Nuevo Xcán
It's the last stop (or the first) in Quintana Roo, but getting here is often a first step into the grand adventure you've been dreaming of, and it's never been easier.
Nuevo Xcán is the last stop on the Tren Maya in the state of Quintana Roo en route to Mérida from Cancun. It's twinned with the town of X-Can just a few minutes across the border and at last in Yucatan. Those on their way to X-Can are almost entirely visiting for the incredible cenotes, the swimming, and the vast and intricate underground cave systems. The truth is, such attractions are on the Quintana Roo side of the border too.
But here, most people will be stopping en route, if not to X-Can itself, then to Holbox to the north, and Cobá, the magnificent town of ancient ruins and lakes just 45 minutes to the south. Along the way is a magnificent landscape, punctuated by still more dreamy cenotes, and miles and miles of open pasture.
But people not on a bee-line to somewhere else will stop at the Parque Ta'akbil-ja, right next to the Ejidal (Comisaria Ejidal Nuevo) which is one of the main buildings in town and right across the street from the Parque Principal. The Ta'akbil Ja project is statewide, and the people here, if they haven't met you at the train station, will act as a tour agency, or as an information broker. They've got connections to all of the best spots on both sides of the state line for hiking, cave exploration, rappelling, or simple cenote explorations. They're invaluable for anyone who's gotten off the train with an open mind.
Just a little to the north of Nuevo Xcán, the Laguna Nachi Cocom Popolnáh basks in the solemn and ancient bronze of the sun. It's a fantastic lake on the edge of the little town of Popolnáh, barely ten minutes barely ten minutes by car. People mostly stay overnight in Kantunilkín, some 35 minutes to the north, if they're not intent on getting to Holbox before nightfall. In the other direction, toward Cobá, there are a few places to stop before arriving, but then, Cobá itself is famous for the number and quality of places to spend the night.
To the north, the little port of Chiquilá is the usual spot for boats setting off for Holbox. From the Tren Maya station it takes a little more than an hour to get there. Many of the hotels in Holbox will send you detailed directions on getting there, in not from the train, then certainly from the port.
