Taking your RV to the Yucatan and Chiapas

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Words by Paul Beddows

Most people's impression of the Yucatan come from trips to an all-inclusive in Cancun or Playa del Carmen, along with a trip to a few of the most often visited Mayan Ruins, Chichén Itzá, and Tulum. While those beach locations are certainly nice and there is no doubt the ruins are significant archaeological sites, there is much more to the Yucatan and Chiapas that can only be explored by car or RV. When it comes to Chiapas, relatively few Canadians and Americans have visited this unique area of Mexico, one of the most beautiful, albeit poorest, areas of the country.

I have led two RV caravans through these regions within the last three years. I do suggest you utilize a caravan for this route. If you have a smaller rig and are of an independent mind, you can do it by yourself but it is wise to find at least one other rig to travel with.

For those who have previously taken their RV into Mexico, both regions are much tougher than what you will have previously experienced. The infrastructure is poorer and many roads are in much worse condition, and not as RV-friendly as the West Coast. My best advice is to not attempt it in anything larger than a 36-foot motorhome or with anything longer than a 28- foot trailer or 32-foot 5th wheel. Do not assume you will have access to organized parks, and prepare yourself for more dry camping. The only company running English language caravans in this area is Caravanas de Mexico (in even-numbered years). Amigos Rodantes do it in French.

The best route to the Yucatan is to cross at Laredo or Mission Texas and head for the north of Mexico City. I do not advise using the Brownsville crossing and heading directly south. If you are coming from the west you can take the toll highway from Nogales through Mazatlan to Guadalajara, Morelia and Mexico City. There are two RV parks to stay in at the north end of Mexico City - Teotihuacán RV Park and Pepes RV Park. From either of those, you can reach the Emerald Coast, on the Carribean side of Mexico, in one day. There is a new toll road over towards Posa Rica before your travel further to Monto Gordo and the "Emerald Coast".

Before the 2008 recession, there were several RV Parks strung along the Emerald Coast, but many have fallen into disrepair or have closed. There are four or five of them still open in various states of repair. My suggestion is Mar Esmeralda, which still seems to be fairly well-maintained. One advantage of this park is that it is fairly far north and easier to take a taxi to visit the ruins of El Tajin. This site has a distinctive architectural style not found elsewhere in Pre-Columbian Mexico. The site is not Mayan, it is part of the Veracruz culture and predates the Maya. You will not find it crowded with tourists, as there are usually less than 100 visitors a day. This is also an excellent location to witness the Papantla Flying Men. Wind permitting, they will scale a high pole and descend upside down hung by their ankles. Although you may see demonstrations of this elsewhere in Mexico, this is where it was thought to have originated. It is, however, known to have been practiced by other Pre-Columbian civilizations.

Heading south along the coast, the next logical RV stop is Veracruz. There is one RV park still operating just south of the city, Coco Adventuras. It is a nice park, but access can be tight so you have to take it slow. It is actually not in Veracruz itself, but Boca del Rio.

Continuing south down the coast from Veracruz is the medium-sized town of Catemaco. There is a very nice RV park with good services here operated by an American couple - Villas Tepetapan & RV Park. Catemaco Lake is a few minutes walk away and you can hire a boat to tour this lake with its many islands. Some are inhabited by distinct species of primates introduced by scientists who wanted to study them in an isolated environment. Many are not native to North America so the island setting keeps them from invading the mainland. This lake is also a bird watcher's paradise.

From Catemaco, one can travel Isla Aguada in a day or break it up with a stop at the Gordo y San Pancho Balneario in Villahermosa. This is not a great RV park, just a few hook-ups next to a swimming pool complex, but you should visit La Venta Park to view the many carved Olmec heads, a unique sight in Meso-America. From Villahermosa, the beachfront RV Park in Isla Agauda is a nice place to relax for a day or two. This park has full hook-ups.

The city of Campeche should be your next stop. One of the few places left to camp here is Kin Ha Balneario, a swimming complex that used to have a full-service RV Park. Sadly, it is now abandoned, but they do allow camping across the street and will supply power and water. There is also a nice pool and an opportunity to dump at the old RV park area.

From Campeche, don't miss the Mayan ruins of Uxmal, an easy detour off the main highway. These impressive, well-restored ruins are nowhere near as crowded as Chichén Itzá, as they are just a bit too far for day trips from Cancun. There is a large field opposite the entrance you may dry camp at for a nominal fee. If you have drinks or a meal at the hotel opposite they will often allow you to use their pool.

Moving on, the city of Mérida is one of the safest and is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico. Unfortunately, the only RV Park there is probably not long for this world. It is roomy, but not well-maintained and is surrounded by new commercial development. There are many local tour opportunities to explore Mérida. If you have transport, Celestún to the north is known for its pink flamingos and pink lakes (which is why the birds are pink).

From Mérida you can make it to Piste, the location of Chichén Itzá, in an easy day's time. The Piramide Inn Resort offers dry camping out front and Chichén Itzá is only about a 1/2 kilometre walk. Get there at opening and you will have the site almost to yourself — until the tour buses from Cancun arrive. After that, there are 5000 tourists a day.

If you wish to visit Cancun there are two RV parks open. The Mecoloco RV and Trailer Park and the Canadian-run Camping Cancun RV Park. I prefer to skip Cancun. There is a new toll highway from the Chichén Itzá area direct to Playa del Carmen. The Maya coast has seen huge development over the last decade or two and many RV parks have disappeared. The one surviving, (albeit shrinking) park that can handle larger rigs is located at Paamul, but I wouldn't recommend it as a great RV destination.

As you head south, the development thins out south of Tulum, and there is little else until you reach the sizable city of Chetumal just north of the Belize border. There is a very nice RV park here, the Yax-Ha Cabanas & Trailer Park. It has grassy sites, a pool, and restaurant, but only one central water supply and sani-dump. From this location, you may take a taxi to visit the impressive but un-crowded Mayan ruins of Dzibanche and Kohunlich.

The former is noted for its large pyramids, the latter for its carvings. You will likely be the only ones there. My favourite destination from Chetumal however is Lake Bacalar, described as the Maldives of Mexico by some, or the lake of seven colours. It is actually a conglomeration of seven cenotes (sink holes) of varying depths which gives the lake it many colours. Boat cruises may be arranged from the town of Bacalar. The lake is fed by underground streams from the mountains of Chiapas and is crystal clear.

Onwards into Chiapas, the next logical destination from Chetumal is Palenque, but it is a long day's drive. There are two Pemex gas stations at either side of the town of Xpujil that allow overnight parking. If you have transport, you can visit the impressive ruins of Calakmul, 40 km south of the main highway. The turn off is about an hour west of Xpujil. You may arrange a collectivo to take you to the entrance from Xpujil and then another one licensed to take you into Calakmul from the highway. Please note you may not take any pets, even in your vehicle, as you have to pass through strict native reserve. The ruins at Calakmul are some of the largest in the Mayan world and rise right up out of the jungle. Few visit them yet the experience is magical. If you can arrange to be back at the main highway before sunset there is a 15-minute hiking trail that will take you to a bat cave where thousands of bats emerge at sunset.

The next spot on the route is Palenque. The Hotel Nututun is probably the best spot to camp here. It has some power and one central water supply and dump. Tours to the ruins may be arranged by the Hotel. The years ago I led a caravan from here to the town of San Cristóbal de las Casas. There is a direct highway, but it took us nine hours to go just over 160 km. Part of that was due to being held up by locals upset at the government neglect of the area. We paid them and continued on after an hour or two. This area is where the Zapatista Army of National Liberation movement was active and is not considered very safe. The recent election of a new president, who comes from this region, has hopefully eased tensions. The highway is not very RV friendly and is in poor shape. Despite the lengthier trip, you are better to go the long way around via Villahermosa and Tuxtla Gutierrez in order to reach San Cristóbal de las Casas.

There is no RV Park remaining in San Cristóbal de las Casas, except for a small one only good for small rigs, but you may park in Sam's Club. Between San Cristóbal and Tuxla is Chiapa de Corzo. From here, one has to take a boat trip to Cañón del Sumidero, one of the deepest canyons in the Americas. There is a bus storage yard in Chiapa de Corzo that will allow RV parking. For our caravans, we now park RVs at Casa Hogar Orphanage west of Tuxla and do a two-day bus trip to both Cañón del Sumideroo and San Cristobal. It avoids a two-way harrowing drive through Tuxla. Hogar is run by a non-profit out of Oregon and is well worth a visit. They do have a few hook-up RV spaces. On our last caravan through there we raised enough money to purchase 2 fridges and a washing machine.

I usually head to Hogar orphanage before heading back north. The next full- service RV parks heading north are in Oaxaca and it is too far to make in one day. You will need to find a Pemex gas station to park overnight in. The town of Santa Maria de Xalapa, does have a football field that they allow caravans to use, I am not sure of individual rigs, however, you can easily find a 24-hour Pemex to stay in somewhere along the way. Oaxaca has 2 RV parks, both on the south side of the city. From Oaxaca, you can reach Puebla or the Mexico City area in one day. and your loop will be complete.

For GPS co-ordinates of parks mentioned in this article visit https://www.mexicocaravans.com/snowbirds

Paul Beddows is a Wagon Master for Caravanas de Mexico and lives in Abbotsford, BC