Progreso
The fantastic bedroom and beachfront community - and the very Capital of the Yucatan Riviera - visitors find a stretch of sand backing up on a natural paradise and a scene teeming with wildlife and jungle.
Progreso is very much the capital of the Riviera Yucatán, which extends from here westward to Sisal and the El Palmar nature reserve. The area is a fantastically pristine stretch of mangroves sand barrier islands. Interestingly, it needs to compete with the giant and world-class resort districts on the other side of the peninsula between Cancun and Tulum. They will win, hands down. And people in Mérida will leave it at that.
A bedroom and weekend getaway for people from the Yucatan state-capital, Mérida, this beachfront community is on a whole different level. Progreso is a local beach for many of the most important beach people in Mexico. The sand is a fantastical white powder, but visitors arrive not for the dramatically turquoise sea, but for a sense of community, culture, charm, and something else. Some 40,000 people live year-round in Progreso. There is a town, shops, eateries, and night spots. The Mercado Francisco I. Madero is right in the middle, so you can do better than international fare. The market is a local center not just for food, but for artisan goods, and increasingly for community tours and events too. And of course, the Casa de Cultura is right across the street.
Visitors get invited to tour the wildlife reserves and on canoe and kayak tours. There are manatees and flamingos. But there are also strong movements to protect and preserve these wild natural areas. You can learn all about it in Progreso. And people will be happy to tell you more.
People are getting to Progreso from the main Tren Maya station in Mérida. Barring traffic, the trip takes just about 45 minutes. There is no direct coastal route to Sisal. That trip can take a little longer at about an hour and 15 minutes. The trip from the Mérida airport is very similar, depending on traffic.
