Most people will fly to Cancun and rent a car. However, depending on where you’re coming from, it may also be worth your while to check on the air fares to Merida. Merida is a wonderful colonial city. It’s only 20 km farther from Xcalak than Cancun is, and takes about the same length of time to drive there.

Whether Xcalak is your only destination, or one stop on a more extended trip throughout the Yucatan, if you’re driving you’ll come on Highway 307. If you're driving south, stop in Felipe Carrillo Puerto and fill your gas tank. If you're coming north or east, get gas in or near Chetumal or Bacalar. Just south of the town of Limónes, take the road toward the sea and Majahual. Before Hurricane Dean the signage was excellent. But most of the big signs blew down in the hurricane, so you really have to pay attention to the distances to know where to turn. The turn off from 307 onto what we call the Cafetal-Majahual road is 70 km past the Pemex station on the northern outskirts of Felipe Carrillo Puerto; 67 km from the Pemex in the center of town. There are still some signs for that; follow anything that says Majahual (also more frequently being spelled “Mahahual,” to accommodate the orthographically challenged), Xcalak, or Costa Maya. You can follow those signs until you get to the military check point discussed below.

If any of the guidebooks you have read even mention getting to Xcalak, they probably talk about the 32-mile unpaved road of sand, dirt, limestone, and conch shells from Majahual to Xcalak.  That information is no longer accurate. A new paved road opened in 1998. You turn right at the military checkpoint just before Majahual. (If you have read the section on “What Should I Know about Driving to Xcalak?” in our FAQ section, you know this isn’t anything to worry about. If you haven’t read it, please click here to read it.)

Before Dean there was a huge sign for Xcalak, but it too was blown away. And apparently the military are too busy doing other things to staff the checkpoint. It’s about 52 km from where you turn off 307, and it is the only place you can turn on that entire road. The "tope" ropes in the road to slow traffic are still there. Don’t miss the turn just because there weren’t any soldiers there.

If you get to where the Caribbean is directly in front of you, it will be beautiful but you will have gone too far. Turn around and go back to the military checkpoint and make what will now be a left turn there. The new road saves more than an hour in travel time, and much wear and tear on your car.  (Even rental cars can get flat tires!)  The new road (as it will probably always be called) opened in the nick of time, as Hurricane Mitch in 1998 made much of the old road impassable.  Whereas in the past you drove south from Majahual into Xcalak, you now approach Xcalak from the south, and actually drive through the village of Xcalak.

Follow the road from Majahual for 60 km to its end (just outside Xcalak). Turn left to Xcalak.  The paved road ends just outside the southern end of town.  Turn left at the end of the paved road and follow the road in to and through town. As long as you're either heading toward the sea or the sea is on your right, you really can't get lost, although if it's your first trip here it might feel like you are.

Turn left at the white building that is the port captain's office (Capitania de Puerto). There is a pole on the left of the road with several signs (if you miss that turn you'll only drive for about ten seconds before that road ends, so you won't have wasted much time before you turn around). The short piece of road after the left turn, before the road curves right, is the only time the sea will be behind you. Casa Carolina is conveniently located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the bridge at the north end of town.

If you would like more information about driving to Xcalak from other parts of the Yucatan, please feel free to ask us.

It is possible to get a taxi from Cancun to Xcalak, but the process is complicated.  Getting a taxi back to Cancun from Xcalak is not something you should count on.  If you have a lot of leisure time, you can also get to Xcalak by bus.

Driving distances:  Cancun is approximately 170 miles north of Limónes.  Majahual is about 30 miles from Limónes, and Xcalak is 40 miles from Majahual.  To see the driving route to Xcalak in greater detail, please click on the map above.

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