El Cuyo
El Cuyo is a majestic port town where flamingos are only the beginning of its beauty
This “hidden treasure of the emerald coast” is a very unique fishing village. Close by you’ll find great natural attractions, especially the Rio Lagartos estuary.
El Cuyo is known as “the hidden treature of Yucatan’s emerald coast,” and is a small fishing community located almost at the Quintana Roo border, within the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve. Eco- and adventure tourism allows visitors to immediately appreciate its beauty, as it is the principal nesting site for flamingos; every year thousands of visitors enjoy viewing over 20,000 of these beautiful birds and another 250 species that arrive at the same time. This hidden paradise is also home to the sea turtle, which visits every year to lay her eggs. It’s easy to say that El Cuyo is beautiful, but to really appreciate its uniqueness you need to visit in person.
You can get to El Cuyo one of two ways:the first is by walking or in a 4×4 vehicle. During the dry season go to Las Coloradas where you’ll find a very short stretch perfect for this adventurous trek. The second is from Tizimin going east to Colonia Yucatan. This last stretch to El Cuyo is very rough and cows are known to graze on the side of the road, so we recommend being very careful going this way.
This beach is for relaxing and enjoying the day; it’s not a nude beach. It’s important to wear comfortable clothing and use sunscreen if you plan to be on the beach, either taking a stroll, relaxing or swimming. After 5 pm it’s prohibited to drink alcoholic beverages on the beach. Don’t go swimming right after eating or drinking alcoholic beverages. Driving vehicles or riding horses on the beach is prohibited. Bring your rod and reel and try a little fishing, but drinking alcoholic beverages, cleaning fish on the walls or benches, leaving garbage, driving vehicles and throwing garbage into the water are not allowed on the fisherman’s pier. Beach flags: green means it’s ok to swim, yellow means take precautions and red means swimming is prohibited. Don’t forget to respect the area you’re visiting and keep it clean.
