The area along the beach between the fishing villages of Chelem and Chuburna is a strip of vacation homes between the Gulf of Mexico and a paved two-lane highway. The majority of homes are unoccupied except during the summer vacation season and holidays. Permanent residents, mostly ex-pats, are the minority. The land between Progreso and Chuburna is essentially a large sandbar, with a body of shallow saltwater referred to as the Ria, lying south of the highway. The Ria is home to an abundance of water birds: egrets, herons, pelicans, storks, etc.

A few minutes east of Chelem is Progreso, a port city of approximately 50,000 people. Directly south of Progreso about 20 minutes, is Merida, a city of about 1 million people. It was founded in 1542 and grew wealthy as a result of the production of henequen. Learn more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9rida,_Yucat%C3%A1n#History.

In spite of its long history, it is a modern growing city with sophisticated shopping, cultural amenities, and health services.

The north Yucatán Peninsula offers historic and archaeological treasures such as restored henequen haciendas and Mayan ruins; natural features such as the many cenotes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenotes); and various religious festivals.