PROGRESO - A major port with a four mile long pier

By Mexican standards Progreso is quite a small town - only about 104 square miles and a population of 47,000 - but it is ranked the 6th  major port for bulk carriers whose cargos of just about everything come into the port and are distributed throughout the country.

This once sleepy fishing village  is also growing with its new found fame as a major Caribbean cruise port and Mayan port of call for many major cruise ship lines.   At present the cruise ship schedule is Tuesday and Thursday, on which days the entire beach front area, plus all the walkable roads off the main area come alive.  Shops that you thought were closed and derelict open up to reveal their stock - lots of handmade goods, clothing, hats, shoes, trinkets of all types - good fun for the tourist on a short stay.

Progreso sits on a limestone shelf which goes out to sea in a gradual decline and means that the waters close to shore are very shallow and to accommodate these large ships and their deep drafts  the world's longest pier was completed in 1985. It  juts out  four miles into the Gulf of Mexico over the  limestone shelf.  At the end of this pier are the docks - even so the water there is only about 30 feet deep. Buses to and from the cruise ships run every 20 minutes all day - it's big business and Progreso loves it!

 

I know, it doesn't look four miles long but it is.  The white blob in the far distance is a large building.

Carnival Elation alongside the Progreso dock - It's just soooooo big - stats from their website state : 2052 passengers and 920 crew, 855 feet long - I make that nearly 21 Alexias !