Skip to content
Mexican Caribbean
Mahahual

Mahahual

Roam - Rest - Take it easy

Mahahual

The world's second largest reef, right off the beach.

Mahahual is a fishing village with a sand boardwalk and no traffic lights. The Mesoamerican Reef System runs a few yards offshore, so the snorkelling starts as a swim.

Further south, Xcalak and Banco Chinchorro protect some of the best preserved stretches in the Mexican Caribbean; inland, Chacchoben waits in the jungle.

Right now
27°Cloudy
Best for
Reef, diving and a quiet beach
Best season
Dry season, November to April

Getting here

Airport

Facade of Chetumal International Airport, with its coloured lattice screen

Airport

Chetumal International Airport

The closest airport, though it requires a road journey to reach the coast. Upon landing in the capital, you must take an intercity transfer of approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach Mahahual. To make this trip, here are your options:

  • Private Shuttles You can book a transfer service to pick you up at the terminal and take you directly to your oceanfront hotel.
  • Car Rentals An ideal option for driving the scenic road to the coast at your own pace.
  • huttle Hubs You must first head to the Chetumal city center to board the passenger vans that connect to the coast.

Bus

Intercity coach parked beside the sea, its door marked Entrance

Bus

Mahahual transit station

The station's terminus is located at the entrance to the town, a short distance from the coast.

  • Community Transport At the deboarding area, units are available to take you to the hotel zone in less than 5 minutes.
  • Walking If traveling light, the boardwalk is a 15-minute walk along the main avenue toward the sea.

Cruise

Cruise ship docked at a pier in the Mexican Caribbean

Cruise

Costa Maya Cruise Terminal

The main entry point for travelers arriving by sea via the Costa Maya. The pier is located about 3 to 5 kilometers (2-3 miles) from the main boardwalk and the town of Mahahual. To get to the city center, you can do the following:

  • Official Pier Transport Internal shuttle units take passengers from the terminal exit to the town's entrance.
  • Local Mobility Just outside the port area, community transport units are available for the 5-10 minute ride to the beach zone.

Mahahual in motion

The malecon

One street, and it is made of sand

Mahahual's boardwalk is walked barefoot or ridden by bike: restaurants with their feet in the sand, small beach clubs, shops and the cooking of the south served facing the sea.

Aerial view of the boardwalk and pier in Mahahual

The reef

Snorkelling a hundred meters from the beach

Off Mahahual the reef sits close enough to swim to, to paddle to or to dive. Further south, Xcalak protects one of the best preserved stretches of the whole system.

Aerial view of the coast and reef of Mahahual

Banco Chinchorro

The largest coral atoll in Mexico

Two hours out by boat, the Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve is one of the best known dive sites in the world: an atoll with dozens of shipwrecks on its reefs and marine life that has barely been touched.

Aerial view of the Banco Chinchorro atoll

Maya heritage

Chacchoben, forty minutes away

Chacchoben is the most visited archaeological site in the south and keeps its temples among tropical gardens; Kohunlich is a little over an hour away.

Pyramid at the Chacchoben archaeological site
Aerial view of the pier and the boardwalk in Mahahual
Discover the south

Discover the south

Discover experiences, accommodations, local cuisine, transportation, and everything you need to plan your journey through the southern Mexican Caribbean.

Explore the South

Mahahual gallery

Hammocks on the beach in Mahahual
Aerial view of the town of Mahahual and its reef
Person floating over shallow turquoise water
Mahahual's lighthouse beside the boardwalk
Aerial view of a water park with slides and a pyramid in the Mahahual jungle
Loungers and palapas on the sand in Mahahual
Couple paddleboarding off Mahahual
Boats off the Mahahual coast

More about Mahahual

Aerial view of Laguna Bacalar in the southern Mexican Caribbean

June 16, 2026

Discover the Magic of the Southern Mexican Caribbean

Bacalar, Chetumal and Mahahual: a guide to the southern Mexican Caribbean, from the Lagoon of Seven Colors to the Mesoamerican Reef and Banco Chinchorro.

Read the article
Mahahual, Grand Costa Maya

September 29, 2024

10 Things to Do in Mahahual: The Hidden Heart of the Grand Costa Maya

Discover 10 things to do in Mahahual: stroll the malecón, snorkel the Mesoamerican Reef, dive Banco Chinchorro, spot birds in the mangroves and more.

Read the article
Chacchoben

September 29, 2024

Archaeological Sites Near Mahahual

Discover the archaeological sites near Mahahual: Chacchoben, Dzibanché, Kohunlich, Oxtankah and Kinichná, Maya cities a day trip from the Costa Maya.

Read the article

Mahahual

27°Cloudy
95%5 km/h
Best time to visit
  • Sat30°26°

Follow me on Instagram

@visitmahahual