We took a ferry from San Pedro in Belize to enter Mexico via Chetumal. A relatively short and simple journey bar having to pay the Mexican entry fee twice.

Mahahual was a fishing village but it is now a rapidly developing tourist center. The town is on the Caribbean coast with the mesoamerican reef just off shore.

With turquoise blue seas, soft sand and a reef for snorkelling, it’s actually a very cool place.

It seems frequented mostly by local tourists and the occasional disgorging of passengers from the cruise ship terminal 3k up the coast, when the prices go up and the beach loungers harder to find.

There are shops and restaurants all along the sea front, and it seems even Jack Sparrow wanders the strip.

We had a very relaxing few days here and enjoyed our stay

We happened to be there when the solar eclipse took place but not in an area of total darkness.

Lots of squinting was needed but we managed to capture a few pictures of the partial eclipse.

Even if it looks a bit like a pacman!

A cruise ship leaves the port after a day at the beach.

Our next stop is Tulum, just a 2-3 hour drive north.