Bacalar, Mexico: The magical town by the lagoon

Characterized by the crystalline waters of its beautiful lagoon and cenotes, Bacalar offers plenty of things to do. Read on to find out why this pueblo mágico should be at the top of your travel destination list!

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Bacalar is a pueblo mágico in Quintana Roo, Mexico, characterized by its beautiful lagoon and cenotes. Its lagoon is known as the lagoon of seven colors, due to the shades of its crystalline waters, which are the result of the combination of coral diversity and underwater flora.

Bacalar is amazing! Period. If you already had plans to go elsewhere, I’m sure there’s still time to change them.

There are many reasons Bacalar will sweep you off your feet. Here’s three:

First of all, those amazing, jaw-dropping views of its beautiful lagoon of seven colors and its amazing cenotes. Swimming in the waters of Bacalar, or taking a ride by boat are both great ways to explore this pueblo mágico.

Second, it’s true pirates of the Caribbean history will take you through its pirate canal (where pirates actually came into Bacalar to attack the town!) and its fort built to defend itself from the attacks.

Lastly, its small, charming square will make you feel like ending each day sitting in one of its benches enjoying an ice cream.

What to expect from Bacalar

Lets begin with the beautiful views of the lagoon and the cenotes. Bacalar lagoon is the main body of water that adorns the town. Alongside it, there are two main cenotes nearby: Cenote Azul and Cenote Negro (also known as Cenote la Bruja). The cenotes’ water depth give the water a more intense blue color, hence yielding those names.

Bacalar town is a small, peaceful town that hosts a fort, and a main square in which you can relax after finishing your daytime activities.

In addition to its cenotes by the lagoon, you can find the Canal de los Piratas (the Pirate Channel). In it, there’s an abandoned structure that was supposed to serve as a restaurant. The project was abandoned, and now visitors use it as part of the stop to dive and swim around it.

Bacalar: you can’t miss the sunrises

One sight that you cannot absolutely miss is the sunrise at the lagoon. On a clear day, you will have a stunning view of the sun coming up through the horizon.

You will get to see a few sail boats and paddle boards, which will give an absolute sense of tranquility.

So yes….it is definitely worth getting up just a tad earlier 😉

Its history: Bacalar pirate channel (Canal de los Piratas)

One of the most interesting facts that we learned during our trip is that the Canal de los Piratas is named as such because actual pirates of the Caribbean reached Bacalar through it. They would anchor their ships near the ocean, and use smaller boats through a small channel, through the lagoons, to ransack the town for wood and other goods.

Bacalar’s landmark on land: its fort

The people of Bacalar of course wanted to fight back. They built a fort to fend themselves from the pirate attacks.

The fort now hosts a pirate museum with various artifacts recovered from the era, along with some pirate ship models.

You can take a look of the view from the fort to the canal, and take pictures by the canons, which still adorn the place.

Bacalar activities

There’s a number of activities you can try if you visit Bacalar. Below are only a few things you must try to do while in the area.

• Boat Tour Around the Lagoon: You will get to see a tour of the highlights of Bacalar.
• Swimming! You can swim in a number of places in the lagoon and cenotes.
• Sail Boating: Yes, you can do your tour on a sail boat. Let the wind carry you!
• Paddle Boarding: Remember that amazing sunrise? How about soaking it in from your paddle board? I know I know…I had you at “sunrise”
• Bird Watching: The Isla de los Pájaros (“bird island”) hosts a number of local and migratory birds.
• Taking awesome pictures in the water!

Bacalar pueblo

Bacalar is more than just a few bodies of great looking water. The town of Bacalar, although a bit small, carries some personality. There is a small square right next to the fort. This is where the action happens.

There’s a number of good restaurants, and snacks around the square. There are three snacks that should be at the top of your list.

• Marquesitas: This is a typical snack in several parts of the peninsula. It is similar to a rolled, crispy crepe with cheese
• Frozen Yogurt Blended with Fruits: There is a small shop called Yogufresh that we really liked! We ate frozen yogurt twice one of our days there 🙂
• Plantains & Sweet Potato Bowl: This filling, delicious street food snack was sold by a gentleman on a mobile cart that hosted a charcoal oven

Bacalar logistics

When to Visit: The town locals advice visiting Bacalar during the months of February and March, due to the higher clarity of the water, plus the bonus of having less tourists around.

How To Get There: The closest airport is in Chetumal, Quintana Roo (40 mins away by car). However, the airport with the most, and cheaper flights is the airport in Cancún (4 hours away by car)

Where to Stay: I highly recommend Hotel Maria Maria. This is a family owned hotel, and the family members treat their hosts like family. It is well located (2 blocks from the lagoon, 3 blocks from the main square & fort), has rooms with a view of the lagoon, and they also have connections to a boat operator. They made our tour plans very seamless. Nice job, Hotel Maria Maria!

What to Eat: Navieros Bacalar has very good sea food, and it is near the Hotel Maria Maria. La Playita was also very tasty, but a bit more expensive (nice view of the lagoon, and if you get there at dinner time you might have to wait a bit). Yougufresh was delicious, and just 3 blocks from the hotel

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What do you think about Bacalar? Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions about our visit. We’d be more than happy to share any additional pointers or lessons learned. I hope you get to visit soon!

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