Anchorage· El Cuyo· Mexico
El Cuyo Anchorage
21° 31.4′ N · 87° 40.7′ W · approximate
An open Gulf roadstead off El Cuyo, a laid-back fishing village with a lighthouse in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, about 18 nm west of Holbox. It is the last stop before the long Yucatán north coast toward Progreso.
Practical
Coordinate is approximate: plotted about 400 m north of the end of the town's fishing pier. OpenStreetMap places the pier at 21.5182-21.5197, -87.6777 (way 651851097) and the lighthouse at 21.5155, -87.6780. Spanish Wikipedia gives the village as 21°30'57"N 87°40'42"W. Further west, two short piers at about 21.519-21.522, -87.686 to -87.687 mark the ría inlet by the town bridge (OpenStreetMap). No cruising-guide anchorage, depths or inlet soundings were found. The north Yucatán shelf is shallow a long way out, so approach on a current chart and sounder, in daylight. This is an open roadstead suitable only in settled weather or light southerly winds. It is fully exposed to nortes and the NE trades, so leave if either is forecast. Village services, per OpenStreetMap: small groceries and minimarkets (Minimarket El Farito), a bakery, an HSBC ATM, a health center (Centro de Salud) and lonchería-style seafood restaurants. No marina or fuel dock is listed: get fuel by jerry can and verify locally. El Cuyo lies inside the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, known for its flamingo colonies, so treat the lagoon as protected. It is in Yucatán state and is not a port of entry: clear in at Isla Mujeres or Progreso.
Best for
A settled-weather stepping stone between Holbox and Progreso
Season
Settled weather, Apr–Jun best; untenable in nortes (Oct–Mar)