The first look upon Lake Bacalar – located in the south of the Yucatán peninsula – is quite a confusing one.. are we still in Mexico in here? Are you sure we didn’t hop into the Philippines? Is this really not the Maldives?
Nope, it’s all Mexican ground in here. The water of Lake Bacalar is just unbelievably blue and with its many hues the locals understandably call it ‘La Laguna de los Siete Colores’ (‘the lake of the seven colours’). Personally I think you might even discover more shades, as both sunrise and sunset seem to add another palette to the lake.
Bacalar is a 2,5 hour drive south from Tulum and a half an hour drive north from the Mexican-Belizean border. Although Bacalar is gaining in popularity, the amount of tourists you’ll encounter over there still is small compared to the bigger Yucatán peninsula hubs like Tulum or Playa del Carmen. And that’s why this place is a perfect spot to add to your Mexican itinerary, aiaiai!
How long you’d like to stay over here basically depends on how deeply you need that relaxing break in between. In general 1,5 day might be enough in Bacalar, but staying longer won’t be a bad idea either 🙂
These are my best tips for you in Bacalar!
Breakfast @ El Manatí Bacalar
Super close to the main square of Bacalar (the focal point in town) you’ll find this funky place. El Manatí grew from a tiny shop with a lot of local and green products – think of natural sunblock, shampoo and repellent – into a restaurant slash art gallery. So there’s some for everyone!
The garden restaurant in the back of the building is a superb place to hang out for a little while, read a magazine (they have little library), eat an organic breakfast or do some work. With a bit of luck you might even enjoy a live music break. Breakfast isn’t the cheapest in here, nor are the sizes the largest, but they surely are tasteful and it’s the location that is worth the dinero.
A bit of colour @ all over town
Even if you’ve booked yourself a fancy hotel (more about that later), try to find a moment to do some exploration as the streets of Bacalar are worth a little stroll! Especially the calles close to the main square ánd the Costera (next to the Balneario Municipal de Bacalar) are decorated with a lot of murals.
Go with the flow (of the river) @ Los Rapidos
The restaurant of Los Rápidos (‘the rapids’) is located along a fast flowing river, some 15-minutes south from Bacalar by car.
After you’ve paid the entrance fee (100 MXN per person) you can chill out for the rest of the day in the area which is famous for it’s super bright water (as you can see in here ↓)
The river is perfect for a swim against the stream, a floating session or little kayak expedition. The place is a favourite among locals for a day out. Most people just hang out in the shade of the trees, along the picnic tables or at any of the pavilions. There are stretchers, hammocks and chairs everywhere and all you need to do is to find that perfect spot and settle down for the rest of the day.
The restaurant isn’t the best, but it’s not the worst either; it just has a lot of mainstream Mexican food. Even though it is said that you aren’t allowed to bring your own, I noticed that they seemed to care little about the food some people brought in. I think they just want to avoid you organising a giant family picnics at the spot, but a little sandwich probably won’t do any harm (in case you’re rrrrreally done with tacos).
You can park your car right outside the entrance, but bring your valuables with you – you never know. And come in early in the day to conquer one of the better hang-out spots!
There are several ranches along the lake by the way that have the same concept. We tried out the Rancho Alegre as well, but as there were few people over there and all of them were checking these gringos thoroughly, I felt a bit weird hanging out over there. Los Rápidos at least felt a lot more relaxed.
Chilling @ Los Cocalitos
If you don’t want to reach that far there are also splendid hanging-out options along the lake in town. Los Cocalitos is such a place for example. Do note that you often have to pay a bit of a fee to enter these areas. I think we had to pay something like 30 MXN each, which isn’t a whole big of deal.
The main picture of this article is shot at Los Cocalitos and I think it’ll show the main reason why to come here: the hammocks and swings in the water are best!
I’m sure there are more of these swings in Bacalar (although I haven’t found them), but we really loved reading and swinging the hours away at this place!
Lunch @ Mango y Chile
Get ready for lunch at a vegan burger bar! Yes, you’re reading it correctly; all the burgers at this joint are 100% plant based. If you’re not in the mood for burgers you can try out vegan tacos or a salad instead as well.
Although basic, I thought the burgers was quite tasty and they come with some home-made fries too. The only ridiculous things was that we were required to pay extra for the mayonnaise (ketchup is free). But hey, let’s not whine too much about that.
Mango y Chile is located on the eastern side of the main square and as the patio is overlooking the lake, this is just a great setting for a cheap lunch break!
Cenote Azul
A little south from Los Cocalitos you’ll find this cenote which unfortunately doesn’t have the brightest water (especially compared to the lake..). Also, it isn’t necessarily the prettiest cenote in the region, but in case you’ve never seen a cenote it might be worth a stop.
You have to pay an entrance fee (of 50 MXN, I believe), but you can spot it from the road as well!
Sailing @ The Lake
Although you can enjoy the lake in all its splendour for the shores, you might opt for a day out on a sailing boat on the lake. There are a LOT of tour operators and therefore it might be difficult to pick one. As I was still suffering from a terrible sunburn (on the shoulders; a classic snorkeling mistake from the day before at Banco Chinchorro), we decided to skip this trip. But if I’d had to arrange it myself I had asked the staff of the Yak Lake House (more about that later) if I could’ve been able to join one of their tours.
Free places to swim!
- Join the locals and walk or drive to the Balneario Municipal de Bacalar! You can’t really call this area a beach (there’s only a teenytiny strip of sand), but the grassy field is a nice place to hang out at. The people from Bacalar especially love to chill along the little pier. Children are running up and down and jumping in the waters and their parents are feeding each other with snacks and gossip. Get’s crowded during the weekends.
- A bit south from the previous hotspot you’ll find another place where you can dive into the water: Cenote Esmeralda. So you might expect a totally closed sink water hole, but this cenote is actually related to the lake. You can see the division between the cenote and the lake on the right side in this picture below ↓
Dinner @ Bote de Leche
A cute, little restaurant decorated with tropical plants, outdoor string lights and a GREAT atmosphere close to the lake (without the view though). Plus it’s only a four block walk away from the main square.
Bote de Leche is relatively new and the young staff is super friendly and groovy. The menu is written on an outside blackboard and it stars lots of fish and steak dishes with all kinds of sides. The drinks are pretty awesome too and so are the prices. I mean, the menu isn’t dirt-cheap Mexico taco style, but the food and drinks seem very reasonable for what you get.
Whether you’re with a group or with your partner, Bote de Leche surely makes for a great night out!
Sleep @ The Yak Lake House
I thought it was a bit difficult to decide where to stay in Bacalar. I was looking for a private cabin and they are unfortunately not the cheapest in this little town (as of November 2018).
In the end we booked a place – very last moment – via Airbnb, but it wasn’t nice enough to recommend that one to you. However, the downtown Yak Lake House seemed absolutely amazing and other travellers were saying so as well.
The ho(s)tel is located right along the lake (you can dive into it from their pier) and also has a big garden. At the Yak Lake House you can use the kayaks for free and every day the hotel organises another cool activity you can easily join. There are both dorms and private rooms to fit all types of budgets.
Especially if you’re travelling without a car, this place might be a decent option, as it’s close to the main square ánd the water is very bright at this spot. (Just so you know, the more north you go, the less brighter the water will get). It’s also very easy to connect to other travellers if you’re travelling solo in here.
Wherever you decide to go in Bacalar, make sure to book you’re stay in time!
Here’s what spots to hit in Bacalar:
