The Magic Town of Bacalar is one of those perfect places to disconnect and forget about which day it is. Ideal to clear your mind and dedicate yourself to enjoying the natural beauties offered by its famous seven color lagoon. A place that I like because even if it is very fashionable, you can still have peace of mind, which was exactly what I was looking for.
It has been a difficult year for everyone and for those of us who live in the Riviera Maya, on top of the pandemic, this hurricane season was very active. As such, just before the last hurricane, we decided to escape for a few days and take a little road trip.
Although it was just a short last minute trip, Bacalar gave me that peace of mind that I needed for months. The town itself is very small and since we had already been here a few years ago, we decided to invest our time in the hotel that was right next to the lagoon. Also, as it was a small hotel with bungalows, with only three of the rooms occupied (in fact they had many security measures due to Covid-19), we had the hotel facilities practically to ourselves.
It is worth mentioning that even though we did not take any tours this time around, there are excursions that take you to explore the lagoon that is famous for its different shades of blue, from dark to crystalline, all surrounded by protected mangroves where you can see the different birds that inhabit the region.
As the hotel had three palapa areas over the lagoon (which were always alone by the way), we limited ourselves to taking over the main palapa, where we spent most of our time reading, doing yoga, drinking wine and watching the mangrove birds just in front. As it was right on the lagoon, you just had to go down the wooden stairs or jump straight into the water. Besides, the water was very low -at least in that part of the lagoon where the hotels and houses are located. You could easily walk in the water as it was only about a meter deep.
At sunset, we took one of the hotel’s boats to kayak and watch the sunset from the water. It was such a relaxing moment, just listening to the birds and the noise of the water every time we paddled. We were very lucky with the weather, because due to the proximity of the hurricane, it had rained a lot.
We almost didn’t visit the town, actually only to have lunch and dinner at delicious restaurants that I will recommend later. But if you have never been to Bacalar, you must visit at least a cenote (Azul is the most popular) and the San Felipe Fort, which has no loss because it is in front of the Zócalo.
Broadly speaking, this fortress was built in 1725 to protect itself from English, French and Dutch pirates. There, they kept weapons and it served as a barracks. Today it houses a museum.
At dinner time…
The first night we had dinner at Bote de Leche, -as a good norteña- I am very carnivorous, so I loved how they prepared their steaks. They also gave us a secluded table on the terrace, where we could just relax and enjoy.
The second night we had dinner at Barbanegra, a very cool taco restaurant, with that jungle vibe that characterizes the trendy places in Quintana Roo (like Tulum) and where we also had an excellent dinner, especially the battered shrimp tacos.
If Bacalar is on your bucket list, I recommend you to stay at least two nights to better enjoy it. Do not leave it as a day trip simply because you are going to be in Cancun, keep in mind that it is more than 4 hours driving -each way-, so you will end up only taking a nice picture in the lagoon and wasting a whole day on the road.
Better plan for sufficient time to take advantage of this beautiful place and enjoy the natural wonder that has made Bacalar so famous: its magical lagoon.
We know that it is time to stay at home, but when everything has passed and you want to travel again, remember that at our travel agency Tripdreaming, we organize everything 100% customized. For more information, please contact me at silvia.lucero@tripdreaming.com.
For editorial questions, please contact me at silvia.lucero@latrotamundos.com.
