A long day, your way
Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos are almost three hours from Mérida, so the transfer makes for a long day: you leave early and get back at night. The advantage of a transfer is that your group decides how long to spend at each stop and in what order, with no guide and no other travelers.
The four stops are Río Lagartos, Las Coloradas, Cancunito and free time at the beach. The driver parks and waits.
The boat in Río Lagartos
The estuary boat ride is booked in Río Lagartos with local operators. You're inside the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, created in 1999 and covering more than 60,000 hectares, which its management program identifies as Mexico's main nesting site for the pink flamingo. It's also home to crocodiles and around 280 bird species.
Before you get on, ask what the ride covers (the flamingo area, mangroves, mud bath), how long it lasts and whether the price is per boat or per person. Remember that wildlife depends on the season and can't be guaranteed.
Las Coloradas: entry and rules
The pink pools belong to a salt works and are a protected area: no swimming, and you visit from the edge, following the site's instructions. Entry is paid on site. The color changes with the sun and the season; it usually looks most intense under clear skies.
What the transfer includes
An air-conditioned van, a driver and traveler insurance. It doesn't include the boat, Las Coloradas entry, food, drinks or tips. The price is per van; see rates and capacities in the catalogue. Bookings from this page are for groups of 4 or more. If you'd rather have everything sorted with a guide, boat and lunch, there's the Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos tour.
What to bring
- Cash for the boat, entry and lunch.
- A hat, sunglasses, water and biodegradable sunscreen.
- Clothes you don't mind getting muddy if you'll do the mud bath.
- Insect repellent.
- A good night's sleep beforehand: it's a long day.
Fun facts
- Ría Lagartos is Mexico's main nesting site for the pink flamingo.
- Around 280 bird species have been recorded in the reserve.
- The color of Las Coloradas shifts with the sun: it looks brightest under clear skies.
Related tours
Transfers · 11 h
Transfer to Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos
The pink lagoons and the beach, with the van at your disposal
from $2,850 MXN per vehicle
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
Nature · 9 h
Celestún and the pink flamingos
The largest flamingo colony in North America
from $1,600 MXN per person
See itinerary
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
Frequently asked questions
Does the transfer include the Río Lagartos boat?
No. You book the boat in Río Lagartos with local operators.
Can you swim at Las Coloradas?
No. It's a salt-production area and a protected zone; you visit from the edge.
How long is the drive from Mérida to Las Coloradas?
Almost three hours each way.
Is the transfer priced per person?
No, it's per van.
Is there a guide?
No. It's private transportation with a driver.
