The Fish Was to Be Eaten With Our Hands

We went to Mexico to try and find a fishing village with a restaurant that served fresh fried fish. We happened to be staying in Merida city when we decided to take a side trip to Progresso Beach.

The ride from Merida to Progresso Beach was less than an hour away and it cost only one dollar and fifty cents US dollar each way per person.

The transportation system going from one town to another town is amazing and the buses run every twenty minutes; making it easy and inexpensive to travel. Most busses have some form of AC and play music in the background for your entertainment.

Once we got to Progresso Beach we decided to make a few inquiries about their fishing and where to eat the best fried fish. We thought this place was beautiful but too touristy for us.

We asked if we could find a fishing village nearby and we were told about Chelem a small fishing village only twenty minutes away and another fifty cents US dollar each way per person.

Chelem was reachable only by small vans that took workers from Chelem to Progresso back and forth. Once we got to the town of Chelem we noticed that it was really a very small fishing village and by that I mean only one main road of about twenty blocks.

We asked a couple of locals where could they recommend for us to hire a boat to fish and also a place where we could have our catch prepared fried for us and they pointed to Jose at the beach.

It looked like the beach of our dreams with a restaurant twenty feet from the shore (don't think you can really call it a restaurant.) The restaurant was set directly on top of the sand and the roof was made out of two nylon tarps that basically only protected you from the sun; it was great.

Immediately as you walk in you knew that if locals came here to eat it was probably really good food. At the shore were fishermen waiting to take people fishing. Families were enjoying the beach and the fresh food served by this place; we felt we could eat here too.

The owner, Manuel, came by immediately to greet us and told us that to rent a table and two chairs was five US dollars and it was acceptable to bring your own food or we were welcome to use the shaded area for free.

We decided on the latter for now, we sat on our towels on top of the sand and we asked for two beers and he said he only served national beer and the cost was one US dollar each: Manuel brought the coldest beers we had ever drank. It felt like paradise and but for a lot less money.

Children were swimming on the beach while fisherman arrived in their small colorful boats. We asked Manuel who could we hire to go fishing and he pointed to a fisherman approaching the shore.

We were told by the fisherman that fishing with him was thirty dollars it included four hours of fishing, the boat, gasoline, rods, bait, beer and some snacks for the both of us.

Well, it was not a boat by any mean of our knowledge of a regular fiberglass boat; this was a wooden boat that he had made with his own hands.

We set out to fish and the experience was like no other. We brought back four fishes that were more than two pounds each fish.

Once we got back we asked our friend Manuel if he could fry our fish whole and he said yes; like a friend he made us feel at home. So we decided to share the fish with Manuel and we ordered another round of icy cold beers while we waited for the fish to be done.

While we waited we went swimming. We felt so lucky to have found such a place. As the fish was being fried, we stayed in the beach looking towards the shore when we noticed that there were no hotels.

There were only private homes next to each other and they were at the same distance to the beach as was Jose's restaurant.

Manuel brought our catch and we asked to please bring forks and he said that we could order a side of tortillas which can act as our fork by holding it in our hand and wrapping the fish, also we ordered salsa to top the fish; the fish was to be eaten with our hands.

The whole cost of this adventure including the four hours of fishing, the fried fish, six beers and the ride to get there and back was about fifty US dollars for the both us; for a whole day of enjoyment.

Where in the world can you spend a day like this for that amount of money? In Progresso Beach they are building a pier to welcome cruise ships - how long before this unspoiled place will become too crowded with tourists.

I would advice for you to go there now if you are interested in fishing and seeing Chelem like a native. We spent a day that it was a dream come true at a beach called Chelem.


By : Angel_S.