Bacalar, the lagoon of seven colours
Seventeen hours for water that changes colour every metre
The seven colours are not a figure of speech: the lagoon shifts tone with depth and time of day, from an almost-white turquoise to deep navy. The boat trip stops at the Pirates’ Channel, where the water is barely a metre deep and you can walk, and at Cenote Negro, which drops ninety metres. You also see the stromatolites, bacterial colonies that are among the oldest living organisms on the planet. In the afternoon, the town: the San Felipe fort, the square and the piers.
Schedule: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM · daily
Bacalar, Quintana Roo
What is included
- Transport
- Guide
- Boat trip
- Meals
Not included
- Drinks
Itinerary
- Boarding — We leave from the downtown office. If your accommodation is on the way, we collect you there — agreed beforehand on WhatsApp.
- Drive to José María Morelos — Two hours. Fifteen minutes there for toilets and to stretch your legs.
- Drive to Bacalar — Two and a half hours more, now crossing into Quintana Roo.
- Boat trip on the lagoon — Pirates’ Channel, Cenote Negro, Cenote Esmeralda and Bird Island, with an explanation of the stromatolites and the ecosystem.
- Lunch — Lunch in the town, beside the lagoon.
- Bacalar magic town — Three and a half hours free: the San Felipe fort, the square, the piers, the cafés and the crafts.
- Back to Mérida — Five hours back, with a stop halfway. Arriving around ten.
Meeting point
Our office at Calle 61 #518-B, Centro Histórico. If your accommodation is on the way to the tour or near the centre, we can pick you up there — agreed over WhatsApp
Questions
Is it worth going and coming back the same day?
It is a very long day, yes. But it is the only way to see Bacalar without paying for a hotel in Quintana Roo. If you can stay overnight, do; if not, this tour solves it.
Can I use sunscreen?
Reef-safe only, and it is best applied before you leave. The stromatolites are living organisms and regular sunscreen kills them.
How often does it stop on the way?
Two fifteen-minute rest stops, one each way, in José María Morelos.