Yucatan, Mexico has some of the most beautiful white sand beaches, thanks to the natural works of two great seas: the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The majestic beauty of Merida can be seen in the city, but once one travels outside of the city to short distance towns the beach is really where the magic happens. The port of Progresso is a busy tourist attraction filled with over crowded beaches and over priced services. Thankfully, I got some great tips from locals and was able to find a route to two nearby beaches that were down the offbeat path. The first one was at the small town of Chelen. There the streets were practically deserted. The walk from the bus stop was only a few blocks, but when we arrived the driver said if we really wanted to be alone the next town was better. We decided to follow his advice and he took us 10 minutes down the road to the smaller town on Cheburan. Interestingly enough, the driver was right. He dropped us off two blocks from the beach and said the bus passes every twenty minutes whenever we were ready to leave. As we took our first steps into the smooth white sand we realized this was definitely not a typical tourist beach. Once we got the first glimpse of the ocean it was like seeing the reflection of the sky. The water was crystal clear and perfectly calm. There were no tourists or people in sight. The only little shack that was open was a hole in the wall place with good food and plenty of cold local beer that was both cheap and tasteful. I took full advantage of this, of course I was not about to let an opportunity like this pass me by. The lady that owns the stand was very kind and helpful. Along the beach there were many seashells. The waves came crashing in very lightly as if they knew people were there and they didn’t want to cause any harm. Seeing the faces of the students from Hong Kong made me realize that I had provided a public service, and my good deed for the day was done. I enjoyed my beers and the feeling of the water as I dove into the ocean.
“We had no problem with swine flu. The food, the people, and the culture were great. We got to experience a part of the world that at this time was seen in a negative light by the world. Although from this point of view, things look beautiful,” said Daniel Wu, a student from Hong Kong. Every single second spent on that water was one less minute that I forgot about the troubles of the world. These beaches in Yucatan do that to people with their beauty and mystery.
One local explained the beauty that is found on the beach.
“I have lived here all my life. I find myself being able to get away from society without having to leave the doorstep of my home. Many people may call this simple living, but we here just call it life,” Maria Trever said.
The only down fall of the beach experience was the slight sunburn I got, but it’s a very small price for the opportunity to visit such a place.