Anchorage· Banco Chinchorro· Mexico
Cayo Centro Anchorage (Banco Chinchorro)
18° 34.4′ N · 87° 20.8′ W · approximate
The lee side of Cayo Centro, Chinchorro's big mangrove island, off the fishermen's stilt-house village - the cay every licensed dive and snorkel trip stops at for lunch and a walk.
Practical
Coordinate is approximate and NOT a sounded anchorage: placed about 500 m off the west shore of Cayo Centro as mapped in OpenStreetMap (the island spans about 18.572-18.604 N, 87.305-87.341 W; the fishing co-operative 'Langosteros del Caribe' is mapped at 18.5725 N, 87.3384 W at the SW end; the CONANP field station, its pier and the Cayo Centro light are on the east side near 18.577 N, 87.319 W). Per English Wikipedia the palafitos stand 60-100 m offshore at the south-western end - keep well clear of them and of their traps and lines. Access rules: 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 (January 2019) said cruising boats are not generally permitted to land, though permission might be sought from CONANP (Cozumel or Cancún offices) or the park rangers. Arrange written CONANP permission before you sail and expect a Navy boarding (a January 2009 yacht was boarded - politely - as soon as it picked up a mooring). Licensed day boats run here from Majahual and Xcalak (about 2-2.5 hours by fast boat; XTC charges US$275 for two tanks plus the Cayo Centro visit, including the biosphere fee and wristband). Lagoon depths 2-7 m over sand with coral heads (Spanish Wikipedia). Wildlife: frigatebirds nest in the inner lagoon 'Rabihos' (GeoNames lists Rabihos and Palizada lagoons inside the cay) and over 400 American crocodiles live in the mangroves (XTC) - do not swim near the mangrove edge. About 22 nm from Majahual, 33 nm from Xcalak.
Best for
Permit-holders only: the atoll's centre, fish camp and ranger station
Season
Settled weather; XTC says summer is the best season to dive Chinchorro
Nearby
- Cayo Centro Fish-Camp Walk (Banco Chinchorro)0.4 NM away
- Cayo Centro (Banco Chinchorro)0.9 NM away
- Chinchorro American Crocodiles0.9 NM away
- Frigatebird Nesting at Cayo Centro0.9 NM away
- Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve1.7 NM away
- Chinchorro Wrecks (40 Cannons)1.7 NM away
- Lobster and Conch Closed Seasons (Banco Chinchorro)1.7 NM away
- Cayo Norte Anchorage (Banco Chinchorro)10.8 NM away