Las Coloradas: why the water is pink
Las Coloradas is a small village next to a salt works. Its evaporation pools look pink, white or orange depending on the day, and they've become one of the most shared images of Yucatán. The color comes from concentrated salt and microorganisms that tint the water, and its intensity changes with the sun.
You can't swim in the pools: it's an active salt-production area and a protected zone. You take a guided walk along the edge, which is exactly where the photos are taken. Entry to Las Coloradas isn't included in the tour and is paid on site. We have a full guide on why this water is pink.
The Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
Río Lagartos is a fishing village on the shore of a protected estuary. The Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve was created on May 21, 1999, and covers more than 60,000 hectares of coastal lagoons, brackish wetlands and mangroves, according to its management program. It's also a Ramsar site that includes the municipalities of Río Lagartos, Tizimín and San Felipe.
The management program identifies it as the main nesting site of the Caribbean flamingo in Mexico and records around 280 bird species in the area, many of them migrants that arrive in winter.
The boat ride through the estuary
The boat travels along channels through the mangroves to the wildlife-watching areas. What you may see:
- Flamingos, herons, pelicans and other waterbirds.
- Crocodiles in their habitat (hence the name "Río Lagartos").
- The Maya mud bath with mineral clay at the end of the ride.
As in any reserve, wildlife depends on the season and the day's conditions and can't be guaranteed. The management program has recorded flocks of more than 30,000 flamingos in past seasons, but that's a historical figure, not what you'll see every day.
Cancunito beach and lunch
Between the salt pools and the estuary, the tour stops at Cancunito beach, a rustic beach inside the reserve with calm water and hardly anyone around. After the boat ride, lunch is on the Río Lagartos waterfront: fresh fish, ceviche, octopus or tikin xic, depending on the day's catch. Lunch, the boat, transportation and the guide are included; Las Coloradas entry and drinks are extra.
Tips
- It's a long day: you leave early and get back at night.
- Clothes you don't mind getting muddy, for the mud bath.
- Hat, sunglasses and biodegradable sunscreen: there's hardly any shade.
- Insect repellent for the mangroves.
- Cash for Las Coloradas entry.
- Don't feed or approach the crocodiles; always follow the boat captain's instructions.
Fun facts
- Ría Lagartos is Mexico's main nesting site for the pink flamingo.
- Around 280 bird species have been recorded in the reserve.
- Despite the name, Río Lagartos isn't a river but an estuary, and its "lagartos" are actually crocodiles.
Related tours
Nature · 12 h
Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos
Genuinely pink lagoons, and flamingos in the estuary
from $1,400 MXN per person
See itinerary
7:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily
- 7:00 AM Departure from the office — Almost three hours to the north coast, with a stop halfway.
- 9:50 AM Las Coloradas — A guided walk beside the pink, white and orange pools of the salt works. No swimming: it is a protected area.
- 11:00 AM Cancunito beach — A rustic beach inside the reserve, calm water and hardly anyone around.
- 12:30 PM Boat ride through the estuary — Channels through the mangroves, flamingo watching areas, crocodiles in their habitat and the mineral mud bath.
- 2:15 PM Lunch in Río Lagartos — Fresh fish, ceviche, octopus or tikin xic on the waterfront of the fishing village.
- 4:15 PM Back to Mérida — Nearly four hours back, arriving around eight.
Included: Transport, Guide, Boat ride, Lunch from a set menu
Not included: Las Coloradas entrance, Drinks
Transfers · 11 h
Transfer to Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos
The pink lagoons and the beach, with the van at your disposal
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Celestún and the pink flamingos
The largest flamingo colony in North America
from $1,600 MXN per person
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8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour and a half west, out to the port.
- 9:30 AM Boat ride — Flamingo and bird watching, the mangrove tunnel, the freshwater spring and the Maya bath on the sandbar.
- 11:00 AM Lunch by the beach — Fish, octopus or shrimp from the gulf, at a table facing the sea.
- 1:00 PM Free time on the beach — Almost three hours to swim, walk the shore or do nothing at all.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — Arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Guide, Boat ride, Lunch from a set menu
Not included: Drinks
Beach · 9.5 h
Sisal: kayak, flamingos and beach
A magic town that is still a fishing port
from $1,500 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 5:30 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour and a half on the road to the port.
- 10:00 AM Kayaking in the coastal wetland — A paddle by kayak or flat-bottomed boat through the mangrove, with birdwatching — pink flamingos included — and a dip in a freshwater spring.
- 11:45 AM Sisal beach — Over four hours free. There are seafood places along the shore and palapas you can rent for shade.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour and a half back.
Included: Transport, Kayaking in the coastal wetlands, Free time on the beach
Not included: Food, Drinks, Palapa rental
Frequently asked questions
Can you swim at Las Coloradas?
No. The pools are an active salt-production area and a protected zone; you visit from the edge.
Why is the water at Las Coloradas pink?
Because of concentrated salt and microorganisms that tint the water. The shade changes with the sun and the season.
Are there always flamingos at Río Lagartos?
It can't be guaranteed. Ría Lagartos is Mexico's main flamingo nesting site, but their presence depends on the season.
Does the tour include Las Coloradas entry?
No. It includes transportation, a guide, the boat ride and lunch; Las Coloradas entry and drinks are paid separately.
How long is the drive from Mérida to Las Coloradas?
Almost three hours, with a stop halfway.
