Last weekend, David and I spent a weekend in the small coastal town of Sisal, Yucatan. Sisal(See-sal) was once the main port of the henequen agroindustry. The of the Agave are used to make things, such as rope and rigging for ships. and when it was sent out around the world, the cargo was labelled “Sisal”, so people started to call the fibers sisal. Progresso eventually became the main port and other countries around the world started growing agave and creating their own industry. Now, Sisal is a fishing town with a lovely beach on the Gulf of Mexico.
Thus far, it has avoided the hyper development found in other beach towns and is a great location to have a very down to earth beach experience. If you are looking to be pampered, party hard, and have all the amnenties, this place is not for you. If you like to connect with nature, swim in clear, clean water, and eat delicious fresh seafood in a town without all the bells and whistles, then Sisal is a great place to visit.
We stayed at a very modest little bungalow that on the main street called The Nook. It was kind of more shack, then house, but we were really there for the water and mangroves. Wi-Fi, AC, a fresh Garrafon of purified water, a shower, and a little kitchenette served our purposes nicely. It kind of had a hippy feel and the sheets on the king bed were super soft and very comfortable! We even had a hammock we could hang across one of the rooms for an afternoon snooze.
Our host, Jedrick, was absolutely amazing. When we arrived, a little earlier than expected, he came up the road on his bike with his dog following along. He looked like he was a surfer out of California, with just a bathing suit and flip-flops. It wasn’t too far off; he came from Poland and got to Mexico by way of California with a Mexican girlfriend, who was not in the picture anymore. He found himself living in Sisal with some small rental properties and he became part of the community. He gave us great suggestions for the places to eat and what tour company to use when we wanted to visit the Mangroves. He was very passionate about supporting the local people and very self-aware of his own role as an outsider. His kindness and attentiveness to our needs as visitors was superlative.
We used his suggestions and ate delicious ceviche at a little family run place right up the street. We feasted on shrimp cocktail and passionfruit micheladas at another place near the main square. The seafood was so clean and so fresh! When looking at the water and the extensive mangrove reserves surrounding Sisal, it is easy to see why. A healthy ecosystem is key to good seafood. Too much development would destroy that.
We spent a beautiful morning on the beach watching birds and swimming in the blue warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The water was layered in various shades of blues and greens all the way out to the horizon, where the intense blue sky met the water. In the afternoon, a young man, probably not much older than 18, came on a moto-tax with a flat bottomed boat on an attached trailer, to pick us up. It was time to go to the mangroves.
We made our way down the main strip to a dirt road. Our guide, Ephraim, from Ziz ha Tours ,successfully navigated us down the pot-hole ridden road to the mangrove reserve, where the groomed pathway gave us an easier passage to our destination. He put the boat in the water and loaded us up. He pushed off with his punt and we made our magical trip through the mangroves. It smelled fresh and earthy. There was a subdued quiet in the air, as if all those squat mangrove trees were absorbing all the noise of the world. We could bird calls, and see birds hunting in the open water. The water of the mangroves is not particularly deep, so the rich orangey-browns of the soil is seen through the clear waters. Little fish swim just below the surface.
There was something magical, almost mystical, about traveling through the cave like passageways of the mangroves. The colors…the way the light shines through…the quiet…the scent of the water and earth…the feeling of peace.
The magic continued as we emerged into a more open space and came upon flocks and flocks of American flamingos, foraging. They were strutting, eating, and conversing with each other making these varied grunt like sounds and squeaks and peeps. They are a sight to behold. We spotted different herons, mangrove swallows, a couple of warblers, and ibis. The center stage, however, belonged to the Flamingos. They were everywhere.
We made our way across the expanse of water to another part of the mangrove forest. We left our boat and walked a short distance to the “Ojo de Agua”, the Eye of the Water. This is a natural waterhole in the forest. The pressure of the fresh water spring is high enough to overcome the pressure of the salt water. We donned our life vests and made our way down the ladder into the welcoming cool water. While floating around, the little fish who live there, nibbled at our skin, eating dead flakes of skin from our body. Yes, it was a little creepy, but the water was refreshing and it was so worth it.
On our way back out into the open water, we spied an American Pygmy Kingfisher, a super cute little bird that dives into the water and catches its food. He was hiding in the mangroves.
We made our way back to our starting point with more birds to see, flamingos to admire, and another mystical journey through the mangrove tunnels. I never knew how amazing and fulfilling a quiet trip through the mangroves would be. It is a valuable eco-sytem that supports the lives of so many living beings. As spawning grounds for many fish species, as a habitat for birds and inveterbrates, frogs, and insects, it is a rich community. Mangroves are an important defense against flooding. When you tear them down, you are opening your community up to flooding. You are destroying important habitat that supports fisheries. You are destroying a beneficial aspect of the natural world that life as we know it depends on.
Forest Therapy and Forest Bathing Walks 