Isla Arena

Isla Arena is chain of barrier islands some 72 kilometers northwest from Calkiní and just about the northernmost point in Campeche. A year-round population of some 1,000 residents is dedicated to welcoming visitors, and fishing. The island is especially famous for the quality of octopus maya which is harvested along much of this coast. People arrive from around the world to fish the bay and the Gulf of Mexico for barracuda, red snapper and other kinds of snapper fish. 

But the Isla Arena is also famous as some of the best beach country in Campeche. Many residents run small cabin rentals, although there is a good mix of more upscale lodging as well. To the north are the famous ruins of Real de Salinas, an old salt extraction plant, and a petrified forest.There is no coastal road though the environmentally sensitive area and the inland road trip can take a little more than two hours. But the country is stunning. 

Most of it is protected as the Ría Celestun Biosphere Reserve reserve. The reserve is home to 304 species of identified. 56% of them spend all year they are visited by migratory birds that can include American flamingos. A few different human organizations are active on the island and welcome visitors for tours of the mangrove, the crocodile lairs, and the surrounding wetlands. Most guests will enjoy the beach and the seafood. But there is also a surprising sense of community and coming back here, even on your first visit. 

Most visitors will arrive to Isla Arena from Calkiní where a number of tour groups will meet guests at the Tren Maya station. Along the way visitors pass a number of old henequén haciendas as well as a booming community tourism industry. The corridor of Dzitbalché, Nunkiní, Santa Cruz, Tankuché, and El Remate only ends upon arrival to Isla Arena but it is an increasingly welcoming and well organized corridor for visitors, no matter where they are coming from.