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Welcome to Punta Allen
exico’s Caribbean coast knew its backpacker era was over. One night at Serenidad Shardon in a ca-
from Cancun to Tulum bana on the beach brought back the good
was nearly deserted when I’ve grown to accept the changes and have and bad of earlier journeys. The good—
I started traveling there enjoyed many nights in luxurious resorts fresh, tangy ceviche, empty beaches,
Min the 1980s, researching and many meals in gourmet restaurants hammocks under palms and the entire
Fodor’s first guide to the Yucatán Pen- as the area becomes ever more sophis- populace at the main plaza celebrating
insula. Tires and Coke bottles perched ticated. But I always miss the good old Día de los Niños (Children’s Day).
on sticks marked sandy roads to simple days. So there I went, slipping away to
campgrounds and tiny hotels. yesterday. The bad—vicious mosquitos and un-
bearable heat sans A/C. Neither keeps
A friend and I camped at the foot of the Protecting the Past fly fisherman from arriving by the hun-
Tulum ruins, slept in hammocks be- dreds from during prime fishing sea-
neath shaggy umbrella-style palapas and A limestone arch marks the road to Punta son in March through June to catch
steered our Volkswagen bug down the Allen and the entrance to Sian Ka’an Bio- trophy-sized when permit, tarpon and
main highway alongside men whacking sphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Her- snook.
vines with machetes to widen the lanes. itage Site covering 1.3 million acres of
Today, Highway 307 has four lanes, sev- mangroves, lagoons, sand, sea and coral Local lobstermen serve as guides for the
eral swooping overpasses, and a constant reefs along the Punta Allen Peninsula. fishing trips, supplementing their mea-
stream of trucks, buses, cars and speed- ger earnings with cash and tips. With only
ing cabs. More iguanas than potholes appeared, 600 residents and a few small restaurants
along with one tiny yapping dog that and shops along sandy streets, Punta Al-
Nearly 400 hotels from ultra-exclusive came out of nowhere and raced back and len truly is a small fishing village--the last
hideaways to 1,000-room all-inclusive re- forth in front of my car -- guess he was of its kind in the Riviera Maya.
sorts have gobbled up 80 miles of white lonely. Even at my pokey crawl I caught
sand beaches from Cancun to Tulum. sight of the town’s welcome sign in just Next night, sea breezes beat the heat as
The moment the region gained the mar- over two hours. I slept soundly in a tent atop a rickety
keting moniker Riviera Maya in 1999, I platform at Cesiak, a small eco-tour-
64 Wine Dine & Travel Summer 2014

