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    Isla Tamalcab on the horizon across Chetumal Bay, seen from Calderitas, Quintana Roo

    Photo by holachetumal, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Clear shallow water at Calderitas with Isla Tamalcab in the distance, Quintana Roo

    Photo by holachetumal, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Isla Tamalcab

    Island Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo Municipality of Othón P. Blanco Chetumal and the south

    Uninhabited wooded island in Chetumal Bay, reached by boat from Calderitas, home to spider monkeys, coatis and seabirds.

    Reached by boat from Calderitas: 15 min each way. How to get there ↓

    Near here

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    Plan your visit to Isla Tamalcab

    Where to stay near Isla Tamalcab

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Isla Tamalcab.

    Hotels in Isla Tamalcab Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Isla Tamalcab

    Day trips and guided outings from Bacalar often include Isla Tamalcab; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Bacalar Sailing Tour through the Laguna de los Siete Colores ★ 5.0 (1,675) · From US$41
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Isla Tamalcab

    • Reached by boat from Calderitas: 15 min each way.
    • From Chetumal: about 10 min by road (~9 km)
    • Nearest airport: Chetumal (CTM), 31 min by car to Bacalar
    Rent a car at CTM Flights to CTM

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Bacalar, near Isla Tamalcab

    Sailing Tour through the Laguna de los Siete Colores ★ 5.0 (1,675) 3 h From US$41
    Bacalar Boat Tour and Visit to Cenotes ★ 4.9 (1,324) 3 h From US$29
    Sailing Tour through the Lagoon of the 7 Colors ★ 4.9 (1,266) 3 h From US$42
    Bacalar Lagoon & Cenotes Boat Tour with Open Bar and Snacks ★ 4.9 (1,175) 4 h From US$53
    Bacalar 101- Private Tour of the Lagoon of the 7 Colors ★ 5.0 (1,141) 3 h From US$108

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Isla Tamalcab

    Isla Tamalcab is a low, forested island in Chetumal Bay, lying about 8 km off the shore opposite Calderitas and visible as a long green line from the village waterfront. It covers about 2.4 km², rises no more than 10 m above the water and has no permanent residents. Its name is traditionally linked to the Nahuatl word for tamale, though the historian Martín Ramos Díaz has argued it is a corruption of the name of a Belizean logger, Tom Lac.

    The island is covered in low flooded forest and medium-height jungle, with mangroves along the southern shore that act as a nursery for fish and birds. Spider monkeys, coatis, agoutis and pacas live on the island, and herons, frigatebirds, pelicans, cormorants and ospreys are common around it. The boat ride out often turns up dolphins and manatees in the bay, though sightings are never guaranteed. Small beaches and rocky patches of shore break up the mangrove edge rather than any long stretch of sand.

    Tamalcab was part of the Maya coastal trade network of the eastern Yucatán Peninsula, serving as a waypoint and lookout. Around ten unrestored structures, mostly platforms and bases from the Postclassic period (about 900–1500 AD), remain in the forest. Visits are by hired boat or guided tour from Calderitas, typically combining a walk on the island's trails with wildlife spotting, kayaking or snorkelling in the shallows; there are no services on the island, so everything has to be brought along and taken back.

    How to get to Isla Tamalcab

    Drive from Chetumal to Calderitas: 10 min, 9 km

    Go first to Calderitas, about 15 minutes by taxi or colectivo from central Chetumal (colectivos leave next to the Museo de la Cultura Maya). From the Calderitas pier, shared boats, private boats and guided tours cross to the island in about 10 to 20 minutes. Early morning usually has the calmest water.

    Reached by boat from Calderitas: 15 min each way.

    Directions to Isla Tamalcab on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Isla Tamalcab on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Isla Tamalcab

    • Chetumal · 9 km by road, 10 min to Calderitas, then 15 min by boat
    • Playa del Carmen · 325 km by road, 4 h 20 min to Calderitas, then 15 min by boat
    • Valladolid · 311 km by road, 4 h 30 min to Calderitas, then 15 min by boat

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Isla Tamalcab: hours, prices and tips

    Entry
    No entry fee for the island; the cost is the boat. Approximate prices: shared boat MX$300–500 per person, private boat MX$1,200–3,500 per group, full guided tour from MX$1,500 per person. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    November to April (dry season), setting out early in the morning when weather and water are calmer. Programa Destinos México · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    A boat is required; a guide is optional (shared boat, private boat or guided tour from Calderitas). Tours: Viator GetYourGuide México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Plenty of water, biodegradable sunscreen, a hat, insect repellent and comfortable walking shoes. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Do not take stones, plants or archaeological material; do not feed or disturb the animals; carry out all your rubbish. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Isla Tamalcab: what to see and do

    Watch for spider monkeys and coatis along the island's trails
    Look for dolphins and manatees on the boat ride across the bay
    Birdwatching around the southern mangroves: herons, frigatebirds, pelicans, ospreys
    Unrestored Postclassic Maya platforms in the forest
    Kayak, paddleboard or snorkel in the shallows

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Isla Tamalcab

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Isla Tamalcab.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Bacalar often include Isla Tamalcab; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at CTM (Chetumal): about 31 min by road to Bacalar, then 22 km more to Isla Tamalcab, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Chetumal (CTM), about 31 min by road from Bacalar, the base for Isla Tamalcab.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Bacalar: download a map of the way to Isla Tamalcab before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    Photos

    When to go to Isla Tamalcab warm

    Isla Tamalcab shares the climate of Bacalar, 22 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Bacalar

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Bacalar

    Thatched palapa on stilts over the turquoise Laguna de Bacalar, Quintana Roo warm
    Quintana Roo Bacalar

    Bacalar is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Isla Tamalcab, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Closest to Isla Tamalcab

    Near Isla Tamalcab

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Isla Tamalcab

    Islands in Quintana Roo · 4

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.