Marine Conservation & Travel Media

From Frozen North to Beach Life with a Mexican B&B
by Heather Sinclair
INTERNATIONAL LIVING, March 15, 2021

Off The Grid on the Costa Maya: Leaving Cancun Mega-Resorts in the Rear View Mirror
By Paul Anderson
ASPEN TIMES, May 21 to 27, Pgs 24-25

LA RUTA MAYA – THE COSTA MAYA:
Archaeological Sites are found throughout the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Maya People: While Europe was still in the Dark Ages, the Mayan World was flourishing. These fascinating people had mapped the heavens, were using a calendar which approximates our current calendar, as well as understood and used the concept of "zero."

VISIT THE HEART OF THE MAYA:
Junction of Highway #186 and #307 begins the heart of the Maya World. Visit clusters of Maya ruins along Hwy #186, accessible only since 1982 with construction of this highway which now links Chetumal to Escarcega. With the highway completed, the archeologists had access to ancient cities of Maya Kings, some are still being excavated, many are stabilized! If the Maya are of interest, use the internet to learn more about these extraordinary areas considered the HEART OF THE MAYA WORLD.

Chacchoben: (1.5 hrs away) A prestigious ceremonial centre, Chacchoben, a space once reserved for great kings and nobles, is now yours to discover. Experience the world of the ancient Maya and feel their vision while surrounded by the sounds of nature. Temple One soars above the canopy of the tropical forest. Many parts are still unearthed. Occupied between 200 BC and 400 AD. If you are lucky you will see the monkeys in the trees.

Dzibanche: (2.5 hrs away) During the Classic Period of 300 to 900 AD, Dzibanche was a major site in the Maya area. Dzibanche translated means "writing on wood" and was built near water like all Mayan cities.

Kohunlich: (2.5 hrs away) A site covering 21 acres with nearly 200 mounds surrounded by dense sub-tropical rainforest. Most of the structures at Kohunlich, which include pyramids and temples, were constructed from 250 to 600 AD.

Xpuhil: (2-3 hrs away) The main building of the Xpuhil ruin is an example of Maya architecture which connects Southern and Northern Maya traditions. The main attraction is three towers, about 30-40 feet tall, which are ornamented in the Chenes style.

Becan: (3 hrs away) The Tri-tower Maya city of Becan has many unexcavated temples and mounds. Becan was occupied from about 300 BC to 1100 AD and is a great example of Mayan fortification.

Calakmul Biosphere: (4 hrs away) Translated, Calakmul means "City of the Two Adjacent Pyramids." Over 100 carved stelae are found at the 25 square km site, some of which date back to 514 AD. It is an hour East on Hwy #186.

Chicanna: The ancient name of Chicanna is not known, but the name comes from Jack D. Eaton who discovered the site in 1966, "Serpent Mouth House." The sculpture at Chicanna gives a peek at intact Becan style.

Rio Bec: (4 hrs away and overnight) There are almost 40 Rio Bec sites, which include Rio Bec, Becan, Xpuhil, and Chicanna. Rio Bec architecture included towers topped by false temples, with the lower and upper parts of the buildings being decorated.

Balamku: Discovered in just 1990, means "Jaguar Temple" in Maya. Its stucco facade is exceptionally preserved.

READING LIST:
The Caste War of the YUCATAN (Nelson A. Reed)

The Lost World of Quintana Roo (Michel Peissel)

Maya Cosmos (Schele, Freidel, and Parker). Linda Schele, whose drawings unlocked the secrets of Maya glyphs and codes. A scholarly tome discussing the glyphs' complicated intricacies.

Reading the Maya Glyphs (Michael Coe)

A Forest of Kings (Schele, Freidel)

About the Maya, website Planeta: "These are the parents of our indigenous peoples. Their history is our future."