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What to do in Progreso?

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WilliamLawson

WilliamLawson

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Well I used to be able to buy a pack of gum at Oxxo (similar top 7-11) with a dollar but they are no longer accepting dollars due to the new law. There is nothing in an Oxxo store you would pay more than 100 dollars for.

 

What I am trying to say is that this is no longer legal nor is it a 'given'. Shop owners in Merida or Progreso for whatever reason may accept dollars, yes.

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  • 4 weeks later...
hawaiibound24

hawaiibound24

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Irish - the beach is right there!

 

All beaches in Mexico are public and there is no charge. You only pay if you want to go to the Corona "pen" which is a fenced in area on the beach; but this does not go to the water as that would be illegal.

 

What you get is an 'all you can drink' kind of experience which is pretty lame to be paying for, in my humble opinion, especially if you are on a cruise ship which feeds you 97 times a day.

 

Take the free shuttle into Progreso and then head to the beach. Enjoy a cool beer in front of Buddy's or Le Saint Bonnet along with some fresh fried fish. Have a massage, buy a pirate DVD and some trinkets for the folks back at the office. Relax.

 

What is the beach like here? I understand not like Cozumel (blue and clear). Is it more like Florida? Somewhat murky and maybe a bit green?

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jetskier

jetskier

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What is the beach like here? I understand not like Cozumel (blue and clear). Is it more like Florida? Somewhat murky and maybe a bit green?

 

It is green and murky.

 

Mr. Lawson, I would like to take the bus into town but am recovering from a broken kneecap and wonder how little walking I can get away with. Can you make suggestions?

Elizabeth

 

Not Lawson but "into town" I assume you are talking about Merida.

 

You can take the excursion from Carnival for around $50-60. It will take you to the Plaza Grande in Merida. There is some walking around the main square and then it is back on the bus.

 

You can take the free shuttle from the pier to Progreso. They now drop you off in a gravel parking lot instead of the Cultural Center. It looks dirty and unkept. From there you can book a tour to Merida through AutoProgreso for around $25. It is basically the same tour as Carnival.

 

The third option is to take the free shuttle from the pier to Progreso. From the dropoff point go one block away from the beach and turn right. At the end of the block is the Auto Progreso bus station. For $3pp roundtrip, you can take the bus to Merida. It will drop you off about a block from the Plaza Grande. The bus leaves every 15 minutes and takes about 45 minutes to get there. If you catch the 8am bus you will have about 4 hours to wonder around. I usually recommend taking the 1pm bus back. That will give you about an hour to go to the beach or to take the $3 buck truck tour before having to take the shuttle back to the ship.

Dave

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gwinel

gwinel

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Thank you, Jetskier. I should have said Progresso. We've been to Merida but haven't seen Progresso. I like ruins and have been to Chichen Itza and Xcambo, probably can't walk well enough to do Dzibilchaltun. I'd really appreciate suggestions.

 

elizabeth

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jetskier

jetskier

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Thank you, Jetskier. I should have said Progresso. We've been to Merida but haven't seen Progresso. I like ruins and have been to Chichen Itza and Xcambo, probably can't walk well enough to do Dzibilchaltun. I'd really appreciate suggestions.

 

elizabeth

 

 

Not much in Progreso. It is a fishing village and a get away for folks in Merida during the summer months. You are about 3 blocks to the beach from the dropoff point. There is the 3 buck truck (double decker bus) that will take you on a 30 minute tour. There are folks that spend $49 for the Corona Beach Break through Carnival that is a ripoff. You have to drink a lot of Corona's to get your money back. There are a couple of bars on the left with $1 Coronas on the way to the beach.

 

Uxmal is another set of ruins that are in the area but again you have the walking issue. www.yucatantoday.com is a good website to learn about the area.

 

Another way would be to negotiate with a taxi driver for a tour.

 

Dave

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Tahlulla-Hula

Tahlulla-Hula

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No, it is not. On the street, in the markets it is a different story. But in the established shops, you may find resistance to payment with US dollars. This law was enacted some months ago to fight money laundering from the drug trade which is wreaking havoc in this country.

 

 

Is there a local place to exchange currency, if needed, or would it be wise to bring pesos along?

 

Your information on these boards is wonderful - thank you!!

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WilliamLawson

WilliamLawson

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Thank you!

 

Yes, you can exchange dollars with your passport as ID at one of several banks in Progreso. It is a silly little process that involves filling out a form and having them take a photocopy of your passport, but that will ensure the best exchange rate which is nice if you are exchanging 100 USD or more.

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cruisetobeaches

cruisetobeaches

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Are Visa cards accepted?

 

yes and no. Depends on the shop and sometimes on the amount $$. Some shop owners have a minimum to offset the fees that Visa charges. Some won't take credit cards at all.

 

FWIW: We have not had any issues using US dollars in Mexico and was there less than three weeks ago.

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Tahlulla-Hula

Tahlulla-Hula

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Thanks for the great info, once again! I have read that the best way to get pesos is with an atm, and this seems to confirm it. So the next question for you......is there a Scotiabank or Santander with a cajero automatico in Progreso? :)

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Tahlulla-Hula

Tahlulla-Hula

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The other day I was looking for a ScotiaBank and was told there wasn't one in Merida. Haven't seen a Santander but I haven't looked either. The one I HAVE seen is BBV-Bancomer a few blocks from the beach front malecon.

 

 

Perfect! I appreciate the information and am looking forward to visiting your lovely part of Mexico that I haven't seen before.

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