Bacalar

Stop #4: Bacalar

Next stop on the Yucatan tour was a cute town named Bacalar. Well known for its clear blue lagoon, eco-friendly hotels/restaurants, and hammocks, this location quickly became the highlight of our trip. Although Bacalar isn’t the biggest tourist spot, they still get their fair share of people coming to visit from all around.

Bacalar Loves the Planet

The one thing that stood out to me about Bacalar is how ecologically conscious everyone is. Our Airbnb host left a pamphlet that explained how important it was to be respectful and aware of our carbon footprint on this Earth. The pamphlet also gave us a history of the famous Bacalar Lagoon and how the stromatolites (living rocks…yes you read that correctly) are extremely detrimental to keeping the lagoon as blue as it is.

Appearing almost 2500 to 1000 million years ago, the stromatolites are some of the most ancient living beings still on this planet. They produce heavy amounts of oxygen and are the main reason we are alive and breathing today. Unfortunately, there aren’t many of them left around the world due to climate change and human error. One thing I learned while here was that touching these living creatures is a life sentence to death. The oils on our hands and feet coat the rocks and prevent them from producing oxygen which ultimately kills them in the end. They take thousands of years to form back, and by then it’ll be too late, so don’t touch them!!

Cenote Azul

(7th cenote) One of the most popular cenotes in Bacalar is Cenote Azul. It was the first thing we wanted to see once we got here. Thankfully we made it before it closed. It costs about 25 pesos to enter, and it is voluntary to wear a lifejacket.

Now, this cenote really lives up to its name because it was THE bluest cenote I’ve ever seen. It’s about 90 meters deep making the water a deep blue color. What fascinated me the most about this place was how clearly you saw the tree roots growing under the water. As well you can see the millions of fish hanging around. The water was so calm and relaxing, that I never wanted to leave. There is a small restaurant where you can grab some local foods and a little souvenir shop. I definitely recommend checking this place out if you find yourself in Bacalar. Although this is the most popular cenote here, Bacalar has countless more to explore!

Good Eats in Bacalar

We were recommended to check out this one restaurant named La Playita. It had a really cute vibe while overlooking the lagoon. For appetizers, they offered buffalo cauliflower bites which were oooo so gooood. For the main course, we had the tuna pancetta and a salmon pita wrap. We really enjoyed our meal the first time so we went back again another night to try something new. The second time around we tried their Argentinian empanadas with different fillings of meats, cheese, and veggies. I think the empanadas were probably their best meal on the menu.

Yaya, a local bar There is a local bar called Yaya that our sailboat captain told us about. Every week at 9m they hold a sala lesson class for anybody (for free!!). Obviously, we decided to check it out because it sounded like a lot of fun. We got there a little late, but we were able to join with no issues and everyone was so nice. They had two teachers just telling us to follow their steps as we danced to the music. What a great experience being with the locals and having all this fun. After the class, a bunch of local musicians joined the stage and just had a jam session. They played their instruments and sang their hearts out. The bar offered food, so we ordered all of the appetizers on their menu and just listened to the music for the night.

Sailboat Tour

We found an Airbnb experience that gave us a tour of the lagoon on a sailboat. There was another family that joined us on the tour which was nice to meet new people. Since the boat was pretty full, we got to sit in the front and get a full view of the water. The captain of the boat gave us some history about the lagoon and the importance of keeping it clean. My boyfriend’s hat flew into the water by accident because of the wind, and the captain turned around and was able to retrieve it for us! He took us out to the middle of the lagoon where we were allowed to swim around and enjoy the beautiful water. They also fed us some fresh fruits for a snack. Everyone on the tour was really nice and it was great to just be on a sailboat.

Touring the Bacalar Lagoon

The second Airbnb experience we found was actually very similar to the sailboat experience. This experience was a family-run business. They offered a tour of the lagoon and the different cenotes that are connected to it. They were the sweetest people as they explained to us how hard business has been since the pandemic. We were the only ones that were on this tour. The captain really went into detail about the history of Bacalar and the lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon is also known as the lagoon of seven colors because as you sail through it the water color changes at various points. He showed us where the stromatolites were lined up around the lagoon. He also explained to us that the color of the water depends on these old fossils. When they are healthy and thriving, the water around them is usually a very clear blue color. They keep the water clean. Dead stromatolites can also be found hiding in the sand in the Lagoon.

Another thing he taught us was that sand is very good for exfoliation. Ancient Mayans used to take this sand and rub it all over their skin. It was a very informative tour, although it was all in Spanish, I’m very proud of how much I understood even if it wasn’t everything. He also fed us some fresh fruit for snacks and docked at different spots of the lagoon so we could swim around. The lagoon is really a special place.

The Famous Rapidos

One location we wanted to visit before leaving was Los Rapidos. It is a part of the Blue Lagoon that’s perfect for kayaking down the water. We heard that there was a restaurant that gave you direct access to Los Rapidos. Many locals warned us not to go there. This restaurant has many stromatolites in the water surrounding them, and they allow their customers to sit and touch them!! Of course when we heard that we were very against going there.

The locals recommended we go to Bonanza, another part of the lagoon where you can rent a kayak and kayak up to Los Rapidos. The only thing about this day was that it was extremely windy. Once we got on the water the wind was just taking us away!! We paddled our way into Los Rapidos and as soon as we entered we saw countless people sitting, walking, and touching the stromatolites. There were signs that said not to do those things, but of course, people don’t listen. You can tell the stromatolites in this area were dead just by looking at the water. It was really so sad to see. Getting into Los Rapidos was easy, but trying to paddle out AGAINST the wind and current was a real sport.

Day Trips

We drove 1 hour and a half to visit the ruins of Dzibanché. Halfway up to this location, we lost all types of cell service. On the bright side, we got to see many cattle farms on the way. These ruins were extremely impressive to see. There weren’t any tour guides around to tell us about the history of what we were seeing. So, we just used our imagination for that. You were allowed to climb up on these ruins, which was really cool to witness. Not all of them are stable enough to handle people on them, but a few were, and seeing the view from the top was breathtaking. We even saw a family of monkeys climbing and swinging around in the trees!!

Another 1 hour and a half drive took us to a beautiful beach in the town of Mahahual. The waters at this beach were extremely shallow, but that gave it a breathtaking clear blue color.

By the time we got to the beach, it was time for dinner. So, We ordered from this one restaurant that was right in the sand. I ordered this fillet fish that was *chef’s kiss* wow so so good. As we sat there eating, the tide began to rise and the water started filling up under our table! We love having our feet in the water anyway, so I did not mind. There were a few local markets around, so we decided to check them out before heading home. Of course, we grabbed a few things. The people were extremely friendly and gave us a deal because we spoke Spanish. When we drove home it was sunset.

It's Not Over Yet

We fell in love with Bacalar and didn’t want to leave just yet! So we booked a new spot at this hostel called The Yak Lake House. It was located right on the lagoon and had the best view from our room.

That evening, the hostel was hosting a guacamole-making event for 5 USD, so naturally, we joined in on the fun. They had a table filled with everything you could expect to make guacamole with. First, you cut the onion, tomato, cilantro, and spicy pepper, either jalapeno or serrano. Then you mash the avocado with a fork until there are no chunks and mix everything together. In the end, you can add lime juice and salt for taste, and you are done! As we followed the directions we chatted with everyone around the table. There were people from around the world gathered together in this one space. This is why I love hostels. Of course, we got to eat our guac after we made it!

This night was so amazing because right before making the guac we had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We witnessed seeing the Pink Moon rise in the sky!! Oh my, I almost died that night, how beautiful it was.