San Felipe, Mexico

If it's beaches you're after, head to the tidy town of SAN FELIPE, where an offshore spit is lined with white sand. The town, which is also a popular destination for sport-fishing, is 12km west of Río Lagartos; many of the buses from Tizimín to Río Lagartos come out here as well. There's one good hotel, San Felipe de Jesús, Calle 9 between calles 14 and 16 (Tel:986/862-2027, Ehotelsf@hotmail.com; Price: M$350-500), which also has a decent restaurant. To get to the beach, take a boat (M$15/person) from the east end of the malecón, where you can also get basic tourist information. At Mexican holiday times – July, August and Semana Santa – the beach is crowded; the rest of the year, though, it's quite deserted, and you can set up camp here. If you do, be sure to bring protection against mosquitoes.