What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Cancún, Cozumel & the Yucatán

On July 17th, Hurricane Emily made landfall on the Riviera Maya Coast at Puerto Aventuras. It then moved northward through the Yucatan and back out to sea in the vicinity of Rio Lagartos, east of the city of Mérida. Most of the damage occurred on the coast south of Playa del Carmen and on the island of Cozumel.

Many tourists were stranded for a couple of days and damage to beach hotels was considerable, but after a month, most beaches were able to reopen, except for nine in the Riviera Maya, all of which were in Puerto Aventuras or the immediate vicinity, and the hotels on the southern end of Cozumel. Other hotels suffered differing degrees of damage, mainly to the large palapas that have come to be a popular feature of local hotel architecture. For the next few months you can expect to see repair and remodeling occurring at most of the beach hotels.

Roads and highways are all open, except for the road that runs along the eastern coast of Cozumel.

The effect the hurricane had on the beaches was mixed. Sand was shifted around such that some beaches grew, others shrank, but in the majority of cases, things remained the same. The vegetation did suffer. Many palm trees were lost, and the mangrove areas to the south of Puerto Aventuras were damaged.

The interior of the Yucatán didn't suffer much damage--nothing like the damage Hurricane Isadore inflicted three years ago. Flooding was one of the big problems with Isadore, but Emily crossed the peninsula quickly, so the rains were short in duration. None of the archeological sites were damaged nor any of the communities, except for a few towns directly in the hurricane's path. Serious damage to roads and highways was not reported. Some damage to the vegetation and crops occurred, but, in a lot of areas, the farmers were able to replant the season's corn.

Cancun And Cozumel

The highway on the island's east coast is still closed. This is a nonessential road. It is not the main road that runs along the west side of the island. The all-inclusive hotels, in southern end of Cozumel (Occidental, Iberostar, Reef Club) are closed and scheduled to reopen sometime between now and December. The Punta Sur Ecological Reserve is closed and should open by November.

The town of San Miguel was not damaged in the storm. Before this ever occurred, it had been working on improving drainage and traffic flow as well as projects to make the town more attractive.

In December Frontier Airlines will begin non-stop service between Denver and Cozumel on a full-size jet. The company plans to offer three flights per week.

The old Plaza las Glorias is now opened as the Cozumel Palace, a time-share property belonging to the Mayan Palace. This will intensify the activity of time-share salespersons.

The Riviera Maya

Playa del Carmen suffered some damage to a few beachfront hotels in Playacar--Nothing major. You might expect to see some remodeling work on your next visit. The major eco-parks of the Riviera Maya, including Xel-Ha and Xcaret are open.

Puerto Morelos was unharmed. It continues to gain popularity as a quieter alternative to Cancún.

Puerto Aventuras received the brunt of Hurricane Emily's force. Several hotels are still closed, including Aventura Spa Palace, which should open late September or October.

Just south of Puerto Aventuras is the long sandy beach of Xpu-Ha. The hotels here suffered a good bit of damage. Of these, Xpu-Ha Palace, a good all-inclusive for families, remains closed. It should open by October.

Costa Maya

Discoveries continue to be made at Calakmul. A good part of the new finds, including some tombs and murals are in unstable condition and can't be opened up to the public. But work on the exterior of the buildings gives visitors a better idea of what the city was like.

Merida, Chichen Itza & The Maya Interior

Merida suffered no damage from the hurricane and is completely normal. The construction of the new municipal market, San Benito, is complete and is now occupied, but the old market that it replaces, the Lucas de Gálvez still contains some vendors and hasn't been torn down yet.

Tizimín, the major town between Valladolid and Río Lagartos, suffered some damage from the hurricane, but is fast recovering.

You can talk about the region with fellow travelers on our Mexico Message Boards today.