24.04.2022 | Mexico, Travel

The Maldives of Mexico – Bacalar

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Yep, this place is not for nothing called the Maldives of Mexico. The water of the “Lagoon of Seven Colors” really comes in all different crystal clear blue tones you can imagine. It contains scant organic material, but also a lot of microorganisms. Therefore the lagoon puts on a spectacular display in the sunlight. We highly recommend to do a sailing trip here to explore the area from the water. Also you should not miss Los Rapidos, the place where the small clear blue river has such a strong current.

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WHAT TO DO ?

1. Los Rapidos – tight river with strong current

This place is definitely a must-do if you stay in Bacalar! At the entrance you have to pay 100 MXN per person and you can stay the whole day. You can just swim against the current and float back or you rent a kayak and do a trip on the fast flowing river. You can also walk carefully out on the white rocks at the side of the river and float back afterwards. This place is amazing in the day, but don’t miss the sunset here, the colors look incredible! We highly recommend to bring a drone to this place!

2. Do a sailing trip with @bacalarsailing

We highly highly recommend this company! They will do everything to show you all the different amazing places around Bacalar from the boat. It’s such a nice way to explore the clear blue lagoon! Usually they have small groups for 8 people and a captain, but you can also book a private sailing trip. They sailed with us to the bluest water of the lagoon, which really looked like being in the Maldives. We also visited the pirates channel, a nature reserve on the water and an abandoned hotel complex. It’s possible to bring your drone and camera, since they have dry bags on board. There are several swim breaks and in between they will prepare fruits as a snack for you. Just make sure you book a sailing trip on a sunny day, since the extreme blue colors of the water only gets visibly in the direct sunlight. If there is no wind, they have to postpone the trip to a more windy day.

3. Jump into the blue water in front of Restaurante de la Laguna

Well, this is definitely a secret tip! The area around this restaurant is so beautiful, it’s actually close to Los Rapidos. They have a very cute house with a thatched roof and a beautiful wooden bridge. It’s the perfect place to do some jumps in the water head first! We didn’t have to pay, the owner of the restaurant was pretty nice.

4. Swim in the Laguna Bonanza with all the locals

I can’t believe that this isn’t a tourist place yet, how did they kept this secret? So shhhh, don’t tell anyone. When we’ve visited this place, because it looked pretty good on maps, we only saw locals chilling and swimming, no tourist at all. We even didn’t have to pay something! I think this place had the bluest water we’ve seen in Bacalar and the white rocks at the side are just incredible! Pass all the little wooden huts and swim out to the river!! You can also rent kayaks here!

5. The most beautiful sunset place – Sujuy-Ha

Another secret tip for you! I saw only one picture of this place in the day and was curious how it would look like for sunset. Again it’s a place, where only locals chill. Actually it’s some kind of an airbnb with cute little wooden huts and a kayak rental. In the evening the wooden platform offers the most beautiful view of the sunset! This place is at the other side of the river, but the roads where pretty good!

6. Chill at Cocalitos Beach Club

This beach club has nice swings and hammocks. It’s the perfect place if you just want to relax in the sun or end the day with a drink watching the sunset. However, it can get pretty crowded. We skipped this place to have more time at the secret spots listed above.

7. Visit Cenote Azul

I wouldn’t say this is a must-do on your Bacalar trip, there are much more beautiful cenotes in Mexico. But if you have some time left, check this cenote out! The cenote is huge and 90 meter deep! In the morning you might have this one for yourself!

8. Explore the town Bacalar

Don’t skip exploring the centre of Bacalar with all it’s paintings, colorful buildings and beautiful doors. Just walk through the streets and soak in the vibes! There are also some pretty nice handicraft stores!

9. Standup Paddling at Pirates Canal

Our friends did some amazing looking Standup Paddling tour on the Pirates Canal, the place you also visit during your sailing trip. Check this one out, unfortunately we ran out of time for this.

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WHERE TO EAT ?

So there are some really good cafés and restaurants in Bacalar! You will not be disappointed! Next to the ones listed below, there is also a really famous and cheap burrito places called “Mi Burrito”. In the evening we sometimes saw a line of 30 people waiting to get a burrito there.

1. Mango y Chile – so tasty and vegan!

This is our absolutely favorite place for vegan burritos! And it’s not only famous amongst vegans, everyone comes here since the burritos taste sooo good! You can choose 3 different burritos, also the smoothies are great, as well as the coffee! Also, this place has the best view over the lagoon! It’s located directly in front of the place where the @bacalarsailing trip started!

2. Enamora Bacalar – perfect for a healthy breakfast

Oh, this one is so good for breakfast, highly recommend it! They have incredible smoothies, fruit salads, coffee and avocado or beetroot toast!! Come here early, since the tables are taken fastly. It’s THE place for breakfast in Bacalar. They also sell some beautiful handmade things there.

3. Enjoy a pizza at Da Bruno

Are you craving some Italian food? This place only has pizza on their menu, they only have a few tables and the location is really nice. In the front of the restaurant they sell some beautiful things. We actually had our Christmas Eve dinner here.

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WHERE TO STAY ?

We looked for a cheap but nice place to stay in Bacalar. There are a lot of expensive incredible hotels directly at the lagoon, however Casa Delia Hotel was enough for us. Just keep in mind that it’s a few streets away from the centre and the lagoon, so it might be good to have a car.

1. Casa Delia Hotel (budget)

Look at booking.com or airbnb, the rooms are basic but cute decorated, they even have a pool and a chill area! The staff was really nice!

2. Khaban Bacalar Hotel Boutique

We didn’t stay here, but we saw wonderful pictures of this place! It’s located directly at the lagoon and has a beautiful wooden pavilion over the water!

3. Habitas Bacalar (expensive)

This place is also located directly at the lagoon, and wow the huts look so beautiful. I guess it’s the perfect place to enjoy sunrise or sunset!

How to get around?

The easiest way is to rent a car, for example in Tulum, if you come from there. To reach the secret places listed above, you will probably need a car! However, you can also hire a driver in the centre! If you just want to see the famous Los Rapidos and maybe a Beach Bar, you might not need a rental car! We saw a lot of young people getting a taxi to the city.