Experience the best of Progreso

Progreso lies on the Gulf of Mexico coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, north of Mérida, and is the state's main port. Its pier, built out across shallow water for ships, runs for about 6.5 kilometres, among the longest in the world. The malecón, a seafront promenade, is lined with cafés and seafood restaurants, and the beach of pale sand has calm, warm water.

Mérida, the state capital with its colonial plaza and cathedral, is about 35 kilometres south, and the Maya site of Dzibilchaltún, with its Temple of the Seven Dolls, lies near the road between. To the east, the village of Chicxulub Puerto sits near the centre of the crater left by the asteroid that struck the Earth some 66 million years ago, and farther west the lagoon at Celestún is a haven for flamingos.

Fresh seafood is the draw: fish ceviche, octopus and shrimp, with Yucatecan dishes such as cochinita pibil and sopa de lima, and marquesitas, crisp rolled crêpes filled with cheese, from street stands. The weather is hot and humid, with a breeze off the gulf, and the wet season runs from June to October.