Most of the people striving through the Yucatan peninsula are talking about beaches and oceans to swim in. But there is also another gem in the surrounding. Offering also the possibility to swim without huge waves and adding multiple different colors of water - Bacalar is presenting its lagoon to everyone who finds his path down north the Costa Maya and some kilometers into the mainland, close to the border to Belize. The Pueblo Magico surprises next to the lagoons´ 'seven colors' also with natural rarities - the stromatolites - and a cute town which offers all necessities, but won't keep you awake with its rather calm nightlife.
Out of the small number of hostels around town, Yak Lake House and Che were the most well-known ones at our time of travel. Since dorm prices were at the time we booked horrendously high (60€ and 35€ per bed and night), we went for Guarumbo, a cozy single house with only two dorms, each holding four beds and a big terrace on the rooftop as well as free bike rental service. In addition, it is possible without issues to visit the other two hostels at the night for partying. Arrived and checked in into the hostel we next went for Chile y Mango a restaurant with a great view of the lagoon, perfect for your first impression. The place offers burgers and other international dishes with a twist while prices are rather high. After a first stroll around town, we went to I scream bar, which has a very special character, being built of many different car parts and also using them as decoration, light or sunblinds as menus. In addition, I might have never seen workers, that had more fun doing their job and spreading this vibe beyond the customers. They were joking around, dancing every now and then between the tables or basically stripping behind the bar, or shouting the bar name in the direction of passing people in a nice way to get their attention. Definitely already worth a visit for the atmosphere apart from cocktail happy hour.
The next day, we made our way with the bikes to Cenote Azul. I hope for every next person who has the same plan, that the street is paved up to this point because riding on the sand was not an easy endeavor, but still, we reached the refreshing water and enjoyed an hour there, even though the 'cenote' itself is not that impressive or outstandingly nice, but an easy to visit spot when around.
Initially, I planned to see Los Rapidos but unfortunately, I had a flat when I tried to leave Azul. So after some asking Giuseppe out of a house close by was able to provide me with some air to get back home, or at least to La Playita where we got lunch and afterwards chilled on their private dock. This is when it needs to be mentioned, that to reach the lagoon, there are only 2-3 public docks to go to or private ones through restaurants, the Yak Lake House, or next to Balneario Ejidal which is kind of a public bath which can be entered for a small entrance fee. This is in general a small drawback of the town, but you will be able to find your preferred point to jump into the water.
To see the lagoon not only during daylight but also during sunrise, the provider Bacalar Sunrise offers kayaking tours in the early morning. This was our plan for the next morning. After waking up early around 6 am and getting attacked by a huge foaming dog in front of our hostel which was jumping up on Samantha and biting, forcing us to run behind the hostel gate again and taking another path, we arrived at the spot and were told that because of the weather conditions they have to be responsible and we can not go out on the water. Still, this might be an interesting option to do. Also, Yak Lakehouse offers sunrise Stand Up Paddling tours, which one might be able to join as a guest as well.
So after waking up early and not being able to do that tour we went to one of the public pears to see the sunrise, which was impressive as well. Others also used that time and spot for their morning routines, practicing yoga or meditating.
After we had a good breakfast at Enamora Bacalar, where you might also find love music e.g. a Saxophon player in the evenings, we got some kayaks to go out on the lagoon. We went over to Canal de Los Piratas, a thin and shallow channel between two parts of the lagoon, resulting in a small current. Also, you find a small 'ruin' there of a former restaurant which was never active, where we parked our kayaks and spent some time before we went back.
The next stop to see in Bacalar is the Cenote Cocalitos which holds the famous living stones of Bacalar. Stromatolites are sedimental formations created by certain photosynthesizing bacteria. You might only find them in rare places around the world where the proportion of salt in the water is high, so that is unattractive for other animals to live and especially eat at those places. Stromatolites are not only the oldest living lifeform but are also one of the most important producers of oxygen for our planet. To read more especially about some in Australia, you may check this BBC article.
The ones in Bacalar "may be the largest sized living freshwater microbialites, or any organism, on Earth" (to trust Wikipedia and their sources once).
Even though the cenote does not look like one of the usual ones you might visit, which are separated from any other piece of water and mostly a bit underground, this one will just impress you with its unique beauty. After laying and tanning on the grass around, you might feel the urge to jump in or swim a bit. But first, you need to walk past the stromatolites and the hammocks and swings placed in the water to reach after 2-3 minutes of walking in maximum knee-deep water probably a spot where you can dip in fully or swim further out into the lagoon. This big shallow part connects the cenote with the lagoon and sets up its special character of it.
In the evening, we had another stop at I scream bar before I went to the Yak lake house to enjoy the evening with some people I met down at their private lakeside place. Therefore it needs to be added, that drinks are not really expensive in there, so definitely worth a visit. Also, check if they have some events going on in the evenings.
Other Recommendations:
Galeon Pirata Centro cultural Independiente: a place that offers live music basically every day
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