What to do in Bacalar and how to plan your trip
Bacalar is about 330 kilometres south of Cancun Airport on Highway 307, 40 kilometres from Chetumal. You arrive at a freshwater lagoon more than 40 kilometres long, with an 18th-century fort above the town and a cenote about 90 metres deep right beside the highway.
- 1transportation zone
- 10hotels
- 330 kmfrom the airport
- 90 mdeep at Cenote Azul
- UTC−5no daylight saving
Everything you need to know about Bacalar
Bacalar is a town of about 12,000 people in southern Quintana Roo, 40 kilometres from Chetumal, and a Pueblo Magico since 2006. What brings people here is the lagoon: more than 40 kilometres of long, narrow fresh water that changes shade of blue with depth, which is where its name, the Lagoon of Seven Colours, comes from. Along its shores lies the largest freshwater stromatolite system in the world, formations built up by microbial colonies over thousands of years that you must not touch or stand on. Above the town, the Fort of San Felipe, finished in 1733, is a reminder that pirates once came this far up the Canal de los Piratas looking for logwood.
Getting to Bacalar
- Cancun Airport (CUN)About 330 kilometres south on Highway 307, through Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto. It has the most international flights, and the transfer drops you at your hotel door.
- Chetumal Airport (CTM)About 40 kilometres away, much closer, but with fewer flights, nearly all domestic. Check the schedule before choosing it.
- Tren MayaBacalar has a station, with a connecting shuttle to the centre. From Cancun Aeropuerto the train takes longer than the road, and there are few departures a day.
Good to know
- LanguageSpanish, with English at hotels and tour operators.
- CurrencyMexican peso (MXN). The swimming spots, the fort and the boat tours charge per person; bring cash.
- Time zoneUTC−5 all year, the same as Cancun.
- Power127 V, 60 Hz, the same flat plugs as in Canada.
- WaterDrink bottled water. The lagoon is fresh water, but not for drinking.
- Emergencies911 nationwide.
Transfers from the airport to every zone of Bacalar are a fixed price per vehicle, with the driver waiting at the exit. See availability.
Things to see and do in Bacalar
You see the lagoon from the water, and the rest fits inside the town.
The way to see the lagoon: boats leave from the town docks and pass the shoreline cenotes, the Canal de los Piratas and Isla de los Pajaros. To protect the stromatolites, sailboats or kayaks are recommended over motorboats.
Built between 1725 and 1733 against pirate raids; during the Caste War, Maya rebels took it in 1858. Today it is a museum, open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; free for Mexican nationals on Sundays.
Two cenotes inside the lagoon itself, on the west shore, where the turquoise stops at a sharp line and the water turns almost black. You reach them by sailboat or kayak.
An islet in the lagoon for watching birds from the boat. It is a regular stop on the tours.
The living rock formations along the shore, between six and ten thousand years old. You see them well at Cocalitos and Los Rapidos, from a distance and without stepping on them.
Where to swim in Bacalar
There is no ocean beach: there are cenotes, channels and freshwater shores, each with its own admission.
On the highway at the south entrance to town: an open cenote about 90 metres deep, with intense blue water and rock walls. You can swim and dive.
South of town, a narrow stretch linking two parts of the lagoon, where the current runs between stromatolites and mangroves. You float down in a life jacket or paddle a kayak.
The narrow, shallow channel pirates and smugglers used to reach Bacalar in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today you paddle it or float it.
About 4 kilometres south of town along the shore, with shallow water and stromatolites in view. No sunscreen or insect repellent in the water.
When to visit Bacalar
The lagoon’s colours depend on the sun and the water. This is what changes through the year.
The dry season and the busiest. In sunshine, the lagoon shows its full range of blues.
Intense heat and warm water. The rains start in late May or June.
Mexican summer vacation: more people and more patrols by the port authority on the lagoon. Afternoon storms.
The wettest and cheapest months, in the middle of hurricane season. After very heavy rain the lagoon can lose its colour for a while.
Getting around Bacalar
What each option costs and when it makes sense.
ADO stops in Bacalar, with departures to Chetumal, Tulum and Cancun, and there is a direct bus from Terminal 2 at the airport.
For getting from town to Cenote Azul, Los Rapidos or Cocalitos. Agree on the fare before you get in.
The way to get around the lagoon. Tours leave from the town docks; motorboats wear down the stromatolites.
From Cancun Airport to your hotel door, at a fixed price per vehicle, with your driver tracking your flight.
How we get you to Bacalar
From Cancun Airport to your hotel door in Bacalar, at a fixed price per vehicle.
Hotels in Bacalar we pick up from
Fixed price to every hotel in the zone. If yours is not here, type it in the search box.
Tips from our local team in Bacalar
What travellers ask us most, answered by the people who live here.
It isn’t an ocean beach
It is fresh water, with no waves and no salt, and you usually get in from a dock or a swimming area, not from sand.
It is a long drive
It is about 330 kilometres from the airport. If you land in the afternoon, you will arrive after dark; a night in Tulum or Playa del Carmen splits the trip.
Swimming spots charge admission
Cenote Azul, Los Rapidos and the lakeside swimming areas charge per person, separate from the sailboat tour. Bring pesos.
The transfer is door to door
No changing buses in Tulum or Chetumal: your driver meets you at the airport exit and drops you at your hotel.
The fort is closed on Mondays
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On a long weekend, don’t leave it for Monday.
Don’t step on the stromatolites
They are living formations thousands of years old. Watch from a distance, skip sunscreen where it is banned, and don’t climb on them for a photo.
How to get to Bacalar from the airport
A fixed price per vehicle and your driver waiting at the exit with your name, on one of the longest drives on the coast.
Transportation prices per zone in Bacalar
| Transportation zone | Drive time | Passenger van8 8 | Airport taxi3 3 | Luxury SUV5 5 | Group van15 15 | See availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacalar | 4 h | US$500 | — | US$800 | — | See availability |
One way in USD per vehicle, taxes, tolls and luggage included. Round trip is the total for both legs. Drive times are estimates without traffic, calculated from distance and speed limits; those marked ≈ are approximate.
The prices shown are the Economy fare. Many services also have a Premium fare in the same private vehicle, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before and free changes up to 12 hours before; Economy includes one change with 24 hours’ notice. You choose between them when you see availability.