Bacalar is a small town with cozy homestays, some hotels and many great restaurants. He’s right there Lagoon of the 7 Colors, as the huge lake, which one can actually easily mistake for the sea, is also called because of its many shades of blue and turquoise. It’s the perfect place to relax for a few days. Here you can find mine Bacalar tips and all the sights, restaurants, activities for Bacalar and more tips for the Lagoon of 7 Colors.
General information and tips about Bacalar
Bacalar counts, just like Valladolid, to the Pueblos Mágicos of Mexico. And the small town really deserves to be included in the list of places to visit in the country. Just the sight of the lagoon, which shines in different shades of blue on nice days (#nofilter), is worth a visit.
There are several villages around the lagoon. Bacalar is the largest of them with around 10,000 inhabitants. It already existed in Mayan times. In the 16th century the Spaniards conquered the small village and built the Fuerte de San Felipe, the remains of which still perch on the small mountain in the middle of Bacalar. And apart from that, there are one or the other sight in Bacalar.
Things to do in Bacalar
Although Bacalar is not a big place, there is a lot to see and do here. In addition to a wide variety of water activities, things never get boring on land either. In the following you will learn everything about Things to do in Bacalar and find many more Bacalar tips.
Swim in the lagoon
The number one activity and classic among Bacalar tips is, of course, this Swimming in the lagoon. By the way, there are no beaches in Bacalar. But there are many bathing spots that you can use to climb into the lagoon. If you have the luxury of a hotel right on the lake (read more here), you can practically hop straight from your terrace into the lagoon.
But don’t worry: Even if your accommodation doesn’t have direct access to the lake, you don’t have to miss out on the fun. There are a few public bathing areas, which only cost a few cents to enter. In the Balneario Cocalitos, for example, you can enjoy a bathing day for 50 pesos (approx. €2.00) per person. In the Balneario Ejidal, entry only costs 10 pesos (approx. €0.40) per person. At Calle 14 (here) there should also be free access to the lake, but then you won’t have a berth and you won’t be able to spread out your towels anywhere.
Rent a boat or SUP
Since we had the opportunity in our hotel, Rent SUPswe decided on some private SUP tour. If your accommodation does not provide SUPs, you can do the tour here book.
A great idea is one too guided boat tour. So you have a guide who Insider information on Bacalar and the Lagoon can give. How about a sailing tour, for example? On the way you will pass the pirate channel, various cenotes and also the small bird island Isla de los Párajos. Other hotel guests told us enthusiastically about this tour. I would definitely book them next time. You can find more information about the tour here.
Watch the sun rise over the lagoon
Even if you are not an early riser: in Bacalar you have to be, at least for a sunrise. When the sun rises over the lake, the atmosphere is truly unique. Also great: Take a kayak or SUP on the lake at sunrise. Be sure to check the weather beforehand. If it is cloudy or rainy, prefer to book the tour on another day. Visually, our SUP tour was more 50 shades of gray than blue, as you can see in the first picture. On the pictures afterwards you can see what it usually looks like on the lagoon in the morning.
Stroll through the village of Bacalar
Even if you could spend the time in Bacalar exclusively in and on the lagoon, it is worth spending a little time in the village of the same name. There are many in the small streets nice cafes, restaurants and also a few boutiques. There are also a lot of great ones in Bacalar street art to discover.
Visit Fuerte de San Felipe
There is a (small) fort in Bacalar. It was built in the 18th century to protect against raids. It is central in the village of Bacalar. The fort is not big and you can see everything within a few minutes. However, you have one from the fort beautiful view over the lagoon. Also here is the colorful bacalar lettering. Admission to the fort costs 100 pesos (approx. €4.00) per person.
More things to do in Bacalar
There is much to do and discover in Bacalar. You can find more great activities in and around the lagoon here.
Excursions from Bacalar
If you want to set up camp in Bacalar for a longer period of time, you can do so from here various excursions in the area plan on. Theoretically, day trips, for example to Tulum, are also possible. But since most of you will visit this stop anyway, here are just a few tips for trips in the immediate vicinity of Bacalar.
Chetumal
Chetumal, for example, is practically “around the corner”. The Capital of the state of Quintana Roo is about 40 kilometers from Bacalar. You can get there quickly with your own rental car or a colectivo. Chetumal is one of the most important border towns with Belize. Other than that, there isn’t too much to see in the city.
Cenote Azul
Just a few kilometers outside of Bacalar is the Cenote Azul. Not to be confused with the well-known Cenote Azul in Playa del Carmen. Bacalar’s Cenote Azul is considered one of the deepest cenotes in all of Mexico. It is a completely open cenote. Entry costs 25 pesos. it is located here.
Restaurants and cafes in Bacalar
Even though Bacalar is a comparatively small village, there is a large selection of restaurants and cafés. Here are my absolute favourites.
nixtamal – We happened to end up at the Nxitamal on our first night in Bacalar. This restaurant is a little experience. Cooking takes place in the open kitchen and over a campfire at the entrance to the restaurant. The dishes are arranged like little works of art. At first glance, the combinations of flavors are sometimes special. But SO GOOD! Definitely try the salmon. You will find the Nixtamal here.
Wed Burrito Bacalar – With Burrito Bacalar is a small taco truck, centrally located in Bacalar. The owners are taco vendors at heart and will explain exactly what goes into a taco and why tacos in general are great. A single declaration of love for tacos, which actually taste very good here. You can find Mi Burrito Bacalar here.
Enamora – Delicious breakfast is available at Enamora. The café has a great courtyard where live bands play regularly. The coffee is delicious. Be sure to try the cinnamon rolls! You will find the Enamora here.
Bacalar Hotels
When booking a hotel in Bacalar you have the choice between two categories: Hotels that are located directly on the lagoon and hotels that are in the village. Hotels directly on the lagoon are generally more expensive. You can practically hop straight out of bed into the lagoon. In addition, free kayaks and SUPs are often offered. The accommodations in the village definitely score better value for money when it comes to rooms and amenities. You have to book all activities that have to do with the lagoon here.
We have in Bacalar im Hotel Carolina, lived directly on the lagoon. The hotel is a bit out of the way. You walk about 1.5 kilometers to the center of Bacalar, but that didn’t bother us at all. All the more he has us Lagoon access and the fact that we borrow SUPs for free every day couldhappy.
The rooms at Hotel Carolina are large and as a small highlight there is a hammock on each balcony. You can book the Hotel Carolina here.
You can find more hotels in Bacalar here.
Arrival and transport in Bacalar
How around Yucatán Tour we were also in Bacalar with the own rental car
traveling. You can find cheap rental cars for Mexico here.
We came out Campeche and then continued to Tulum. If you have any questions about driving in Mexico, take a look here over.
If you are traveling without a rental car: No problem! Bacalar is well connected to the ADO bus network. There are tickets here.
Bacalar itself is not big so you can easily walk to everything. In addition, in many accommodations (and also in the village) Rent bikes. Parking is not a problem in Bacalar.
Conclusion on Bacalar
The Bacalar Lagoon is really that blue, like in the pictures. For this reason alone, a visit to Bacalar is worthwhile. The place is also perfect for really relaxing: it never really gets stressful here. Personally, I particularly liked the large selection of great restaurants. How long you should stay in Bacalar depends on your taste. You’ve seen everything in two days. But of course you can also relax longer at the blue lagoon.
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