What the channel looks like
From the boat, the Pirates' Channel is a corridor of shallow water with a white sandy floor and a turquoise so bright it looks lit from below. On either side the water darkens where the lagoon gets deeper, so the color contrast is dramatic.
It's one of the classic stops on Bacalar boat tours, along with the cenotes (natural sinkholes) inside the lagoon itself and Bird Island. Boats usually pause here so people can take a closer look and snap photos.
Where the name comes from: Bacalar and the pirates
The documented history is in the town rather than the channel. According to an article by Luis Jesús Ojeda Godoy in Glifos, a journal published by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH):
- 1544. Bacalar is founded in a region of swamps, forest and mangroves, largely because of its spot on the lagoon.
- 1696. The settlement is abandoned because of harsh living conditions, made worse by attacks from pirates and smugglers coming from Belize.
- 1727–1729. Yucatán's governor, Antonio de Figueroa y Silva, drives the resettlement of Salamanca de Bacalar and the construction of a fort to assert the Spanish Crown's presence in the area.
That fort is San Felipe, which still overlooks the lagoon. The channel's name keeps that memory alive: local tradition says these waterways were used by raiders coming up from the south. The lagoon does in fact drain east toward Chetumal Bay, as a UNAM study describes. Still, it's a popular explanation; there's no record that the channel got its name back then.
The Fort of San Felipe after the pirates
Bacalar's story didn't end with piracy. During the Caste War, a long Maya uprising in the Yucatán Peninsula, a force of rebel Maya known as the cruzoob stormed the town on February 20, 1858. Bacalar then became a storage and supply base for them.
On March 31, 1901, troops under General José María de la Vega occupied Bacalar. The fort went on to serve as a barracks and a hospital before falling into disuse, until it officially opened as a museum in 1983. Today it houses the Museo del Fuerte de Bacalar, run by the Quintana Roo state government, and it's the best place to understand the past of the channel you see from the boat.
What to keep in mind when you visit
- Stromatolites: the lagoon holds living structures built by bacteria that take centuries to grow. Don't step or lean on them.
- Boat instructions: some stretches allow you into the water and others don't. Follow your captain or guide.
- Sun: glare off the white floor burns fast. Bring a hat, sunglasses, a light shirt and water.
- Sunscreen: use as little as possible before swimming to keep it out of the lagoon.
- Phone: a waterproof pouch saves a lot of worry when taking photos from the boat.
The Pirates' Channel on a day trip from Mérida
The Mary Tours Bacalar trip includes a lagoon boat ride through the Pirates' Channel, Cenote Negro, Cenote Esmeralda and Bird Island, with an explanation of the stromatolites. Lunch and free time in town follow, so you can visit the Fort of San Felipe, the main square and the docks on your own.
Mary Tours has its office on Calle 61 in Mérida's historic center. Current schedule and price are in the booking section.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1544 | Bacalar founded beside the lagoon |
| 1696 | Town abandoned amid attacks by pirates and smugglers from Belize |
| 1727–1729 | Resettlement and construction of the Fort of San Felipe |
| 1858 | Rebel Maya (cruzoob) take Bacalar during the Caste War |
| 1983 | The fort opens as a museum |
Fun facts
- The town's full colonial name was Salamanca de Bacalar.
- The lagoon's water circulates and eventually flows out east toward Chetumal Bay.
- Before it became a museum, the Fort of San Felipe served as a barracks and a hospital.
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Bacalar, the lagoon of seven colours
Seventeen hours for water that changes colour every metre
from $2,800 MXN per person
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5:00 AM – 10:00 PM · daily
- 4:45 AM Boarding — We leave from the downtown office. If your accommodation is on the way, we collect you there — agreed beforehand on WhatsApp.
- 5:30 AM Drive to José María Morelos — Two hours. Fifteen minutes there for toilets and to stretch your legs.
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- 12:15 PM Lunch — Lunch in the town, beside the lagoon.
- 1:30 PM Bacalar magic town — Three and a half hours free: the San Felipe fort, the square, the piers, the cafés and the crafts.
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Frequently asked questions
Did pirates really use the Pirates' Channel?
Raids on Bacalar by pirates and smugglers from Belize are documented. That they used this particular channel is local tradition, with no period record confirming it.
Can you swim in the Pirates' Channel?
It depends on the stretch and the current lagoon rules. Ask your captain or guide, and never step on the stromatolites.
What is the Fort of San Felipe?
An 18th-century Spanish fortification built to protect Bacalar. It has been a museum since 1983 and faces the lagoon in the center of town.
Does the day trip from Mérida go through the channel?
Yes. The Mary Tours Bacalar trip includes the Pirates' Channel on its boat ride.
