Directions - To Xcalak from Cancún

 

Step one
 Get a rental car. The internet or a travel agent can assist you. Shuttle services are available but expensive.

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From Cancún: Head south down Highway 307. On your journey, you will pass these cities: 36km south Puerto Morelos; 68km south Playa Del Carmen; 131km south Tulum; 229km south Felipe Carrillo Puerto. All of these cities have PEMEX gas stations; the last major town is Felipe Carrillo Puerto. After you pass Limones, pay attention to the turnoff that goes east towards Majahual (a large sign will alert you to this). Turn left towards Majahual and go about 50 km until you get to the military checkpoint. Instead of taking the right turn to Xcalak, you may want to continue towards Majahual for about 100 yards to the Pemex gas station and fill up with gas. This is the last and closest gas station to Xcalak. After filling up, turn your car around and head back to the military checkpoint. Turn left, on the road to Xcalak. Head south for 60 km more until you get to a stop sign and take a left, this will take you into downtown Xcalak. Once you're in downtown Xcalak you need to start heading north. There are 2 streets that head north (left turn), one through town and the other along the beach. If you choose the second road, along the beach, you will go by the pier and then see an abandoned navy base to your left. Keep going until you see Conchita’s Restaurant, and than turn left, this will get you on the main road going north. You will go over a bridge and the next business you see is XTC, the local dive shop. 8 kms north of the bridge is Sandwood Villas. Here you will meet Ruth and Andy who will give you the key to the Coral Garden Inn and answer any questions you may have. Continue north on the road for another km. and you are there… the vacation paradise, we call the Coral Garden Inn.

Gas: Make sure that you fill up in Majahual, even if you don’t need gas. This is the last and closest gas station to Xcalak. If you need gas you can buy it from a few locations in Xcalak, but it will cost more.

Topes: definition not in Webster’s dictionary: Wicked speed bumps. Watch for them in every town and on the road in Xcalak. They mean SLOW DOWN. Watch for people alongside or crossing the road and you may even encounter local people selling fruit, homemade bread or tamales at these locations.

Night Driving: not recommended on the main roads from Tulum south.

Some Fun Stops along the Way:
There are ATM’s in the airport, Cancun and in most of the larger towns along the way. (Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto) There are no banks or ATMs in Xcalak. Some resort restaurants and the dive shop will take dollars but when buying in the town of Xcalak, you will need to use pesos. Be sure to bring enough.

You can buy a large variety of food in Playa Del Carmen, at the CHEDRAUI shopping center. It is along the main highway, off the second exit, Avenida Juarez, in the town of Playa Del Carmen. There is a wonderful fruit and vegetable stand in the town of Tulum, next to the HBC Bank and ATM, both are on the main highway.

Along Highway 307 there are many local artisan shops. The town of Tulum has several artisan shops right in town, as well as, the artisans Mercado (market place) next to the parking lot of the Tulum Ruins. The Tulum Ruins are an experience into the ancient Mayan Culture and a beautiful archeological site on the shores of the Caribbean ocean. The Mayan Ruins of Coba are thirty miles inland from the town of Tulum. Aktun Chen cenote and caves are just north of the town of Tulum.

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