Around the world there are always hidden gems that travelers look for while they go on vacation. Being there you feel you are the only person lucky enough to have found this place and to enjoy it. Chances are you’ve encountered calm, crystal waters and some wildlife around you, however, we have a secret to share with you: Mexico has a very curious place called Isla Contoy.
Isla Contoy National Park is located 30 kilometers north of Isla Mujeres, where the waters of the Caribbean Sea meet the Gulf of Mexico. The Ixlaché reef, south of Cotoy, marks the beginning of the world’s second largest barrier reef, the Great Mesoamerican Reef. Isla Cotoy is a protected area since 1961 and was declared a National Park in 1998. The uninhabited island is 8.75 kilometers long and has an area of 230 hectares and a marine area of 4,900 hectares, and is the refuge to the Caribbean’s most important. Lagoons, mangrove and lowland forests are home to 173 registered bird species. Since the winter, more than 10,000 birds come togethere here, including frigates, cormorants, bobo birds, herons, brown pelicans and terns. In the summer, three species of sea turtles come to the beaches of Contoy to spawn: hawksbill, loggerhead and white turtle. 98 identified species of plants, especially the mangroves that cover 70% of the surface of the island, have been preserved intact, and are home to many species of birds, reptiles, crustaceans and fish.
The waters surrounding Contoy are home to over 234 species of fish, including the majestic whale sharks and manta rays. In the Ixlaché reef, abound coral and fish species, making it a place of particular charm for snorkelers.
The number of visitors to the park is limited to 200 people per day. You can reach it through authorized boat ride from Cancun, Isla Mujeres or Puerto Juarez. The crossing takes one to two hours, depending on the type of boat, the starting point and the weather. The infrastructure of the park in the eco tourist area includes a pier, a visitor center with a small museum, an observation tower, two interpretive trails where you can appreciate the flora and fauna of the island, a bird watching gazebo, two large diner palapas for visitors, and a field station equipped with wind generators and solar panels.
If the visitor is looking for a type of alternative tourism, BelleVue Beach Paradise**** hotel, located beachfront in Cancún, beside the mangroves of the Nichupté lagoon, is the perfect choice. The bay where the hotel is located is the place chosen by hundreds of large Caribbean turtles to spawn from May to November. The hotel staff and guests plant the eggs in a sort of farm on the side of the hotel to protect them from predators like pelicans. This project has earned the BelleVue Beach Paradise**** the Zofemat (Federal Maritime and Terrestrial Zone) award for preserving biodiversity.
