Driving Directions

From the Merida Airport

• Exit the Merida airport and at the traffic light turn left.
• Stay on this road about 5-10 minutes. After going through one main intersection with a light, start looking for signs to Progreso to the right. The exit will be on the right after an Oxxo (store) and a PEMEX gas station. Take the right exit lane to Progreso onto the Pereferico (Beltway).
• Once on the Periferico (3 lanes of traffic), go another 15 minutes or so following signs for Progreso at exit 14 (salida 14). The Progreso exit 14 (route 261) is at the top of an overpass and is part of a cloverleaf. Exit to the right.
• The highway to Progreso has 4 lanes and all lanes go  through even though there are signs for Progreso in a specific lane…
• Landmarks = After Flamboyanes, the lane will go to 3 lanes.
• Shortly after it goes to 3 lanes, take the next right exit to Chelem/Yucalpeten.
• Stay on this two lane road for about 6 kilometers, crossing over two small bridges over the water. There are no exits and just stay on the road til it ends.
• The road ends at a small a small traffic circle with a Police building on the right. Turn left at the circle towards Chelem/Chuburna.
• Within 30 meters or so, you’ll hit a speed bump (Tope). This speed bump is KM 1.

  

• Shortly after the 3KM sign no passing sign. (see pictures at right) Turn RIGHT at Calle 100, a sandy road.
  • Detail and Context: As the road curves to the left, you will see a 3 km sign and a no passing sign. At Calle 100 (you’ll see a marker for “Ruedo de Toros — La Milagrosa” a blue cement square sign about 3 feet tall) make a right at the sandy road.
• Travel down the sand road and go to the 3rd street from the main road). Turn left and you will see Casa Kaana, on the left.

  

• Casa Kaana is the third house in on the left. (blue and yellow front with white iron gate). This is the front entrance.
• The back entrance is where the car should be parked.  Circle the block once you have the keys for the back gate. This entrance can be accessed more directly from the second left from the main road.

See the maps page for more detail about the area.

From Cancun
Get money at the aiport before you drive since you’ll need it for the toll road.

• • From the Cancun airport, follow signs south along the main highway towards Maya Riviera, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
  • Look for signs toward Merida, using the Cuota or superhighway. There is a fee of about 35-40 dollars payable in pesos at two toll plazas.
  • Once on the Cuota, the drive will be about 3 hours to Merida. There are only 2 exits the entire way to Merida so make sure you have funds before you get on. There is a rest stop or two along the way.
  • Approaching Merida, look for signs for Pereferico in the direction of Progreso.
  • Follow signs for Progreso and exit to the right.

Note, the exit will take you do a service road for a little ways then dump you onto Progreso road (4 lanes of traffic). At this point follow directions above.

Few other notes about driving mexican roads:

• Signs indicate which lane to drive in for each destination. On a 4 lane road it isn’t unusual to see each lane with a sign over it indicating a destination. These signs are pretty meaningless since usually exits are in the right lane and all lanes typically go through (at least on roads from Merida to Chelem).
• Each small town and in cities there are speed bumps called “topes” that show up with regularity. These are sometimes well signed and sometimes not. Be very alert driving in towns for these signs since missing the sign and driving over a tope can really ruin your car.
• Note, there is one tope on the Periferico right near the exit to/from the airport road. After this, there aren’t any until you get to Chelem.
• Checkpoints for police. There are some permanent, some semi permanent and some surprise checkpoints likely in your travels. Typically they don’t even bother stopping tourists, but you might be stopped. Don’t worry these are harmless for tourists as they are looking to keep drug traffickers out so won’t waste time with you. Just wave and be pleasant.
• Speeding. Not a good idea on the main roads as the federal/state police aren’t known for their friendliness. Better to avoid having to deal with this type of Spanish interaction if you can. There won’t be any English from the police. In 10+ years we’ve been stopped once and asked to see the contents of our trunk (as we entered the state of Campeche from Yucatan.