Xtampú

Xtampú is a little beach community most famous for the brightly colored pink salt flats along the Emerald Coast of Yucatan. Across the Laguna Rosa, the famous pink lagoon, are the ancient ruins of the Xcambo site that grew to be home to some 6,000 people between 200-600 CE, the very height of the Classical Maya period. The city was dedicated to the production of salt, but it is especially noted today for the visible Guatemalan influence in the architectural style and in the art. The peculiar pink color of the lagoons is due to the high concentrations of salt and the crustacean "Artemia salina" which also serves as food for the flamingos that surround the area.

The modern local salt works were revived by the now famous Meyah Ta'ab cooperative. Former fisherman, the name Meyah Ta'ab means simply salt workers in the Mayan language. The pink color of the water results from an algae high in carotenoids. The same algae also keeps local flamingos in the pink. The resulting salt is pink too. 

People end up in Xtampú after trips to nearby Progreso and on their way to the beach at Telchac. Their beautiful here too. The municipal seat is Dzemul and it is only about 15 minutes inland by car. Here, you'll find a nice collection of little beachfront inns, cabins, and lodging places. There are not a lot of restaurants although they will open up in Telchac from time to time. For vacationers, this stretch of coast is long and lazy and often perfect for the total getaway. 

People arrive to Xtampú from Mérida which is only about an hour to the southwest. From the Teya - Mérida or the Tixkokob stations on the Tren Maya, the trip can be a little faster as you can skirt most of the traffic around the capital. Autobuses Noreste Yucatán runs regular buses to Dzemul and the sites around Xtampú are all easily accessible by bicitaxi or mototaxi.