Playa de San Felipe

San Felipe is the gateway to the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve. It is a genuine, charming, colorful fishing community in northern Yucatan. Come to spend the day or spend a night.

To get to San Felipe, you’ll pass through Tizmin, an inland market town whose main economic activity is raising livestock. Tizmin is the number one producer of cattle in the Yucatan. It is an interesting small town to visit on the way. It is not tourism-focused so if you stop and have a walk, you’ll get a feel for an authentic Yucatec inland town.

To discover San Felipe, park the car and head out on a little walk to explore the colorful painted, wooden houses. Head out to the waterfront marina and have lunch at one of the small restaurants along the water. You’ll find seafood dishes and a fresh breeze coming in off the water.

To get to the beach, you can take a boat shuttle or rent a boat. Both services are inexpensive and completely worth the trip out. The beach is on a peninsula and is a great place to spend an afternoon. You’ll likely be alone.

You’ll also find boat tours to get to Rio Lagartos. This jumping off point for the nature preserve is a little farther away than other places that offer boat tours but the trip is well worth it with extra boat time to enjoy.

On the way and close by, you can make a longer exploration trip by visiting Las Coloradas, the brilliant pink marsh lakes.

By and far, San Felipe is one of our favorite little villages in all of Mexico. A little gem that you will visit again and again.