Idyllic Paamul Beach and RV Community on the Mexican Riviera
PAAMUL BEACH AND VILLAGE
When you deconstruct a Mexi-Caribbean vacation, it’s about sand, sea, sun and chilling in the warmth. This is exactly what you’ll find at laid-back Paamul (pronounced pah-mool) Beach on the Riviera Maya. Paamul is definitely a far cry from other busy beaches down the road. Beachcombers, campers, and snorkeling snowbirds love Paamul, a crescent-shaped lagoon 13 miles south of Playa del Carmen (north of Puerto Aventuras) with clear, calm waters sheltered by a coral reef. Paamul beach features white sands with some exposed limestone and lots of palm trees for natural shade. You’ll have a great beach day here snorkeling, swimming, diving or kayaking. Unlike other local spots, there is no charge for parking or using the beach. Virtually deserted, bring a beach blanket or lounge chair and prepare to relax the day away. It is great fun to meet and chat with locals as well as other visitors here.
A TROPICAL PARADISE
FOR LOCALS AND SNOWBIRDS
Paamul Beach is a secret gem off the beaten track. If you want to avoid the seasonal and mid-day crowds of Akumal Beach and have a Zen experience, come here. Stuck in time, this hidden treasure has remained a pristine tropical paradise. No hustle, no crowds – just a peaceful beach hippie lifestyle commune. Go for the day and bring snorkel and beach gear. The village supports a Scuba Mex Dive Shop and a small convenience store.
DINING OPTIONS
Restaurant Paamul is right on the sand and provides a lovely beachfront swimming pool with chaise lounges. Service and prices are excellent and drinks are ice cold. It’s an open air restaurant, with a perfect view of the ocean, serving good seafood and Mexican specialties. It’s less expensive and better than most of the restaurants in nearby Puerto Aventuras. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner and will give you margaritas-to-go for the beach. Many of the mostly American and Canadian RV residents gather there in the evening for dinner and entertainment. In addition to typically beautiful sunsets, entertainment can range from a local DJ spinning popular tunes to the weekly hermit crab races.
WHERE’S THE BATHROOM?
Restaurant Paamul has bathrooms. So does the Restaurant’s swimming pool, conveniently located right next door. Wouldn’t want to have to carry those delicious margaritas too far in the hot sun.
THE HISTORY AND MAGIC OF PAAMUL
For thousands of years, local tribes have been drawn to this region, shaping history by using this bay as a gateway for trade with other Caribbean civilizations. Here, you can escape the rat-race of modern life and find harmony in the natural landscape – an exquisite impressionist painting like the South Sea Islands that inspired Paul Gauguin. Scenery here boasts the whitest of beaches caressed by a turquoise sea alive with coral reefs and tropical fish. The settlement of Paamul originated over 40 years ago as a coconut plantation for the production of copra, the dried kernel from which coconut oil is extracted. The copra was then sent by boat to the city of Merida. Accordingly, the beachfront village of Paamul is a throwback to the Mayan Riviera decades ago. Back then, it was an era of ramshackle fishing hamlets run off of generator power. Although that’s no longer the case, with electricity, water and Wi-Fi available, this pueblo has otherwise maintained its traditional character.
QUIRKY COMMUNITY
The community at Paamul is very quirky, in a good sort of way. Many residences consist of walled in motor homes. There’s a makeshift campground with tents, colorful dwellings, and murals decorating the walls. Some tourists have said that it looks like a bunch of 1960’s hippies from Berkeley migrated there and just stayed. Guess that’s why we love it!
RIVIERA MAYA
BABY-BOOMER RV HEAVEN
Strolling through this quaint little community, you’ll see palapa homes of all different configurations. Every one is as unique as its owners. For the uninitiated, a “palapa” is a thatched-roof, open-sided structure. The material to cover over the palapa consists of dried and woven palm fronds. Beneath the palapas are basic living structures that may consist of a mobile home on one half of the lot, with an open air kitchen, dining and living room complete with TV on the other half. A few more formal homes may be concrete structures with extras such as imported Italian marble floors, artsy custom designed lighting and waterfall walls. Diversity and individuality rules. And did I mention that they rent RV sites on a daily or monthly basis as well?
REEF AND ROCKY TIDEPOOLS
The offshore coral reef is the most breathtaking and well-preserved attraction on Paamul Beach. Snaking through the crystalline blue waters of the Caribbean close to the shore, the reef is easily accessible. Visitors and locals spend hours snorkeling, diving and kayaking, admiring the schools of tropical fish in the coral gardens. It is also fun to explore the tide pools in the limestone rock projections into the sea, many of which support interesting marine life like tidepool gobies, snails, hermit crabs, and chitons (flat intertidal molluscs with 8 overlapping shell plates). Shells, sand dollars, and even glass beads—some from the sunken, 18th-century Spanish galleon Mantanceros, which lies off nearby Akumal—wash up onto the sandy parts of the beach. Plus sea turtles nest and hatch here in the sandy areas from June to November.
SWIMMING CONDITIONS AT PAAMUL
This is a sandy beach with some exposed limestone, so sturdy beach footwear is required in most water entry areas. There’s more sand on the south side of the beach for easier water entry. As is usually the case, snorkeling, swimming and kayaking are best when the seas are relatively calm.
DIVING PAAMUL
The owners of Scuba Mex Dive Shop arrived in Mexico before the latest boom of tourism in the Yucatan. They scouted up and down the coast for the best dive locations, and found them right off the coast of Paamul. Their safety record is flawless, and all reef dive sites are a mere 3-15 minutes out from Paamul. It’s a great place to complete your PADI open water certification.
SNORKELING PAAMUL
Paamul has a small, rocky and quiet beach. The sheltered cove has a reef close to shore so you don’t have to swim far to snorkel. If the waves are high, be careful not to crash into the coral. It’s bad for the coral, but will be way worse for you. We bring our own snorkeling gear, but if you don’t, the Scuba Mex Dive Shop rents it.
GETTING TO PAAMUL BEACH
Probably the only thing that’s difficult about going to Paamul is finding it. Use your rental car, take a taxi, or be adventurous and take a Collectivo, the local public van system that will drop you off in front of the highway entrance to Paamul, followed by a hot 2 mile walk to get to the beach (just saying…). Head south on Highway 307 from Playa Del Carmen for 10-15 minutes, after you pass Xcaret, start looking for the sign that says “Paa Mul Hotel and Cabanas”. It’s a small sign on the left side of the highway and very easy to miss if you’re not looking, or if you sneeze. Should you get to Puerto Aventuras, you have gone about 5 minutes too far south. Put on those driving distance glasses, turn around, and look again for the really small sign. Then take the partially paved road about 2 miles east to Paamul beach. The end of the road brings you to a small check point with travel trailers all around. Don’t be intimidated by the guards at the gate. They are there for homeowners’ security. Just let them know you are going to the restaurant and beach, and you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
Are there any lots for sale so that one could live there year round?
Dear Jane,
Thanks for your question. In the particular Paamul Beach community we reviewed in our blog, the lots are owned by a Mexican family and rented out. Generally, in Mexico, there is a technical prohibition for non Mexican-nationals to own land right on the beach. The work-around for that is to set up a Mexican bank trust in which to hold the land. It is called a “Fideicomiso”. There are several other ways as well, but best discussed with a real estate agent and a lawyer.
Just as an update, we will be heading back to the Paamul vicinity this summer and will try to get more information and contacts for all the folks who have asked. Don’t be discouraged. The area is beautiful and the people gracious and friendly.
Best of luck to you,
Diane
Hello. We just started snowbirding from Canada last year 6-6 months. We purchesed a furnished RV unit in Yuma and were sold, just not on Yuma.
So, were looking for a 55 plus gated site in the Yutacan. Basically just as you describe. An Rv covered with a palapa, internet service, peace and quiet. We don’t drink, smoke or drug, but loves swimming, snorkling and adventure/exploring motorcycling.
We would like to find a Non smoking furnished rv for year round ownership and at least 6 month access.
Cheers.
John
Hello, John. Sounds like Paamul will be a great spot for you to check out. Unfortunately, we just reviewed the community, but did not seek information on residing there. Sure liked it, ‘tho.
I’ve been doing some checking into palapa RV rentals in the Paamul vicinity in the hopes of being able to assist you, but haven’t had much success. Perhaps you could try an ad in the “wanted” section of http://www.YoListo.com and see if you get a response. Another potential avenue is to contact the owner of http://www.LocoGringo.com for advice or referrals. Let us know what you manage to find.
I also have to say how much I love Canada. I’ve spent most of my time in western Canada, but apparently had great-grandparents who were fishermen off the coast of Newfoundland.
Best of luck to you,
Diane
hola queria saber si tienen espacios para rentar para una caravana? qué precio tiene por mes y qué incluye? muchas gracias
Dear Diane,
Dear Diane,
Indeed, Paamul is a very nice place ! I have been there several times in my aunt’s palapa. Unfortunately she sold it last October 🙁 I am Belgian and I am currently linving in Brussels. I would like to spend the next school year (from August 2017 till July 2018) there with my kids so they can improve their Spanish and English (they made English speaker friends there already) and experience another way of life. For that reason I am looking for someone who would rent me her/his palapa during that period. Could you help me by any chance ?
Thank you very much in advance for your answer !
Kind regards,
Tamara
Thank you in adance for your answer !
Best regards,
Tamara
Dear Tamara,
Sorry for the delay in replying to your comment. It’s a great experience for kids to live in another culture, teaching respect and value in diversity. I salute you! I’ve been checking into palapa rentals in the Paamul vicinity to assist you without much success. Perhaps you could try an ad in the “wanted” section of http://www.YoListo.com and see if you get a response. Another potential avenue is to contact the owner at http://www.LocoGringo.com for advice or referrals. I hope you manage to locate the perfect palapa in this beautiful community on the beach. Let me know; if I get down there, we can have lunch or something!
Best of luck to you,
Diane
What a great place to go. Your blog really kept my attention and the pictures drew me right in. Do you know if the people with RVs drove all the way from the US? Sounds like a long trip. Do the people there stay all year? Just asking – it looks like a great place to start retirement.
Paamul is a great place to start anything! The original people with RVs drove them down from the US and Canada. And yes, it is a long trip, but one with plenty of beautiful sights and activities to experience and enjoy along the way. Some people drive in new RVs, while others purchase those already on site when the owners decide to winter elsewhere. Many of the ex-pats are there in the winter and head back north for summer. Some do stay all year and you couldn’t pay them to leave–their loyalty to Paamul is so fierce. The village has a lovely community feel, where everyone greets each other by name with a big smile, including the many Mexican citizens there. I particularly love the feeling of global peace and harmony. Yes–I’m an ageing hippie. When we head down there again, we’ll send you an email and perhaps you’d care to join us. Have a great spring!