El Cuyo Is Changing In a Hurry, Whether We Like It Or Not

Even the drive into El Cuyo has changed drastically over the last year, with roughly 40 windmills near the winding roads of Dzonot. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

El Cuyo is known for its gorgeous beaches, sandy roads, and laidback vibe, which seems to immediately envelop one upon arrival. It is indeed a very special place.

Just a few miles from the Quintana Roo state line, El Cuyo is Yucatán’s most remote beach. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Tourism has brought a fair deal of prosperity to El Cuyo, but economics aside, locals really should be lauded for pressuring authorities to prevent the construction of highrises that would threaten what makes the beach and community special.

Condos exist at El Cuyo and seem to be multiplying, but none exceed three stories as of yet. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Because there is a limited number of places to stay, booking ahead of time is always a good idea before heading out to El Cuyo, but rooms can usually be found. This, however, was not the case this past Easter weekend when El Cuyo was, perhaps for the first time, fully booked.

Over Easter weekend the beaches at El Cuyo were overflowing with visitors enjoying the sun and surf. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

“I have never seen anything like this. This must be the most people that have ever been here at once,” said a waitress named Wendy at a popular breakfast spot.

A group of kids laugh and spend their day playing in El Cuyo’s warm waters while flying a kite. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Though a handful of European tourists could be spotted, most of the visitors who “invaded” El Cuyo over Easter weekend were domestic travelers, with Yucatecos making up the lion’s share.

El Cuyo is a great spot for birding, with pelicans, cormorants, and flamingos among the easiest-to-spot species, especially during the morning. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Over the weekend, there were also many daytrippers from surrounding towns and villages, many of whom arrived in chartered buses. Most of these folks can probably not afford the cost of a room at El Cuyo but seem perfectly content to come and go.

Renting buses for weekend trips by groups of friends or members of congregations is a common practice in Yucatán. To cut down on expenses, they usually bring their own food and drink. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

While it would be an overreaction to say that its laidback vibe was completely absent, the thousands of other visitors certainly detracted from the magic.

Part of what makes El Cuyo so special is its quiet, something that certainly could not be said of the community over Easter weekend. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

This is not to say that this last visit was not enjoyable. It certainly was; it was just very different. Neither is it the case that El Cuyo felt like some huge resort town along the lines of Playa del Carmen or Tulum, but at times, it was not too far off.

The roaring of truck engines going way too fast on sand “roads” and loud music being blasted on the beach certainly do not contribute to El Cuyo’s famous vibe. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Now, let’s be clear: This hubbub is unusual for El Cuyo. As soon as the Easter holidays wrap up, things will likely return to “normal,” and that magical vibe will return. The thing is, this past weekend may indeed be a presage of things to come.

El Cuyo is still relatively small, though the number of hotels, rentals, and restaurants doubles yearly. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

It’s possibly only a matter of time before large hotels start to spring up in El Cuyo or its outskirts. That said, the destiny of this gorgeous community by the sea remains in the hands of its locals, who so far have done an excellent job of keeping overdevelopment at bay.

Because construction at El Cuyo is so strictly controlled, several camping and glamping businesses have set up shop during the past few years. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

When speaking with locals, one gets the impression that they are happy to have visitors come and spend a few days, but when asked about how much property is going for in the area, smiles fade somewhat as phrases along the lines of “El Cuyo is big enough already” slip from their lips.

When in El Cuyo, make sure to buy from mom-and-pop shops as much as possible and stay at locally owned hotels. If the growth of the community benefits only outside investors, the town will truly have the worst of both worlds.

During the high season, plenty of little markets and shops pop up, selling everything from snacks to inflatable toys and handmade jewelry. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

One wishes El Cuyo could remain frozen in time, but at the end of the day, tourism is likely to continue driving growth, and that’s not entirely a bad thing—people do need jobs, after all. But the relative difficulty of getting to El Cuyo, combined with its abysmal cell phone coverage, will keep the hoards at bay—at least during most of the year.