Progreso Marinas and Water Sports

When one thinks of the Yucatán, one thinks of Mayan pyramids and colonial cities. However, there is a lot more to the Yucatán. While sailing and fishing are things the locals do regularly, sailing has not been organized to the point where it is offered easily to tourists. It is possible to hire boats for fishing.

The Yucalpetén harbor is about four miles west of Progreso and is shaped like a three leaf clover. In this harbor you will find the large local fishing fleet, fish packing companies (that export fish and octopus worldwide), the Navy base, two condo complexes, and eight recreational boat marinas. The private boats you see at these marinas include powerboats and sailboats that range in size from dinghies to 70-foot yachts.

If you look at a map, you will notice that Progreso is strategically located for boats coming from or going to Texas from the Caribbean, so it is common to see foreign boats in the harbor that come in to re-fuel, provision and/or re-group after the passage from or to the US. 

In the local marinas, there is a fleet of some 30 sailboats that range in size from 11 feet to 46 feet. On any given weekend, on the west side of the Progreso pier, you will see the white sails of several sailboats enjoying the breezes of the Gulf of Mexico. Progreso is known for its consistent winds in the 12-15 knot range. There is even a local yacht club that is not very active, but it does exist!

June 1st is Día de la Marina or Seaman’s Day, where festivities that include ceremonies, marathons, dances and taco parties go on for several days. Marina Laguna Mar also sponsors a yearly sailboat regatta the weekend closest to June 1st. In the summertime there are regattas just about every weekend where Hobie Cat 16’s, Sunfish and windsurfers race for the various cups that are offered.

Marina Silcer (www.marinasilcer.com) is a sail club located on the beach in Chicxulub and it is one place where you can rent windsurfers and small sailboats. This is a happening place where you will also find people practicing kite-boarding on the weekends after about 2 pm when the wind picks up. It is also the place to have a delicious seafood lunch right on the beach.

For tide info: http://www.semar.gob.mx/hidrocart/grafnum/grafnum_progreso.htm