YALKU

Yalku, accessible only by boat or a dirt road, is one of the last undeveloped inlets in the Riviera Maya. For the adventurous traveler, this offers a chance to rough it in a little-known cove far from prying eyes.

Yalku is a honey of a inlet and one of the best-kept secrets on the Riviera maya (Cancún-Tulum Corridor).

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Kinbé Hotel, Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

For years the only way to reach it was by boat, and though that's no longer true, you still won't find it if you don't know where to look.

The inlet is best reached via Akumal, a major development 105 km south of Cancun along Hinghway 307. There are several roads leading from the highway into Akumal (and its two bays), but to reach Yalku take the first, marked Akumal Caribe. Once on this road heading east, which is the only way to go, take the first left, a dirt track running north that leads to the inlet.

Yalku is reasonably large waterway shaped like a 'y', with the horns reaching up into the jungle and the stem out to sea. It is the perfect hideaway, the 'secret cove' of legend and song and a first class snorkeling site.

Bird watchers will be delighted with the area, which is rife with fowl of various tropical species. Herons are especially prevalent, but other water and shore birds are routinely sighted.

The waters of Yalku are clear, calm and inviting; wonders can be observed in depths no greather than six feet, and there is little or no wave action. The caleta (cove) is almost perfectly still, which is not the least of its attractions. Submerged rock formations create a fascinating underwater terrain and the ideal habitat for the exotic marine creatures we go snorkeling to see.

Watch for starfish and urchins, damselfish, sergeant majors, hamlets, parrotfish, blue tangs and queen triggerfish, among other Caribbean species. Remember that sea urchins are beautiful but potential ly dangerous. The spines that radiate from their exoskeletons can easily pierce the skin, and have to then be removed much like a splinter.

Damselfish are small but pugnacious, and don't be surprised if they charge, they do that if they feel threatened. Still, they a rely exceed seven inches in length -ditto the sergeant majors-so what's it worry?

The hamlets are the most flamboyant -and the shyest-of the sea bass family.

They're also functional hermaphrodites, with both male and female organs, so that every fish can both produce eggs and the sperm with witch to fertilize them.

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Paamul Caribbean Paradise, Riviera Maya Q. Roo México

Parrotfish are quirky "processing plants", churning bits of coral and rock into fine, white sand. There are several species of parrotfish whose size range from 10 to 20 inches when full grown.

Blue tangs may reach to a foot in length and, as part of their defense system, carry a lance-like spine in their tails. Juvenile tangs are lemon yellow in color, turning bright blue as they mature.

Queen triggerfish can rotate each eye independent of the other, and are capable of dramatic color changes, much like a chameleon. Two brilliant, turquoise blue stripes on the snout below the eye, are the only constant in the triggerfish's coloring.

Yalkú has no amenities to speak of; the fees collected at the entrance presumably go toward keeping the area litter free. There is a modest restaurant located on the road leading to the cove and a few private homes in the area.

Buses don't stop at the poorly marked entrance to Yalku. One way to get there is to take a bus to Akumal, then rental a boat and access it by water.

The other is to rent a car, drive south on highway 307 to a dirt road three km before Akumal, take a left, and head down to the waters edge.

If you plan visit the are you'll want to bring snorkel gear, a towel, drinking water and picnic supplies, and be sure to pack out what you carry in. You should also avoid using tanning oils and creams, or any other substance that may pollute the water and be hazardous to the creatures living in it. Happy snorkeling...