Blogs from Progreso, Yucatán, Mexico, North America

Progesso is about a half hour drive to the coast, from Merida. On a nice hot January day we decided to venture to the beach in our rental car. It was an easy drive due north of the city, through scrub land featuring palmetto fronds and brush. The landscape here is very flat, and the flatness continues beyond the shore. Indeed, Progresso has what is said to be the world's longest pier, at 4 miles. But it is no longer walkable, due to 'national security.' The pier is so long because the depth of the water remains too shallow for shipping, closer to shore. The seawater of the Gulf isn't very attractive here — mostly turbulent and lacking that gorgeous blue of the Caribbean beaches. Progresso seems a nice enough beach community, aside from its water ... read more

I spent the next three days relaxing with the family here in Puerto Progreso. I had a great few days getting to know everyone, wandering the town, and resting. Adonai (senior - there are two) was a professor of Yucatecan history and studies. Had he been in better health I would have loved to learn more about the area from him. I met another of Rita and Adonai's sons, David, who has a Yucatecan restaurant in Mérida. Everyone in the family was proud of their heritage and happy to show me what life here is like. I am very appreciative that I was welcomed so warmly and shown so much! On one of our outings, Rita's son Adonai, a teacher who I got to know especially well, took us for a drive down the coast to ... read more

Now into a fourth contract and fifth ship, I’ve really covered the Caribbean and Central America. In fact, I’ve seen all but two of the ports Carnival does in this area: Montego Bay and Progreso (though I’ve done other ports in both Jamaica and Mexico). But for this month on the Fantasy, we are stopping once every week in Progreso. So far, I hadn’t been able to get out to see the port because I’ve had work or training. But not this week. To be honest, I had not heard positive things about Progreso. People say there’s nothing to do, it’s not interesting, why do we even go there, etc. But I needed to see for myself. One of the girls from Camp Carnival (the kids program), Erica, also recently joined the Fantasy and is here ... read more