Stop laughing. I hope you didn’t choke on your morning coffee thinking about camping in Yucatán. Yes, it can be hot, sweaty, and very, very wet here, but not all the time.
From mid-October until at least March, I’d even go so far as to say we have perfect camping weather. Days are delightfully warm and the evenings are cool enough that the idea of a Fogata (for some reason I love the Spanish word for campfire enough to replace it in my English) and s’mores is incredibly appealing.
For me, camping means ensuring even more of my travel time is spent outside. Naturally, therefore, my thoughts turn to camping possibilities.
So, where to camp in Yucatán?
Ejido San Crisanto
Offers camping spaces on their beach area Balneario Sac-Há. If wild beach camping is your thing then this option will be perfect for you. Set up your tent under a Palapa or between the palm trees and get ready to do some serious relaxing. Sac-Há is one of the state’s best-kept secrets. This stretch of beach could be on a desert island, it’s so beautiful.
There are bathrooms that are kept clean and basic outdoor showers. The community can provide meals to your tent with prior warning, or you can head into Telchac Puerto or San Crisanto to find food. Of course, if you’re really into the whole camping experience (I am), then there’s always the option of cooking your own food over the Fogata. Just take the grill from your oven at home and create a makeshift stove.
When I camped here, we took a mix of pre-prepared food from home and also cooked over the fire. Of course, if you’re there with kids then the s’mores can come out too once everyone has eaten. As a non-American, I can attest that kids of all nationalities love s’mores!
The site is large enough and few enough people camp here that you really won’t be disturbed by other campers. During the day there will be day-visitors, but most leave by 5 pm.
Playa Sac Ha Camping
Carretera Yuc. Km. 27 entre Telchac Puerto y San Crisanto
Cel. 991 105 3710 o 999 353 2293
$180 per person per night (kids over 5 years old have to pay)
Access includes: palapas, bathrooms, and showers
Schedule: 12 pm - 12 pm next day
Sayachaltún Ecoturismo
Just before Telchac Puerto is Sayachaltún, one of my favorite places for kayaking and communing with nature in Yucatán. I spend a lot of time out on the water here, but I haven’t yet camped with them. I absolutely plan on doing so very soon. This site is on the lagoon side of the road, making it slightly different from the other two options above. If you want beach time, simply cross the road and follow the sand.
This campsite has bathrooms and showers and a full restaurant service. There is a fun wooden play space for the kids to entertain themselves and you can rent kayaks to muck about on the Laguna. Fogatas are not permitted at this campsite.
Sayachaltún
Calle 27 a mano derecha antes de llegar a Telchac Puerto
Costo: $150 pesos por tienda de acampar, por noche
Cel. 9992 30 81 19
FB: Sayachaltún
Hameki
If you’re less keen on actual camping, how about glamping? At Hameki, in Homún, you can have all the safe outdoor fun you like with the comfort of not having to put up your own tent and being able to sleep in a bed. There is even a mini spa on site for those who really love a little pampering.
Homún is home to a large number of cenotes so while you’re far from the beach, there’s no shortage of watery options, including the on-site swimming pool. If you stay here be sure to ask about their cenote tours, too.
There is a restaurant and bar on site (no taking your own food or booze here) and a firepit where you can cook your all-important marshmallows or s’mores.
Hameki Glamping
Km 3.3 Carretera Acanceh - Sotuta, Homún
Get in touch for prices as there are often promotions
FB: Hameki Glamping
How to Book: reservaciones@hameki.com.mx
Top Camping Tips
- Whatever you do, please, please step out of your tent in the middle of the night for a star-gazing session. Rarely will you experience a night sky like in the Yucatecan countryside. I’ve traveled extensively around the world and am awed by the stars here.
- I know the wonderful YT readers aren’t the type of people who leave trash behind, but the more reusable items you take, the less waste you create.
- Our esteemed editor reminded me that bugs might be of concern: hmmm, well, it’s often windy at the beach, which means few mosquitos. Don’t forget the bug spray and sunblock, though. It’s still hot enough to burn.
First published in Yucatán Today digital magazine no. 935, in November 2020.
Photography by Cassie Pearse for use in Yucatán Today
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