Fishermen’s Beach and Market in Malpais

Officially, the beach where the fishermen in Malpais have their boats is called “Playa Malpais”, but you’ll very rarely see anyone swimming here.

It’s most notable for the fishermen who have their boats and storage here. You can book a boat for a fishing trip, or find Malpais’s only sailboat.

Malpais Fish Market

Many people come here to buy fresh fish. You can often find a fisherman gutting the catch of the day, and there are a few large freezers where they store fish until someone buys them. Usually they’re freshly caught from that day. You can often find fresh yellowfin tuna (atun), red snapper (pargo), mahi mahi (dorado), and the prices are very reasonable.

Your other option to get fresh fish is to go to “Product C” in the Playa Carmen mall, which is double the price, but it’s usually worth it for several reasons. First, they always have fish, so you’re not going to waste your time. Second, they’ll have a better selection. Third, they get the best fish. If you’re not already staying in Malpais, it’s usually better to just to to Product C rather than driving all the way to Malpais to hope they may have a good piece of fish for you. But if you’re going to Malpais anyway for the canopy tour or to visit one of the beaches there, then it may be worth dropping by to check out what the fishermen have.

Surfing Fishermen’s Beach?

Not likely… the waves often break heavily right on the beach, making even swimming dangerous. But the nearby surf spots of Sunset Reef and Punta Barigona are to the south and north respectively.