If you want to escape the crowds in Mexico and go somewhere serene, beautiful and relaxing, Laguna Bacalar is the place for you. 

Bacalar is a beautiful town set along the Laguna Bacalar in Quintana Roo near the border with Belize in southern Mexico. Bacalar was a city of the Maya civilization in Pre-Columbian times, and the nature surrounding this peaceful Mexican Caribbean town is still beautifully preserved away from the mainstream tourist circuit. When in Bacalar, relaxing is the name of the game!

 

The beautiful lagoon Bacalar is the second largest natural sweet water lake in Mexico, which is also called “The lake of seven colours”. This fresh water lagoon has all the beauty of the Caribbean colours, but without salt, nor swell. The colours of the lake change as the depth changes and the pastels of blue are amazing. The water is warm and the bottom is a mixture of sand and soot. People swim, water-ski, fish, jet-ski, sail and kayak in the lake. 

 

Though Bacalar is for people who love lakes, it is also a good location for visiting Mayan ruin sites.

Nearby Bacalar are the ruins of Chacchoben, Dzibanché and Kohunlich which have gorgeous jungle surroundings and very few visitors. Furthermore, if you head into town, you will find the San Felipe Fort. This fort is built in 1729, to protect the lagoon of Seven Colours from pirates. Inside the fort is a museum which provides you with historic artefacts murals depicting Bacalar’s history and the Mayan culture. 

 

How to get to Bacalar?
You can go by buss from the ADO station from Cancún or Playa del Carmen. From Cancún to Bacalar is around 6 hours and from Playa del Carmen around 5 hours. 
Another option is to rent a car and drive from Cancún (4.5 hours) or Playa del Carmen (3.5 hours) to Bacalar.