Permit· Banco Chinchorro· Mexico
Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve
18° 35.2′ N · 87° 19.2′ W
Mexico's largest coral atoll - a 40-plus km ring of reef 30 km off Majahual enclosing a shallow lagoon, three mangrove cays, scores of shipwrecks and a large crocodile population. Superb, but closed to independent yacht visits.
Practical
Coordinate from Wikipedia (atoll centre). Decreed a Biosphere Reserve 19 July 1996; Ramsar site 2 February 2004; 144,360 ha including about 581 ha of cays; reef lagoon 2-8 m deep. Yacht access: Noonsite (2015) reports the anchorage and moorings at Cayo Norte are no longer open to yachts, and the Navy uses the area for drug interdiction; the Majahual Port Captain (2019) said cruising boats are not generally permitted to land, though permission might be sought from CONANP offices in Cozumel or Cancún or the park rangers. Visitors must go with an authorised provider from Majahual or Xcalak; snorkelling and diving only in permitted zones; equipment is disinfected, non-wettable bags and rough-soled boots are banned, everyone is inspected before boarding, and daily visitor numbers are capped (El Universal). Day trips by fast boat take about 2-2.5 hours; XTC's 2-tank trip is US$275 including the biosphere fee and wristband. Overnight stays became legal under the 2010 management-programme revision. A Navy base and CONANP station are on the cays.
Best for
Organised dive or snorkel trips from Xcalak or Majahual
Season
Summer has the calmest seas for day trips
Nearby
- Chinchorro Wrecks (40 Cannons)Right here
- Lobster and Conch Closed Seasons (Banco Chinchorro)Right here
- Cayo Centro (Banco Chinchorro)0.8 NM away
- Chinchorro American Crocodiles0.8 NM away
- Frigatebird Nesting at Cayo Centro0.8 NM away
- Cayo Centro Fish-Camp Walk (Banco Chinchorro)1.4 NM away
- Cayo Centro Anchorage (Banco Chinchorro)1.7 NM away
- Cayo Norte Anchorage (Banco Chinchorro)9.8 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).