El Cuyo, Yucatán, Mexico: Top 10 Reasons To Visit In 2023 (or whenever!)

Is the fishing village of El Cuyo, Yucatan, Mexico worth visiting?

Yes! If you’re looking for:

• sunshine
• endless empty beaches & watersports
• the opportunity to appreciate fabulous flora and fauna
• a slow pace & a safe island vibe
• decent accommodation for all budgets

No! If you’re looking for:

• bars and clubs
• all-inclusive hotels
• beach clubs providing parasols, sunbeds etc.
• 4G & high-speed internet (in El Cuyo, nothing is rushed!)
• loads of other tourists to hang out with
• Walmart, MacDonalds, Starbucks (we don’t even have an Oxxo)

If you’ve read this far and El Cuyo sounds like your idea of paradise, read on for…

…The Top 10 Reasons To Visit El Cuyo

1. Miles Of Untouched Virgin Beach

El Cuyo is a beach paradise, virtually untouched by tourism, yet only 2.5 hours drive from Cancun. Its position at the tip of the peninsular means it’s difficult to stumble across El Cuyo – you have to go out of your way to get here!

Because of this, it has escaped the attentions of developers (and tourists). The original wooden houses built over 40 years ago remain unchanged – holiday homes that sit empty most of the year.

And as there are no big hotels, the volume of tourists per square meter remains low – meaning there’s lots of big empty spacious beach, stretching east and west for further than you can walk. We hope it remains this way for the foreseeable future…

2. To Disconnect And Slow Down

The pace of life in El Cuyo is slow…very slow…

A causeway crosses the lagoon and connects El Cuyo to the Yucatan mainland, but the village retains its island vibe and relaxed way of life. Swinging in a hammock on the porch or sitting on your doorstep and watching the world go by (slowly) are the two favourite pastimes here.

The whole town is only 3km long and 1km wide, so getting about is usually done on foot, by bike or by the moto-taxi. There aren’t many cars, and the only horns you hear are when the tortilla seller goes past on his moto.

This makes El Cuyo the perfect place to unplug and kick back against the noise and hustle of the real world! Instead, swing in your hammock, read a good book or enjoy quality time with family and friends.

If you want to invest quality time on yourself, there are massage therapists and yoga groups.

Regarding maintaining a lifeline to the ‘real world’, phone network coverage with Telcel is ok. It’s usually good enough to video call, but it’s only 3G. (Other networks rarely get coverage here).

Most hotels and rental houses provide WiFi, as do restaurants and cafes. It isn’t the speediest and it comes and goes. If you’re a Digi-nomad in need of serious bandwidth or if you have important video call meetings that you can’t miss …El Cuyo probably isn’t for you.  (I tried to teach English by skype – #bigfail)

3. To Hang-Out With Locals

The locals in El Cuyo are friendly, smiley and welcoming. Practise your Spanish and strike up a conversation with whoever you meet. They’ll happily tell you about their town, their family, where to go fishing etc.

Best places to go:

• The main jetty – this is a regular hang out point.
  • At sunrise and sunset, it’s a great viewing point
  • In the early mornings and late afternoons, people fish from here, and you can watch (there are normally more people watching, than fishing)

• Hire a bike or walk through the streets in town that are set back from the beach. There’s some great wall art. Stop and take photos. Talk to the children. Explore.
• Go shopping!
  • The small tiendas around town sell the basics. Instead of searching for what you want, practise your Spanish with the shop keeper – they’ll point you in the right direction and may even try a few words of English.
  • Go to the port and barter for the freshest fish possible.
  • For fruit and vegetables, visit the lovely ladies who sit on the main street in the mornings. They’re in front of the Tiburon restaurant Monday to Saturday from 7:30 till 11am. They sell locally grown exotic fruits that you’ll never see in Walmart and they’ll tell you how best to prepare it if you ask.
• In holiday periods, locals come to the hotels and vacation homes selling fresh fish and home-made treats. Tamales (savoury dough with meat or vegetables steamed in a banana leaf), Buñuelos (sweet dough filled with banana or coconut), Queso Napolitano (flan) or Coco Cremitas (coconut jelly) are the regular offerings.
• The play area by the church – if you’re travelling with children, head here and you’ll quickly make a lot of new friends.

4. Accommodation for All Budgets

Over the last few years, both the quality and quantity of accommodation in El Cuyo has improved significantly. There’s now a good range of beachfront villas, boutique hotels, cheaper traditional houses and hostels. There’s something for everyone’s budget and taste!

In holiday periods, Semana Santa, Christmas and the summer months, it is advisable to pre-book. Accommodation is usually sold-out well in advance.

See the gallery below for a very small selection of El Cuyo’s offerings. For our full list of recommendations for hotels, hostels, houses and campsites in El Cuyo click here. Please note, all properties on our pages consistently get rave reviews.

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

5. Surprisingly Good Restaurants…

The choice for eating out in El Cuyo has also improved dramatically over the last two years. There are now numerous restaurants, cafes, pizzerias, and various loncherias and food stalls.

Specialist diets – vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free diets are catered for in several places but you’ll need to plan ahead. 

There’s a selection of places shown in the gallery and for the full rundown, please click here.

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

• 

   

6. To Get In Touch With Nature…

El Cuyo is part of the Ria Lagartos national park, home to 40,000 wild flamingos who nest here between June and September. There’s a small resident population that are here year-round too… plus another 250(!) species of birds to be found in the lagoon.

The ocean is also alive with wildlife. Dolphins and giant mantas regularly hang out by the main jetty (you’ll hopefully spot some whilst chatting up the locals). And to cap it off, turtles lay their eggs on the beaches in June, July and August.

You can explore the lagoon by boat or do a tour with a bird guide in a 4×4, and there are also dolphin-spotting boat trips available. Please click here for further information.

• 

• 

• 

7. To Kitesurf

El Cuyo is the hot new destination for kitesurfing. There are several certified schools for those wanting to try their hand. Shallow waters and consistent winds (February to June) make for perfect conditions for beginners. The wind drops from July to November, and from November to January, strong northerly winds pick up – great for more experienced kiters.

For no wind days, or for the still early mornings, hire a paddleboard.

For further information on kiteboarding, please click here.

8. To Get Your History/Culture Fix…

If Mayan ruins are your thing, Ek Balam is about an hour and a half away. It’s far less touristy than Chichen Itza, Tulum or Koba and it has a cenote so you can cool off after you climb the pyramid. The Kulumba ruins (towards Tizimin) aren’t excavated or officially open to tourists yet, but Don Willy (the caretaker) will show you around. He’s it always pleased to receive a tip.

Then there’s San Manuel approximately 40 minutes from El Cuyo. Here international teams have found all sorts of Mayan artefacts plus the oldest human remains found on the peninsular. You can take a hike through the forest to discover some of its 100 virgin cenotes and caves plus a whole host of wildlife! (You can’t swim in these cenotes.)

 

9. To Take Day Trips

The most requested day trips from El Cuyo are to Rio Lagartos, Isla Holbox and the pink lakes of Las Coloradas – and it’s best to dedicate a day to each trip.

To take a Rio Lagartos boat trip, you’re best to drive there (although taxis can be arranged). Once you arrive, tour guides line the road giving information and prices, or you can drive to the port and ask the boat owners direct.

To get to Isla Holbox, you can hire a fishing boat to take you, or you can drive to Chiquila, leave your car parked and catch a ferry. For detailed information, please see the Isla Holbox post

The pink lakes of Las Coloradas are best seen in the middle of the day when the sun is at its strongest. The drive to Las Coloradas is about an hour and a half. Google maps shows the best route (you need to drive back across the lagoon and drive as if you’re heading to Rio Lagartos). There is a coastal road but it’s a sand track in very bad condition and gets flooded at certain times of the year.

• 

• 

10. To Enjoy The Most Spectacular Sunrises And Sunsets

The location of El Cuyo means that for the summer months, both sunrise and sunset are over the sea. Stroll along the main jetty or set yourself up anywhere along kiter beach and you’re in for a treat. In the winter months, the sun rises and sets over the lagoon. The palapa sitting out on the lagoon is the perfect spot to enjoy the show.

So almost year-round you can see the sun rise and set over water here in El Cuyo…totally awesome.

• 

• 

• 

• 

What Next?

All this makes El Cuyo the perfect holiday destination for anyone looking for a different type of vacation. One where you get to interact with locals, enjoy empty beaches and experience real Mexico.

And if you’re still not convinced – please don’t take our word for it…see what the following people have to say:

Yucatan Today states the town is ‘a dream come true‘ – click here for the full article

Nora @Solotravelz (female solo traveller blogger) writes of her experiences of El Cuyo – click here and enjoy

Isabella @boundlessroads (female solo traveller blogger) dedicates a page to El Cuyo, referring to the town as a ‘little piece of paradise on earth‘ – click here for her article

Cassie @mexicocassie (traveller blogger based in Merida) titles her post ‘Best Mexico Beaches: El Cuyo, Yucatan‘. The title’s a bit of a giveaway 😀 but you can click here to read her thoughts.

For information on how to get to El Cuyo click here.

For information on the town, its facilities and USEFUL TIPS click here

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and get planning your next vacation!