Playa Xcacel-Xcacelito is one of those beaches where you dream to be. One of the best preserved paradises, sanctuary of several species of sea turtles that come to spawn in the Riviera Maya.
On the tourist coast of the Riviera Maya, it is difficult to find an undeveloped beach, if not impossible. The Xcacel-Xcacelito beach is the exception, the beach where one wants to be. In fact It is a sea turtle sanctuary, and hopefully continue. So far hundreds of sea turtles come to spawn each year, there is a protection and conservation program.
The place does not have the comforts that we have become accustomed to, so you will not see restaurants, hammocks, or turn your head to order a beer, this place is natural natural
Xcacel beach conservation standards
Please respect the rules of the beach, such as not feeding the wildlife, taking away the garbage you generate, it is not allowed to enter with pets or alcoholic beverages. A pity to say it but we are far from an adequate education, that which would make us look more respectfully and sensitively at the Planet.
Xcacel Xcacelito Beach
That said, remember to take something to cover the sun, there are shadows but not many. So if your idea is to spend the day in this magnificent paradise, bring what you need to spend the day without roasting in the sun. At the entrance there is an area of palm trees where you can hang your hammock, and another warning: keep an eye on the coconuts, it seems silly but if you fall on your head it can leave you stiff.
The coral reef you have relatively close, you will see with your mask that there is enough aquatic life. I have had to see turtles, stingrays, barracudas, lobsters, coral fish.
A pleasure to swim in these crystalline waters. Since I have the day of warnings, remember that sea life is wild, so do not disturb the animalsDo not try to touch the turtles or those things of human vices. What mania we have with touching everything as if it were ours.
Riviera Maya Beaches that you should not miss
Xcacel beach Xcacelito sea turtle sanctuary
The Xcacel-Xcacelito It has been a protected nature reserve since 1998, where a group of environmental volunteers who take care of the place has headquarters. Xcacel-Xcacelito is one of the beaches where you can see turtles spawn in the Riviera MayaIt is simply fantastic to see spawning or release newborn turtles.
In turtle season they carry out activities in Xcacel-Xcacelito where you can participate in the release of turtles. This activity runs from mid-September to mid-November. It is paid, about 80 mxn person, show up at the beach around 19:30.
CONTACT FOR THE VOLUNTEER WITH MARINE TURTLES
Cenote Xcacelito
Another of the surprises that Xcacel-Xcacelito keeps is a cenote where you can bathe in its crystalline sweet waters. By the gradient of the Peninsula, the area between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, is where they come to drain much of the groundwater. Fresh water ends its journey on the coast of the Riviera Maya, so we see several cenotes attached to this coastline.
We recommend Yalkú cove as one of the best places to enjoy swimming with a mask between fresh and salt water. It would be like swimming at the mouth of the river, to understand us.
NOTE: the cenote remains closed since the regulations of the year 2018
How to go to the beach Xcacel-Xcacelito
It is located 15 kilometers north of Tulum, road towards Playa del Carmen. The places as beautiful as Xcacel-Xcacelito are difficult to keep hidden, but it is true that they do not take much care to indicate the entrance.
I leave you a photo of the entrance so you can see the poster and do not skip it.
So now you know dear traveler, take a look at this beach of almost three kilometers long, where nature offers us a fabulous playground. Caribbean blue, life blue.
Sure you enjoy a beach where you can not hear music, there are no lounge chairs or anything. You and nature.
Xcacel-Xcacelito, beaches
LOCATION: Xcacel-Xcacelito is located 15 km from Tulum on federal highway 307, which runs along the entire coast.HOURS, PRICE AND SERVICES: There are toilets and showers at the entrance, where the parking lot is. You pay one maintenance fee, of 24 Quintana Roo pesos, 40 Mexican pesos and 81 pesos for foreigners. It opens from 10 a.m. to 16:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. The cenote remains closed to the public after the new regulations of 2018.
HOW TO GET IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? From Playa del Carmen (2 street between 15 and 20 avenues) and Tulum (main street) buses leave, they leave you at the entrance of the road, 1 kilometer from the Xcacel-Xcacelito beach.
ACCOMMODATION: there are no hotels and you can not camp, the beach will be vacated at 16: 30 in the afternoon.
WHAT TO BRING? Light and light clothing, hat and to cover yourself from the sun. If you have a mask and fins, you are in the ideal place to remove them.
TIPS: One of the animals that inhabit the Caribbean are small rays, it is best to enter the water shuffling to avoid stepping on them, which is when they bite us.
SEASON DESOVE TURTLES: from mid-May to mid-September, they are usually seen more at night (it has red light, never white).
Good way,
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If you prefer, you tell us your idea of the trip and together we organize it.
Hello Sandra,
It is difficult to visit in the same day, xcacel / xcacelito, akumal, calita Yal-ku and cenote two eyes? we go by rental car and if I'm wrong, everything is pretty close. But is it possible in the same day, what do you recommend that I visit?
Thank you.
Power if you can Sandra, according to the time you are going to be in each place. As you say this is all close, so if you dedicate an hour and a half to each place, you can do it scammed, but you can. All the places you want to go have a schedule, except for Akumal, which is a public beach and you can get to the 8. At that time there will be no one on the beach and you will have the turtles for yourselves, take a viewfinder to swim. From there the Yalku cove, and from here to Dos Ojos and end of day Xcacelito, or the other way round. The cenote of Xcaccel closes to the 16, in case you want to take it into account. The 4 are spectacular places, I do not know what to leave, it would depend on your own desire.
You will explain to me when you do it 🙂
Hello Sandra, could you tell me what access time the beach has with the current restrictions? We are going in August and I would like to plan the visit, since I am going with a baby.
Thank you very much
Hello Denise, I wish I could tell you, but as they are in litigation it is something that they are changing. The other day I passed and they could not even tell me at the entrance. You can pass and as an alternative take a plan b to Soliman or another nearby beach.
Greetings,
Can you camp this season? August
Hi Angelica, camping is prohibited in Xcacel throughout the year. You can camp in Soliman, it's very close.
Good way,
It seems that Xcacel is one of the few beaches in Riviera Maya where they only charge you a small maintenance fee, but is there any other beach where you do not have to pay to access, swim, snorkel and be able to freely spread your towel? The truth is that reading your blog and other information is disappointing the difficulty of free access to the sea in this area. Thank you very much for your magnificent blog
Hello Rafael, I see that your confusion has been increasing, it is crazy, yes. The Riviera Maya area is like this. El Cuyo and Holbox do not have to snorkel, but they are two great destinations for sun and beach away from the coast. Unfortunately I can not recommend anything other than in the previous comments, at least I do not know. And you will see that in paradise beach in Tulum they also offer you snorkeling with payment by boat because the reef is one kilometer from the coast. That's how it has worked for years, a pity.
I hope that this inconvenience does not prevent you from enjoying the destination, surely beaches like Paamul, Xcacel or Solimán will not disappoint you.
Warm regards,