Boca del Cielo

Boca del Cielo is one of two small beach towns at either end of the Laguna de Joya on the Pacific coast of Chiapas, Mexico. Boca is the southern end of the lagoon. The town at the northern end is Puerto Arista, about 15 km from Boca. The towns are remote and rarely visited by foreigners, making them both ideal getaways for visitors who want a taste of the "real Mexico".

Understand
Chiapas has 270 km of unspoiled, undeveloped coastline. Most of it is pristine beach and it has several sites that would be ideal surfing beaches, but for the lack of roads in and places to stay or eat.

The name "Bocas del Cielo" means "mouth of heaven" and it refers to the opening in a slim sliver of barrier island, called San Marcos Island that separates the Laguna de Joya from the Pacific Ocean. The town itself is on the mainland, set back from the lagoon, but the island has several palapa restaurants and areas for hammock camping. It is popular with visitors, who mainly come from Tuxtla Gutierrez. Travelers from other Mexican states are almost as rare as foreigners.

The lagoon itself is a placid stretch of water whose depth varies with the tides. At low tide, people can walk across it from the mainland to Isla San Marcos, but be careful of the channel near the boca because it gets deep quickly and has very strong currents in and out depending on the direction of the tide.

There are four turtle sanctuaries on this stretch of the Chiapas coast, including one in Boca del Cielo. The government makes efforts to protect the breeding grounds of sea turtles, but educating the public is sometimes an uphill battle when some of the poor communities have historically harvested turtle eggs for human consumption. Beach guardians patrol the beaches and will move eggs when they find females nesting on shore. They then hatch the turtles and release them into the ocean.

Get in
The nearest airport with commercial flights is in Tuxtla Gutierrez. The nearest city with scheduled first class bus service is Tonalá.

By car
From Tonalá, take federal highway 190 / 190D (toll) south. It is 40 km from Tonalá to Boca del Cielo.

By taxi
It is a 40-minute ride from Tonala to Boca del Cielo and will cost about M$400 (US$20). Combis may be available in Tonala at significantly lower cost (inquire locally).

Get around
The town of Boca del Cielo is small and easily walkable. You'll need a car if you want to get to the northern part of the La Joya lagoon, or if you want a birdwatching tour of the mangrove swamps, you may be able to hire a boat for several hours. The shallow-draft boats typically make their money carrying passengers across the shallow lagoon to Isla San Marcos. The typical cost for a round-trip crossing is M$200.

Do

 * chill with a cold coconut while lying in a hammock
 * rent a kayak and paddle the calm waters of the lagoon
 * take a ride on the banana boat inflatables
 * birdwatch, herons, pelicans, seagulls and other aquatic avians live in the mangrove trees around the lagoon
 * use sunscreen, the sun is particularly fierce on the southern Mexican beaches and you'll burn quickly without it

Buy
Most (probably all) businesses in Boca del Cielo are strictly cash only. There is no ATM in Boca. Before getting on a combi or taxi to Boca, be sure to withdraw enough cash to cover your expected expenses.

Eat
There are many palapa restaurants along Isla San Marcos. Some also offer cabins for the night or places you can string up a hammock and sleep under a palm or under the stars.







Drink
Every palapa bar-restaurant along the beach on Isla San Marcos sells cold beer and sodas. Many also have aguas frescas and mixed drinks (especially margaritas).

Connect
As of 2023, there is 3G service in Boca del Cielo and some areas of 4G in Puerto Arista. There are likely areas of poor or no service between the two towns or on remote rural roads along the coast.

Go next

 * Tuxtla Gutierrez
 * Salina Cruz
 * Tapachula