Mahahual, Mexico

Living an isolated beach life requires escape from time to time. We found ours in the small town of Mahahaul, about 50 km north by beach and 75 km by road. It takes almost an hour and a half to drive. Much of which, is navigating our rugged beach road while travelling south to meet the jungle road; the only road north and the only exit out of Xcalak. Mahahaul has been growing rapidly over the years with the aid of tourism. They have many dive shops, boutique hotels and restaurants, which thrive off cruise ships docking every two to four days. The main strip running along the ocean is called the Malecon. Here you can find vendors selling all sorts of trinkets, shells, clothes and traditional Mexican blankets. Massage tables, beach clubs and more restaurants dot the oceanside walkway as well. Our favourites in this part of town are a restaurant using the Mayan name of “Nohoch Kay,” meaning Big Fish and a small deli owned by a lovely Italian woman who's been living there for years. Nohoch Kay was actually the first place we ate when arriving in Mexico from Panama. They have a great location at the south end of the Malecon, incredibly friendly staff that got to know us and amazing tacos for a good price. Cheap beers, tacos and getting to practice our Spanish is always a treat for us. The deli is a great spot to get good cheeses, (we once bought a piece of brie that one could hide behind), meats and other specialty items the owner imports that are otherwise impossible to get. The Mennonite eggs by the tray cannot be overlooked either.

The outskirts of Mahahaul offer the only bank machine within 150 Km of where we live and an area referred to as the Casitas (small homes in which many of the locals and permanent gringos live). There are a few dirt roads that head north and south as well from the main strip. These are the true local areas that provide a more realistic glimpse of the town struggling to hide behind the façade of hotels and restaurants, which only some get work at. The different tiendas (shops) around the Casitas sell more items not found anywhere near us. Most tiendas in Mexico are like an 80’s corner store, if that, so these were incredible finds. Items like almond milk for Rebecca, great chorizo for me, red wine, hot sauces, coke zero and still the only place we’ve seen a box of Kleenex for over 250km, has made living in the middle of nowhere a lot more comfortable. We make the trip at least every two weeks and always come back with coolers packed to the brim.