Our Day In Progreso

[jgmpuma]

This is an excerpt from a review of our Fantasy cruise.

 

PROGRESO: A TOWN IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. I had read all of the CC reviews of Progreso, and they were all over the place (awesome, a dump, etc.). We went with a positive attitude, and would see for ourselves. I had wanted to see the Mayan ruins, but that wasn’t going to work unless I could get my wife out of the sack at a reasonable time, and I knew that wasn’t going to happen. On a cruise she is like a five-year-old on Christmas Eve: she just doesn’t want to give up and go to bed.

 

As it turned out, we loved Progreso. At the pier where the ship docks there is a duty-free shop and about twenty others that you pass through on the way to the shuttle buses. We would come back to these later. The free (driver tips are encouraged) shuttle bus takes you from the dock down a long causeway (about three miles) to Progresso, and drops you off about two blocks from the beach in front of a flea market. There is a $2 bus tour that leaves from the same location. The tour lasts about twenty minutes and is a great way to get your bearings.

 

People seem to have a lot of complaints about the street vendors in Progresso, but once you get a block or so away from the beach, what you mainly find are locals, just going about their business. Not much English is spoken away from the beach, so I had to dust off my old high-school Spanish as best I could. Apparently I didn’t do very well because the locals usually just looked at me funny when I asked for directions, but they were friendly and helpful and we managed to find everything we were looking for. We walked all over town, exploring groceries, the local Catholic Church and a lot of small shops. We bought a few things and I didn’t try to bargain. A couple of dollars means a lot more to these people than they do to us.

 

There are police patrols along the beach area, but we saw just a few in the areas we explored. The bus tour guide told us that violent crime was rare, but to be a little cautious, just as we would be at home, and we always felt safe.

 

I’m a big fan of Bizarre Foods on The Travel Channel, and my inclination was to go to some of the hole-in-the-wall places where the locals eat but, like the trip to the Mayan ruins, that didn’t fly either, my wife preferring to be able to identify what she is eating. Instead, we went to Le Saint Bonnet, oddly named for a place in Progreso, but highly recommended, with a very interesting menu. The menu is huge since it includes breakfast items and the usual Tex-Mex items, but a lot of seafood and Yucatan specialities. We had octopus ceviche, conch salad, and grilled shrimp, all very fresh and well-seasoned. With three beers and a Margarita the bill came to about $45. Our waitress spoke very good English. She found my Spanish to be amusing. Apparently as we were getting ready to leave I asked her for a buffalo, but she seemed to appreciate the effort.

 

Le Saint Bonnet is on the main street adjacent to the beach, and there are a lot of vendors in this area, but they were not persistent at all, nothing like Jamaica. Just a “no, gracias” and they moved along.

 

We topped of the day with a massage on the beach. A good bit of mine was wasted since I feel asleep about half way through, but the part of it I remember was wonderful.

 

By US standards, Progreso is poor, but everyone we saw and spoke with seemed to be happy and content with what they are used to. It isn’t DisneyWorld, but overall we found it to be pretty clean and well-maintained. Living in New Orleans, we are used to a certain level of funk that we sorely missed during our post-K evacuation, and Progreso reminded us a little of home.

 

Someone who comes to New Orleans and only sees Bourbon Street and the French Quarter misses a lot of the rich texture of this city, and I’m sure that the same is true of Mexico. Once you get away from the tourist attractions you get to see some of the local culture.

 

Back at the duty-free shop we bought a bunch of liquor and a few other souvenirs and headed back to the ship. Seeing the local culture is nice, but that air-conditioning really felt good.

[kingfish78734]

Great review! Thanks :)

[YucatanToday]

We have a review of Le Saint Bonnet here:

http://yucatantoday.com/en/topics/restaurant-review-le-saint-bonnet-progreso

P.S. the original owners were French ex-pats.

[TnMama]

liked the review!

[gerirdh]

May I ask how much the beach massage cost?

[jgmpuma]

$10 for 20 minutes, but I was only awake for about 10. Apparently the prices go down towards the end of the day.

[gerirdh]

$10 for 20 minutes, but I was only awake for about 10. Apparently the prices go down towards the end of the day.

 

 

thanks what a great price can't wait to have a massage on the beach:)

[Texaspepper]

Very good review of Merida (Progreso), Mexico and good comments of New Orleans. We'll be in Lafayette, LA July 3rd and will arrive in New Orleans July 4-5th and then join the Fantasy on Monday 6th. We are staying at the Four Points Sheraton on Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie.

 

Do you have a recommendation for dinning in Metairie on the evening of July 4th? I know most of the places in the French Quarters but not Metairie. After the cruise we will stay Sat July 11th again in Sheraton Metaire Four Galleria Boulevard · Metairie. So we'll drive into the French Quarters a couple of times. . .to have a stop at Cafe Du Monde. Although, searching I found there is a Cafe Du Monde out on Metairie by the hotels.

 

We'll do the bus from the pier to Progreso and then walk to the beach. The massage sounds good. I'll have to have one.

[terry&mike]

Texaspepper - For a Metairie restaurant my vote is always Crazy Johnnie's, heck I have been known to drive an hour to it. It's a total locals place, and not much for atmosphere, a bit of a bar/locals looking place, but the steaks are amazing, and the prices are soooo cheap. Anything red meat is the way to go, but be sure to get an appetizer of the dipping sauce - it's the dregs of the bbq shrimp, and it's served with french bread for "sopping" it - it's life changing. Their table salad is good and the house dressing yummy. It's in an area referred to as Fat City, behind Lakeside Mall, at 3520 18th St., Metairie. Parking is a bit problematic, but worth it.

For ideas and thoughts on Progreso, you may want to check the thread under Roll Call Fantasy July 11th, and also at the unfortunately named Progreso is a Dump thread under Ports.

[Texaspepper]

Texaspepper - For a Metairie restaurant my vote is always Crazy Johnnie's, heck I have been known to drive an hour to it. It's a total locals place, and not much for atmosphere, a bit of a bar/locals looking place, but the steaks are amazing, and the prices are soooo cheap. Anything red meat is the way to go, but be sure to get an appetizer of the dipping sauce - it's the dregs of the bbq shrimp, and it's served with french bread for "sopping" it - it's life changing. Their table salad is good and the house dressing yummy. It's in an area referred to as Fat City, behind Lakeside Mall, at 3520 18th St., Metairie. Parking is a bit problematic, but worth it.

For ideas and thoughts on Progreso, you may want to check the thread under Roll Call Fantasy July 11th, and also at the unfortunately named Progreso is a Dump thread under Ports.

 

Ah shaw, oh ya. . .that be what kind of place I be lookin for! We'll go there on July 4th. . .should be jumpin and pumpin. . .I'll Google it from our hotel to the Crazy Johnnie's. All my world travels I always look where the locals eat. If I go into a Chineese eating place and it all white folks eating. . .trun around and keep on looking.

 

You folks got any eating suggestions for Lafayette, LA? We drive from Fort Worth, TX to Lafayette on July 3rd. That is the actual wedding anniversary day for Linda and I.

 

Here is a question. Is bottle liquor cheaper in LA than Texas? I heard somewhere that LA law mandates that it can not be sold above 6% of cost. Ever heard that? Don't know if you smoke, but a carton of Basic Lights sells for $45 + tax and it comes to $49.95 here in Fort Worth at the lowest price places. . Murphy Gas Stations at WalMart. Would they be less in LA? I called Sam's Club in Lafayette, LA and they sell liquor (but not in Texas) but Lafayette Sam's does not sell smokes. Never heard of a Sam's not selling cigs. Thanks. . just kind of getting some buying ideas.

[LSUcruisers]

Do you have a recommendation for dinning in Metairie on the evening of July 4th? I know most of the places in the French Quarters but not Metairie. After the cruise we will stay Sat July 11th again in Sheraton Metaire Four Galleria Boulevard · Metairie. So we'll drive into the French Quarters a couple of times. . .to have a stop at Cafe Du Monde. Although, searching I found there is a Cafe Du Monde out on Metairie by the hotels.

 

If you want seafood there is a great locals place on Williams Blvd callled Fisherman's Wharf. There is always a wait (which is a good thing) but grab an Abita and you'll be good. Williams is the second exit, after Loyola, coming in from Lafayette. Take a left after you exit, heading North, and it will be on the left hand side at the first light past the interstate. There are two left turn lanes going to Esplanade Mall take this and it will be on the corner on your right after the turn. They have a big fish market in the left side of the building and the right side is their restaurant. They get there fresh fish there at there market so it is always good. :D

 

Or, you can never go wrong heading to Bucktown, which is also close to where you are staying, and try most any restaurant in this area but Deanie's Seafood on Lake Ave. is probably the most famous and is very good. http://www.deanies.com/restaurant.html

 

We are heading back out on the Fantasy with two other families on June 27th. This will be the fourth time on this cruise but first time stopping at Progresso and with other friends along it should be a blast! Enjoy your time in the Big Easy and on the cruise, we'll try and leave some Corona's left over for you......

 

Oh, and BTW Go TIGERS!!!

That was one hell of a game last night!!!!

 

You guys played a good one.