Bacalar, Magic town

Bacalar is the name of the town and the lagoon which is famous for its seven (or perhaps many more) colors and is composed of brackish and transparent water as well as white sand. It is the most important lagoon in the south of Quintana Roo and is located 45 km north of Chetumal which is the state capital. It was founded by the Mayas approximately in 415 AD. and was called Sian Ka'an Bakhalal.

Bacalar means "place close to reeds or surrounded by them" and is considered a "Magic Town" that is a distinctive symbol that the Secretary of Tourism of Mexico grants to those localities that have natural, symbolic or historical attributes and represent a great opportunity for the tourism.

Bacalar is located to the south, four hours from Cancun, three and a half hours from Playa del Carmen and three hours from Tulum.

What to do in Bacalar

It is ideal for diving, swimming and snorkeling. There are rides in light boats (kayak, canoeing, paddle surfing), cenotes, tours through nature, ecological, by bicycle, cultural; there are several highly recommended spas. You can admire the stromatolites, visit the Cenote Azul, and some zip lines. There is an interesting variety of flora and fauna.

The most important places to visit in Bacalar:

San Felipe Fort
It has one of the best views of the entire lagoon, which measures about 50 km long x 2 km wide. It was built in 1729. It houses the Caste War and Piracy Museum. Many objects related to pirates, colonizers and their Mayan founders are found in it.

Blue Cenote
It is 4 km south of the city. It is a circular body of water whose diameter is more than 300 m, and a maximum depth of 90 m. Its waters are transparent and it has underwater caverns.

Stromatolites (giant microbialites)
They are mineral structures, living sedimentary rocks, one of the oldest types of life. The word stromatolite means "bed or carpet of stone". They appeared about three thousand five hundred million years ago and thanks to their production of oxygen, life originated on our planet. Currently the stromatolites are an important part of the tourist attraction of Bacalar where people from all over the world come to see them.

In the center of Bacalar there is also the House of Culture, the Main Square, and the Temple of San Joaquín. Nearby there is an archaeological site called Ichkabal and there are several Mayan towns such as Buenavista and Limones. There are other lagoons such as Guadalupe, Teresita, Los Conejos and Xul-Há. It is possible to acquire beautiful handicrafts from wood carving, textiles (hipiles) dyed with dyewood and hand embroidery, palm basketry and hammocks, mainly.

We invite you to take a tour to Bacalar and discover this amazing beauty