Village Layouts: Malpaís and Santa Teresa are two small beach villages laid out along a road that parallels the beach. As you reach the ocean, the road forks; Playa Carmen is straight ahead, Malpaís is to your left, and Santa Teresa is to your right. If you continue beyond Santa Teresa, you’ll come to the even-more-deserted beaches of playas Hermosa and Manzanillo (not to be confused with beaches of the same names to be found elsewhere in the country). To get to playas Hermosa and Manzanillo, you have to ford a couple of rivers, which can be tricky during parts of the rainy season. Warning: There have been reports of robberies at the river crossings when people who get out of their cars to check the depth of the river. Try not to linger.
Getting Around: If you need a taxi, call Richard (tel. 8317-7614 or 2640-0099). If you want to do the driving yourself, you can contact the local offices of Alamo (tel. 2640-0526) or Budget (tel. 2640-0500). Or head to Adventure Tours Mal País (tel. 8456-5820), which stocks ATVs.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
