A few months ago, I travelled to Playa del Carmen with some friends. After a few days, to escape the terrible heat of the city, we decided to take a 2-day trip to a small village still absent of busloads of tourists, the seven-coloured lagoon of Bacalar.
To get there from Playa del Carmen, we travelled through the incredible Sian Kaan Biosphere for part of the trip–although you cannot see much about it from the highway. Upon entering the lagoon dock, you can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the cool blue water. “La Laguna de los Siete Colores” (the lagoon of seven colours), as Bacalar is more commonly known, got its name from the 7 shades of blue that are visible due to the various depths of the water. The water of Lake Bacalar is among the most pale and gem-like blues that could possibly exist.
Swimming in this lagoon is one of the most incredible experiences: you start walking into the water and all of a sudden you can’t feel the ground under your feet. As you swim further, you suddenly feel the sand in between your toes. A few more steps and you have water at chest level. It is amazing how in between the somewhat shallow shores, there are sinkholes commonly known as Cenotes. These can be well seen by kayak or sailboat.
Upon arrival by bus, you are greeted by various taxis that offer lifts at very reasonable costs. The lagoon is easily accessible from several different docks. However, there are various residences around the lagoon that have private docks, which are unfortunately off bounds. Having only one day to visit the lagoon, we were taken to a hostel right on the shore with its own dock area, so there was no need to pay extra for use of the dock. There are various wonderful hostels around Bacalar for the traveller that wants to spend more time in paradise.
You must go there!
