Punta Allen

Beach at Punta Allen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Punta Allen (Spanish pronunciation: ['punta 'alen]), (officially Javier Rojo Gómez) is the largest village in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve at the end of the Boca Paila Peninsula in Tulum Municipality in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a small Mayan fishing village with a 2010 census population of 469 inhabitants,[1] and the only land access is by a rough 50 kilometre track.[2]

The village has only about 4-5 blocks of sandy streets going inland from the sea and is only about 6-7 streets wide. Punta Allen has 1 generator that runs electricity to the village during two periods daily; 11am - 2pm and from 7pm - midnight. It is wise to bring a flashlight along so you can find your way to the bathroom at night, without stepping on a scorpion, crab or any other creature of the night.

For nutrition, the village has 4 mini markets, a fresh seafood store/house, a produce store/house, a lobster co-op that makes ice, and a number of restaurants along the beachfront and scattered around town. On some days you can pre-order tamales to be delivered around 6pm.

The beach is not groomed, and is littered with garbage brought in by the waves. Most of this garbage is said to come from cruise ships and other Caribbean countries with open land fills. Every time a hurricane passes it picks up the garbage and deposits it in the sea, to be left till it makes its way to one of the beaches.

There is a dock on the lagoon with a palapa roof. This is a good spot for watching the sunset and perhaps a feeding dolphin or crocodile. Punta Allen is a perfect base for bird-watchers; Pelicans, Pink spoonbills, Frigates, mockingbirds, vultures and White Ibis nest nearby. The main pier of the village is manned by armed law enforcement personnel to discourage Caribbean drug smugglers from using Punta Allen's remote location as an ingress point.

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere and Punta Allen draw bone fishermen from all over the world who enjoy the saltwater flats and fly-fishing.

Notes

  1. ↑ 2010 census tables: INEGI
  2. ↑ Rough Guide to Punta Allen, retrieved 2012-02-10

Coordinates: 19°47′59″N 87°28′35″W / 19.79972°N 87.47639°W / 19.79972; -87.47639

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