After our successful day trip to Celestún we thought we should give it another shot. This time we set our sights on the small but busy town of Progreso.
The trip there was on a bus that runs every 15-20 minutes between Mérida and Progreso. We were surprised that every bus we observed was full. The trip takes about 60 minutes, 35 of those minutes is just getting out of Mérida. After that it is a quick smooth trip on an excellent highway.
Though the bus is not fancy, the ride was smooth and 54 pesos for a round trip is simply a price you can’t beat.
The purpose of our trip was to escape the stifling heat of Mérida. Bear in mind the reason we came to Mérida in January is that it is the coldest month of the year. Safe to say we won’t be coming back here. However the first thing we noticed as we got off the bus in Progreso was the cool breeze coming off the water. The difference between inland and waterfront is amazing.
We started our visit by walking the length of the Malecon. Yes, we were politely assaulted by vendors trying to get us into their restaurants or beach chairs, but a polite “no gracias” allowed us to pass without further pestering. We did the obligatory photo in front of the town sign then headed back along the waterfront.
One of the features along the Malecon is the Museo del Meteorito. Interestingly, the meteor was an asteroid estimated to have been 10km in diameter that hit the planet earth in this area about 66 million years ago, leaving a crater 1km deep and 10km across. This is the event that is thought to have triggered the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and 75% of the rest of the plant and animal species on the planet.
Though not the most scenic beach we have seen, and the water is quite churned up with sand and sea grass. The beach is wonderfully cool and relaxing though. We managed to find some lounge chairs where a young gentleman kept us supplied with beer and margaritas and we whiled away several hours relaxing and getting a massive dose of vitamin D.
The Port of Progreso pier was just a short distance from us. This pier extends 6.5km out into the Gulf of Mexico and is the longest pier in the world. It is a popular cruise ship stop as well as a busy cargo port suppling all of the Yucatan peninsula. Fortunately for us they were no cruise ships the day we were there so it was very quiet.
This mural was on the wall of a cafe as we walked to the beach. Honestly, I included it just for my sister as she is a fan of the Mexican artist Frida.
We very much enjoyed our day in Progreso and would recommend it to anyone who simply wants to enjoy some ocean breeze and relax for the day. We would highly recommend checking the cruise ship schedule so you don’t have to share the beach with a couple of thousand cruise passengers.
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