What to do in Progreso?

[hdawson]

I would gladly foresake the steak I'm fixing for LSB's whole deep fried snapper.

[mrsbean1990]

When we went to Progresso in mid-August, we spent some time walking around the open-air tourist market. We then walked by the beach. We got a couple of Dos XX at a little restaurant near the beach. We then took the double-decker bus tour, which was a lot of fun. I think it was $2 per person. Next, we went to the "locals" market, which was an eye opener for our kids. :) We take Kroger for granted.

 

We then took the DZ ruin tour through AutoProgresso. The bus ride there took us through the town. It was so HOT that day, so the ruins were interesting but exhausting because of the walking and the heat. These are small ruins, but everything is spread out, so there is a lot of walking. You can climb the ruins at this location, or at least you still could when we were there eight months ago. Our youngest son swam in the cenote before we returned on the tour bus.

 

I think that if we ever went back to progresso, we would probably go to the locals market, spend time shopping in the open air market, and then just spend time at the beach.

[Sun R Bunns]

We will be in Progreso in Sep 2010. I suspect we would like to do our own walking/riding tour of the city. I do have questions however...

 

1. Does the double decker bus allow you to board and reboard at bus stops?

2. We are lighthouse nuts and want to spend some time at the one in town. If the previous question on about the bus is yes,,,,does it stop near the light?

3. I think there is also a light in Meridan, is this true? If so we might catch a bus there while in port. I do understand it is under quite disrepair.

4. Lastly, if we purchase mangos or other fruit in town, may we bring it onboard when we return to the ship?

 

Thanks for any help from y'all.

[Sun R Bunns]

anyone had the 15 dollar massages at Progresso????? This is the only thing we want to do with our time in port, anyone????

 

I have read on other threads that some are only $10 for an hour. Look around here and you will find them. Also there are some pictures on some of the posts that show the beds. etc. Someone mentioned that you should bring a face towel from the ship so you have a nice clean towel to put your face on instead of a used one from the massage person.

 

Enjoy your cruise and your massage, tell them we'll be there in Sept. LOL

Oh, I don't think you have to get undressed...:D

[susanNjay]

We were in Progreso last week. We have been there three times. I have to say, it has changed somewhat since our first visit there a few years ago.

We rode the double decker bus, and it now costs $3.00 per person. It used to be a general overview of the area with information about some of the noteworthy structures. Now it is basically a rolling commercial, with stops in front of several places where workers come out and tell about the "special of the day" or "free tequila shots" for customers...lol From the bus tour, I could clearly see the lighthouse, but it did appear to be several blocks away.

I did not see any people get off the bus or onto the bus, so I am not sure if this is acceptable.

We chose to walk to the beach area (just a few blocks) to eat and sit on the beach for a few hours. The side of the street that is closer to the pier is very crowded, so we walked on the other side of the street, and we were not bothered by any vendors at all. When we got to the corner near the statue, we turned right and saw several places to get a massage. They were asking $15.00 for an hour. Most places sold cervezas for $2.00 each.

We walked along the beach area (malecon) until we got to a restaurant called El Mirador. We then went down onto the beach to sit in their chairs under the umbrellas. Immediately, a young man came and brought us several food items, including delicious chips and fresh salsa. This area was much less crowded than the rest of the beach that is closer to the pier. Then my husband ordered a cerveza, and a little while later we asked for a menu and ordered chicken fajitas. We sat at this area for several hours and although occasional vendors walked by offering their items for sale, they immediately left when we pleasantly said, "No, thank you." There are a lot more vendors in Progreso than there were a few years ago, but we did not encounter any who were aggressive or rude. The waiter came out at some point and offered each of us a free shot of tequila and it was very smooth.

After mucho cervezas, food, lemonade, and several cokes, our final bill for the day was $27.00. We were there with our daughter, so for three people, that is quite a deal!! We packed up and walked back to the corner near the statue. A lady there again asked about a massage and my husband had a 30 minute massage for $5.00.

Our daughter bought an adorable woven hat made of some sort of plant near the market, but when we got to the ship, they said no fruits or plant items were allowed onto the ship, and they tossed it into a pile with other hats and fruit items.

We have done the beach day at Progreso before, and we have gone to the ruins at Dzibichaltun, also (through AutoProgreso). Both options are a nice way to spend the day and I would do both again.

--Susan

[Sun R Bunns]

Thanks, SusanNJay, for the update, that helps a lot. I think we will just strap on our shoe-d-bakers and check out the streets, beach, and lighthouse.