| Without the lure of the long Caribbean beaches
of Cancun and the "Riviera Maya," southern Quintana Roo state
has lagged far behind its northern half in tourism.
In evaluating what would attract tourists to the area surrounding
Chetumal, the state capital, local tourism officials recently
put adventure and eco-tourism high on the list. Encouraged by
people such as Ernesto Parra, Director of Fondo Chetumal, the
natural wilds of the sparsely populated area are enticing naturalist
adventure tours.
On one such trip, we kayaked a stream through the jungle until
it joined the Rio Hondo along the Belize/Mexico border. We followed
the Hondo to a primitive crossing that consisted of an overhead
cart, strung by wire high over the brown water. We climbed the
hill to the crest that overlooked Cenote Crocodile, at the base
of a shear white limestone cliff. From here we could see the
farmlands in Belize and the narrow caves in the cliff face from
where hundreds of thousands of bats came out on cue at dusk,
flying through the trees and enveloping our hilltop in a cloud
of fluttering wings.
We don't have words to describe it, every inch of the sky
was alive with bats. Being in the middle of such a flock was
an incredible, fantastic feeling, like no other we've ever experienced.
After camping out that night, the next day we rappelled the
cliff face -- down an intimidating 55 meters -- and celebrated
with a swim in the cenote. There are no crocodiles in the cenote
of the same name, but we saw more wildlife in nature on this
trip than any other. Contact Ernesto Parro Calderon at Fondo
Chetumal -- fondoche@mpsnet.com.mx.
In conjunction with Aventuras Xcalak he also arranges bird watching,
hikes, and kayaking trips into the Bacalar lagoon and at Xcalak.
Besides visiting the impressive prehispanic ruins off the
highway east toward Xpuhil, day trips to Chetumal's surrounding
area could include Calderitas, a small weekend getaway north
of the city with good restaurants and a rocky-beached bay. Oxtancah,
a Maya and colonial Spanish ruin three kilometers (1.8 miles)
from Calderitas, contains a period painting of three Spanish
ships on the wall of the baptistry, perhaps done by a Maya who
saw them anchored in the bay, or by a conquistador, wishing
for home. Maybe it was a Catholic school boy who wanted to get
out of there.
Rent a boat in Chetumal and go across to Xcalak or even Belize
on your own. Nip over to the uninhabited Isla Tamalcab to see
the fuzzy wild capybaras, large native rodents of South America
that look like furry pigs, run like horses and swim and float
like hippopotami. The boat rental at Hal Ha restaurant, on the
waterfront, provides navigational maps for as far away as Ambergris
Caye and San Pedro, Belize.
El Palmar is a tiny village 51 kilometers (32 miles) to the
southwest from Ucum. It has a huge crystalline swimming pool
fed by a natural spring. It is a bit out of the way but cool
and pleasant. Tres Garantias is a remote area in the low jungles
southwest of the Kohunlich ruins, where local villagers are
attempting to combine ecology and tourism by offering a jungle
stay with hiking trails and bird watching. Very rustic and natural.
Check with the tourism office or Fondo Chetumal first, and bring
your own water.
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