Boca de Camichín

Boca de Camichín is a small fishing village where the estuary of the Santiago Ixcuintla coast opens into the Pacific, south of Mexcaltitán. Its name, "mouth of Camichín", describes it well: on one side is the open sea and a long beach, and on the other the calm, mangrove-lined water of the estuary.

The village is best known for oysters. Local cooperatives raise them in the estuary, and you can see the farms from the shore and from the boats. The oysters, along with shrimp, fish and ceviche, are served in simple palapa restaurants by the water, and many people make the trip just to eat.

Boca de Camichín is also the closest port to Isla Isabel, so it is where most island tours begin. Even without the island, local boatmen offer rides through the estuary to see herons, egrets and other water birds, and the beaches to the southeast, like Los Corchos, are wide and quiet. The waves are moderate, but the sea can be rough, so swim only where locals do.