Laguna Makax - Salt Ponds and a Safe Harbor

A stop on Isla Mujeres: Town to Punta Sur, a free self-guided tour.

South of town the island narrows, and this stretch of road runs between two kinds of water. On the inland side are the salinas, shallow salt ponds. Long before the Spanish arrived, the Maya harvested salt from ponds like these. Salt was precious across the Maya world, used to preserve food and traded along the coast.

On the other side lies Laguna Makax, a sheltered lagoon opening onto the bay. Its calm water has made it a harbor for centuries. Local tradition says pirate ships once hid here, and you are welcome to picture them, but the lagoon's modern job is real and well documented: when hurricanes threaten, it becomes a refuge for the island's boats. In 2020, during Hurricanes Delta and Zeta, about 350 vessels sheltered here.

Pause where you can see both sides. Look for wading birds on the salt ponds and the masts gathered in the lagoon.

Getting here: From Playa Norte, head back through town and follow Avenida Rueda Medina south past the ferry docks. After a few minutes the road runs between the salt ponds and the lagoon.

Did you know?: Salt from coastal ponds was one of the great trade goods of the Maya, carried inland in large quantities from the Yucatan coast.

Photo op: Pull safely off the road and frame the still salt pond with its birds, then turn to catch the boats sheltering on the lagoon.

More on Wikipedia: Isla Mujeres · Maya civilization

Laguna Makax - Salt Ponds and a Safe Harbor

Stops on this tour