
View of Xcalak
'Xcalak' is a village of approximately 400 inhabitants on the
Caribbean coast of
Mexico. Xcalak is one of the last unspoiled stretches of Mexican Caribbean located on the Southern end of the Costa Maya. The world's second largest barrier reef passes just off-shore from Xcalak and it is also a departure point for dive trips to the
Chinchorro Banks atoll reef system. It is designated a Mexican national reef preserve and is an excellent site for
snorkeling,
scuba diving and
fly fishing. It is 60km South of
Mahahual, Mexico, the site of a new large cruise ship pier, and just north of the border with Belize. This section of coast is now being developed by the
tourism industry and has a growing number of Americans and other expatriates buying up all of the prime beach front property north of town. However, development is nowhere close to the degree of development of its Northern cities
Cancún and
Playa del Carmen.
History
The first settlements in the region date from the pre-Hispanic time. Nearby are the ruins of the Mayan city of Xcalak, where the name of the town comes from. These ruins though are not much compared to those at places like Uxmal and Chichen Itza.
In May of 1900, the Navy of Mexico established the villa of Xcalak as a control post of the zone. There the first shipyard of the Mexican Caribbean was constructed.
During the 1900's, the area became a major population area, with a significant production of Coco that reached up to 300 tons monthly. In the decade of 50s the population was whipped by the hurricane that destroyed a great part of the population.
Climate
Xcalak was the largest city in Quintana Roo until it was destroyed by
Hurricane Janet in 1955.
Hurricane Dean struck near Xcalak in 2007.
External Link
Xcalak Tourist Information