Since we found ourselves alone between Christmas and New Year’s, we thought we would take the opportunity to do some exploring in Mexico. We had heard from lots of friends that Bacalar Lake, about 3.5 hours south of Playa, was really beautiful and interesting. So, why not go?
Driving to Bacalar
We usually have a rental car when we are in Playa. Our current car was one of the best we have had, so we figured it would be safe to drive 3.5 hours each way. That said, Mike did call the guy we get the cars from and ask what we should do if we had an issue. I guess the answer was sufficient because off we went.
The drive south wasn’t an issue because there is pretty much one road that goes south to the border with Belize. We learned the capital of our state of Quintana Roo is Chetumal, even further south than Bacalar. And the main port on the Atlantic is also south of Playa del Carmen. Our drive was blessedly uneventful.
Our Hotel in Bacalar
When we arrived in town, we realized that the town itself was several hundred years old. Not new, like Cancun and Playa. There is even an old fort built right on the lake to defend the town from pirates.
We had booked a small hotel, The Blue Palm Bacalar, which was within walking distance to the main square and the rest of downtown. The hotel itself had a beautiful meandering pool going down the middle and the most magnificent tropical gardens. The next morning at breakfast, we learned that the owner had been a landscaper and designed the garden. The entire place had a very peaceful vibe.
The Town of Bacalar
The town itself looked like most other Spanish colonial towns, with a large main square, churches, and a few restaurants and bars catering to the tourists who come to enjoy the lake.
To facilitate our visit, I booked an all-day tour that included some newly opened Mayan ruins, a ride and tour of the lake, and a visit to a place called the rapids. These are the greatest hits in the area as we understood it.
Visiting the Ruins
After a delicious breakfast at our hotel, we met our guide for the day. He took us to the Zona Arqueológica Ichkabal first. Our guide described how these ruins were only discovered about 30 years ago. The site itself is quite large and was buried under jungle for hundreds of years. It was only discovered using LiDAR.
The entire area had to be cleared of jungle, stabilized, and partially reconstructed before visitors were allowed. The site has several pyramids that are arranged in the traditional triangular shape. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, and in addition to the pyramids, he told us about the lake nearby and other parts of the site that weren’t open yet. We were pretty much the only people there, and the entry was free.
About the Lake
The lake is unique because of the variety of colors that can be seen from the surface. The colors come from the various lake depths and a type of bacteria. Conservation is very important to preserve the uniqueness of the lake.
We rushed to make our boat, and then we sat and waited while bunches of other people filled the boat to capacity. Finally, we embarked on our tour of the lake. The tour was supposed to include showing us all seven colors in the lake. Many parts of the lake are a light turquoise color owing to the bacteria and the shallow depth. Other areas are very dark green because they are actually very deep cenotes, and the entire freshwater lake is fed solely by cenotes.
After a while, we went to a shallow area where we could all go into the warm, clear, fresh water. In order to protect the habitat, there are only a small number of places you can swim.
What Do You Mean You Ran Out of Gas?
After our time in the water, we were supposed to visit some other spots in the lake to view different colors, but our boat driver ran out of gas. We actually got towed to a somewhat protected area by another boat, and then all of the other boats disappeared. We assumed someone had gone back to fetch more gas, but we were dead in the water for more than an hour. Come on, who takes a pontoon boat onto a lake and doesn’t bring enough gas?
In the meantime, it started pouring rain. We had a small cover, and we were admittedly already wet, but it was annoying anyway. Two other guests actually decided to walk to shore holding their belongings over their heads. Eventually, someone turned up with gas, but by that time, we had to get back to the dock to meet our guide, so we only saw about three of the seven colors in the lake. Needless to say, we didn’t give the guy a tip.
The Rapids
Our final stop for the day was at a place they call the rapids. There is a large facility with food and drinks, and a walkway along a narrow channel. The idea is to get a life vest, get in the water, and let the current take you downstream toward the lake. It is kind of like riding a fast lazy river. But before getting wet again, we needed some lunch and liquid refreshments.
After we ate, Mike decided to get in the water and float downstream. I decided to skip it and be the photographer instead. The rapids area is a narrow channel with the same turquoise color as parts of the lake. There were also lots of interesting fish in the channel. When we had had enough water, we found our guide in the parking lot and returned to our hotel. When I booked the tour, I knew it would be a busy day, but it seemed the best way to see the area without investing a lot of time.
Visit to Chetumal
Since we had another day in the area and we didn’t feel the need to go hang out at the lake again, we decided to drive to Chetumal and have a look around. The downtown area with lots of stores and restaurants was totally busy with locals. In fact, this city had more locals than we have seen anywhere in the Yucatán. Chetumal is also the Quintana Roo state capital but we didn’t really see any evidence of a state house.
We decided to get out of the car and walk to the edge of the Atlantic. From there, we could see the mangroves of Belize. After a few hours wandering around we returned to our peaceful hotel in Bacalar.
Stop at the New La Comer Market in Tulum
We have always been in search of good grocery stores. The best we have seen in Mexico is the La Comer chain but until recently, there wasn’t one in the Yucatán. The first one in the area recently opened in Tulum. Since our drive back took us right passed the new store, we decided that we had to see it ourselves. I must say, it was as good as I remembered, especially the deli department. I wish there was one in Playa. Maybe some day soon.
What interests you most about Bacalar?
