4 days around the lagoon of seven blues in Bacalar

An easy first day on foot. The small town square, the old fort on its rise above the lagoon and the long lakefront road, where the water begins to show its blues. Little shade, so start early and finish at the water.

1. Breakfast

   Eggs and fresh tortillas

   Eggs in a spicy tomato sauce or with beans, with fresh tortillas and strong coffee, at a table near the town square.

   Local tip Ask for the sauce on the side, and try a fruit water.
2. 1
   Morning

   Fort of San Felipe

   A small stone fort on a rise above the lagoon, built by the Spanish in the 1700s to guard the town against pirates who raided along this coast. Its walls and cannons look out over the water, and rooms inside now hold a small museum. Check ahead on when it is open.

   Go when Morning, before the heat, when the light is soft on the stone.

   Local tip Walk the walls and look out over the water to see why the fort sits here. Check ahead on the opening, and take a hat, since the courtyard has little shade.

   About 2 min walk0.2 km
3. 2
   Midday

   Bacalar Town Square

   The shaded central square of Bacalar, beside the fort, with benches under trees, a church close by and food stalls along its edges. It is the town's living room, so sit for a while and watch the day go by.

   Go when Midday, in the shade of the trees.

   Local tip Sit on a bench with something cold and let the town go by. It is the best place to ask a local about the lagoon that day.

4. Lunch

   Panuchos and salbutes

   Panuchos are fried tortillas stuffed with beans and topped with turkey or pork, onion and avocado. Salbutes are the puffed, soft version. Both are Yucatecan snacks.

   Local tip Add the pickled red onion and a little habanero sauce, a drop at a time.

   

   About 11 min walk0.9 km
5. 3
   Afternoon

   Costera

   The lakefront road south of the fort, lined with small wooden jetties, hammocks and open air places to sit. The water changes colour with the depth of the bottom, from milky white and pale green to a deep blue, which gives the lagoon its name of the seven colours. Little shade, so keep a hat on.

   Go when Late afternoon, for the light on the water (about 6:54 PM).

   Local tip Walk it slowly and stop at a jetty. Rinse off before you swim, wear only mineral sun cream and leave nothing in the water. There is little shade, so carry water.

6. Dinner

   Grilled fish by the water

   Fresh grilled fish with rice and salad, eaten at a table at the water's edge as the light goes, the simplest supper on the lakefront.

   Local tip Ask what came in that day, and sit facing west if you can.

A day along the south shore of the lagoon, by a short ride and by boat. A deep sinkhole of blue water, a dark cenote and the shallows where the stromatolites live. The water here is delicate, so look, swim gently and touch nothing on the bottom.

1. Breakfast

   Fruit, yoghurt and honey

   A bowl of local fruit with yoghurt, honey and granola, and a coffee, to carry you through a swimming morning.

   Local tip Eat light before you swim.
2. 1
   Morning

   Cenote Azul

   A deep, round cenote, a sinkhole filled with clear water, that opens off the south end of the lakefront. The water looks a dark blue in the middle and turns pale green at the edges, because the bottom drops away so steeply. Swim gently and follow the rules posted at the entrance.

   Go when Morning, when the water is calm and the light reaches deep.

   Local tip Do not dive in off the edges, because it is very deep. Use mineral sun cream or none, and keep to the roped areas.

   

   About 21 min walk1.7 km
3. 2
   Midday

   Cenote Negro

   A smaller, dark cenote on the lagoon, whose deep centre looks black against the paler water around it. Its colour comes from its depth. Look at it from the shore or from a boat, and ask locally before you swim.

   Go when Midday, when the light shows its colours.

   Local tip Its colour is from its depth, not from dirt. Ask a local about swimming, and keep out of the water if there is any sign it is not allowed.

4. Lunch

   Ceviche and chips

   Ceviche is raw fish cured in lime juice, with onion, tomato and coriander, served with tortilla chips or fried tortillas, a cool lunch for a hot day.

   Local tip Order the freshest fish on the day, and go easy on the lime if your stomach is sensitive.

   About 15 min by car or transit5.5 km
5. 3
   Afternoon

   Cocalitos and the stromatolites

   A quiet shore of the lagoon where stromatolites live in the shallows: hard, rounded mounds built by microbes, one of the oldest forms of life on Earth. They grow very slowly and are easily harmed. Look from a boat or a walkway, never touch them, never stand on them and never put sun cream in the water. Check local rules before you go.

   Go when Late morning or afternoon, from a boat or walkway.

   Local tip Never touch a stromatolite, never stand on one and never put sun cream or soap in the water here. They grow a tiny amount each year and break easily. Check local rules first.

6. Dinner

   Cochinita pibil tacos

   Slow cooked pork, marinated in sour orange and achiote and wrapped in banana leaf, a dish of the Yucatán, served in warm tortillas with pickled onion.

   Local tip A little habanero sauce goes a long way.

A long day north by road, into the edge of a huge protected reserve of jungle, lagoons and mangroves. A Maya site tucked in the trees, then the quiet lagoons beyond it, with a licensed local guide. Start very early, carry water and check ahead before you set off.

1. Drive from Cocalitos and the stromatolitesAbout 2 h 36 min by car183.5 km

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   A packed breakfast for the road

   A sweet roll or a ham and cheese torta and a coffee for the road north, with a bag of fruit.

   Local tip Pack water for the whole day, since there are few shops near the reserve.
3. 1
   Midday

   Muyil Archaeological Site

   A Maya site in the jungle on the edge of the Sian Ka'an reserve, one of the oldest on this coast. Shaded paths lead past a tall temple, and a trail runs on to the lagoon. It is a quiet place, so arrive early and carry water and insect repellent. Check ahead on when it is open.

   Go when Morning, before the jungle heats up.

   Local tip Wear closed shoes and use insect repellent, since the paths are shaded and damp. Climb only where it is allowed. Check ahead that the site is open.

   

4. Lunch

   Fried fish and rice

   Fried or grilled fish, rice and salad at a simple table near the reserve, eaten in the shade after the walk.

   Local tip Eat after the paths, not before, and drink plenty of water.

   About 10 min by car or transit2.6 km
5. 2
   Afternoon

   Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

   A vast reserve of jungle, wetlands, lagoons and reef on the coast, a World Heritage site and home to many birds and animals. Near Muyil a footpath leads to a lagoon, joined by an old canal that the Maya dug and that you can float along. Go only with a licensed local guide, follow their rules and check ahead on what is open.

   Go when Morning, as early as you can manage.

   Local tip Go with a licensed local guide, follow their rules and check ahead on what is open and what is allowed. Take water, a hat and no sun cream in the lagoon.

   

6. Dinner

   Sopa de lima

   Sopa de lima is a warm chicken broth with lime, crisp tortilla strips and herbs, a Yucatecan soup for the evening back in town.

   Local tip Squeeze in the lime at the last moment.

A day drive east to the sea. A small seaside town with a long seafront, a quiet beach beyond it and the reef close to shore. After days on a freshwater lagoon, it is a change of water. Busier on days when cruise ships are in, so go early.

1. Drive from Sian Ka'an Biosphere ReserveAbout 2 h 12 min by car150.7 km

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Chilaquiles and coffee

   Fried tortilla pieces in red or green sauce, with cream and an egg, and a cup of coffee, a hearty start before the drive to the coast.

   Local tip Ask for the sauce mild if you are going on a long road.
3. 1
   Midday

   Mahahual Seafront

   The seafront walkway of a former fishing village on the Caribbean coast, with sand, small shops and open air tables along the water. A reef lies close to shore here, part of the great Mesoamerican barrier reef, so it is a place to look at the sea more than to shop.

   Go when Morning, before the day gets busy.

   Local tip Walk the whole front once, then find a shaded table over the sand. Stay off the coral and the reef.

   

4. Lunch

   Whole fried fish on the sand

   A whole fried fish with rice, tortillas and a squeeze of lime, eaten with your hands at a table over the sand, near the water.

   Local tip Share one fish between two, and ask for the bones to be left in.

   About 18 min walk1.4 km
5. 2
   Afternoon

   Mahahual Northern Beach

   A quieter stretch of sand north of the town, with calm shallows behind the reef. Take shade, water and mineral, reef safe sun cream, and do not stand on or touch the coral. Currents can run on the open sea side, so ask locally where it is safe to swim.

   Go when Afternoon, for a quiet swim.

   Local tip Carry water, shade and your own bag for rubbish. Ask locally where the swimming is calm before you go in.

6. Treat

   A marquesita for the road

   A marquesita is a crisp rolled pancake filled with cheese and sweet spread, a snack from the stalls on the Yucatán coast.

   Local tip Eat it hot, before it goes soft.