Sunday, August 24, 2014

Secret Beach


I don't normally head out to the beach during the high season, but this morning the pull was so strong that I went anyhow. Some people go to church on Sundays. I find renewal swimming in the ocean and feeling the sun on my skin.

Today is the very last day of summer vacations in Yucatán. School starts tomorrow, so although hot weather continues for at least another month or two, the beach scene calms down after this.

But on a day like today, at most favorite beach spots, parking areas and restaurants are jammed, and the sand is lined with beach chairs, umbrellas and all types of fancy and home-made sun shelters. It seems that all of Yucatán and their cousins are swimming, building sand castles, listening to music and drinking beer along the fringe of the Gulf of Mexico.

So I headed out to Secret Beach.

This is undoubtedly my favorite beach in Yucatán, not because it's spectacular or beautiful, but because of the solitude. Today, on one of the busiest beach-vacation weekends of the summer, I took the above photo at this wonderful little spot.

Tracks in the sand showed the path of a horse and rider that had passed by earlier. Curious, I followed their trail for a bit, but the heat drove me into the water. They'd obviously been out in the morning when the sun was not so intense.

The bottom here is sandy and the water clear, warm and calm. Fish raced through the waves and jumped around me as I swam. Pelicans, vultures, gulls, overflying flamingos, and a few lizards were my only other company.

After a while, a fishing launch passed by and dropped a handful of tourists off a few hundred meters up the beach. I'd had enough sun, and now the place was starting to feel crowded. I walked the rustic path back to the car and headed for a shrimp cocktail and fish-fillet lunch under a palapa a little ways down the sandy road.

Creeping development is a threat to the wonderful solitude here, and things are slowly changing. Power lines sprouted along the road several years ago and fancy beach mansions are going up not far away. When they build the houses, they put up walls or barbed wire fences which block off trails and roads to beaches like this one. 

At least for the moment though, along the stretch by Secret Beach, access is still unrestricted and free.

I try to get out here and enjoy it while I still can.


Text and images copyright 2014 by Marc Olson

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for the update on a special place. I think we have a few more years to enjoy it, Marc. (And at least the McMansions will usually be empty most of the winter months meaning the beach will be, too.) Also your new truck means greater access to even more remote places. Todo bien.

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    1. It's the same as always, Paul. And it IS nicer getting in there with the big tires and clearance of the pickup. I hope we can run out there the next time you are here.

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  2. Nice to hear from you again.

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    1. And I am glad you still check in from time to time although the blog has been rather inactive.

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  3. Oh my, I love beaches with no one on them. I've found a few on the Pacific that are SO SO sweet!
    Believe it or not, even in the USA, during certain times of the year, I have beaches on the Gulf I can walk for miles and see no buildings or people. NO, I'm not divulging even the state much less the location.
    Hope to walk your Secret Beach some day soon.

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    1. You must mean those many beaches on the Costalegre that are closed to the public ;)

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  4. It sounds like Secret Beach will be no more now that you've posted a photo of it on the Interwebs. Oh wait. Maybe that was a pic of another beach, one even off in another country?

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    1. No, that's the beach, but I think the it will remain a secret for now. The only folks who could possibly identify it from the photo are those who already know it. I left identifying features out of the frame on purpose. But there are good stretches of roadless Yucatan coast like this. This area happens to be in a sweet spot as far as developent goes: accessible by car but as yet untrampled.

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  5. We hermits have so few renewal options.

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    1. This is a pretty lovely spot for R&R. In fact, I found a reasonably-priced little house just a few clicks down the coast from this beach, and am thinking about buying it in order to spend more time close by.

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  6. Hi Marc. Good to see you back. Hope your secret beach stays secret for many more years!

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  7. Did you ever visit a beach called Holbox on an island off the coast of Yucatan? That's our favorite beach though your secret resort looks pretty good too.

    al

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