How to Get by Car to Punta Allen in Mexico?
Located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Punta Allen is the largest village at the end of the Boca Paila Peninsula. It’s one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world. No cars, no smog, no noise at all. Lots of birds and animals around.
How do you get to Punta Allen?
Running along the Caribbean coastline of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the road to the town is called QROO 15. It’s 53.2 km (33.05 miles) long, running north-south from Tulum on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea to Punta Allen, the largest village at the tip of a small peninsula, at the entrance to the Bahía de la Ascensión.
Is the road to Punta Allen unpaved?
Located in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, the road to the town, also known as Javier Rojo Gómez, is pretty challenging. It’s very narrow and unpaved. Much of the drive winds through extremely dense jungle. If the road is dry, there are some potholes, but they will be easy to navigate. Overall, it is no problem at all, but watch out for these notorious topes (speed bumps): some of them are nasty. The road can be a real muffler-buster between gradings, especially when holes are filled with water from recent rains, making it impossible to gauge their depth. The southern half, south of the bridge at Boca Paila, is the worst stretch – some spots require experienced off-road handling or you’ll sink into a meter of sand.
Can I drive my vehicle to Punta Allen in Mexico?
It is extremely inadvisable to attempt this with anything smaller than an SUV. If you keep your eyes on the road you will not have any problem avoiding the potholes. If the road is wet from recent rain, however, the situation might be quite different. There is a brief stretch most of the way south where the road goes right along the beach, and the road seems to become part of the beach. You may see cars stuck in the sand, or your car may be stuck in the sand without 4WD. There are no lanes, and vehicles criss-cross the road to avoid potholes, so be aware of oncoming traffic around corners. The speed limit is 40 km, driving this way you can avoid killing the animals that are trying in their tempo, to cross the road.
Is the road to Punta Allen remote?
Nicknamed as a journey to the end of the Earth, the area is really remote. Due to the remoteness of the area, take special care to ensure that your vehicle is ready for the trip. There are no ATMs or internet cafes in town. Electricity generally works between 10 am and 2 pm, and 7 pm and midnight. If you rent a car to drive, be sure you fill up your tank in Tulum. There are no gas stations in Punta Allen. And leave early enough to finish the two-hour trip with time to spare before dusk. The only way back is the same road.
Is Punta Allen worth visiting?
To drive the road without stopping will take most people between 2 and 3 hours. The drive is definitely worth it. Don't be in a hurry to get to Punta Allen. Along the road are numerous pull-offs where you can stroll long stretches of virgin beach or watch waves crash against beautiful razor rock formations. There is a narrow peninsula with lagoons on the inside and gorgeous wild beaches on the outside. Try to get a glimpse of the crocodiles when you stop on the bridge over the first lagoon. While you're driving, you can see lots of animals crossing the road, such as lizards, iguanas, large crabs, birds, etc. Once you get to Punta Allen, you will realize that all the difficulties to get here are totally worthwhile. You will have in front of you a paradisiacal place of beaches of fine white sand and an emerald sea around you.