CC BY-SA 3.0, Lidia Tretyakova, via Wikimedia CommonsTour· Chetumal· Mexico
Bacalar Lagoon
18° 45.0′ N · 88° 18.9′ W
The 'lagoon of seven colours': a 60 km freshwater lake of impossibly pale blues over white limestone, home to living stromatolites and guarded by the 18th-century fort of San Felipe.
Practical
Coordinate from Wikipedia (Lake Bacalar). About 60 km long and 2 km wide, Mexico's second-largest freshwater lake; fed by cenotes; its stromatolites are among the oldest life forms on Earth. A 2015 federal pollution alert followed illegal dumping. Bacalar town's Fuerte de San Felipe was completed in 1729 against pirates. Two-hour boat tours M$250 (Feb 2022); a sailing association runs tours and lessons on the empty north side (Wikivoyage). Inland - a road trip from Chetumal (about 40 km) or Majahual.
Best for
Road trip from the southern anchorages
Nearby
- Oxtankah Ruins (Chetumal Bay)8.1 NM away
- Taam Ja' Blue Hole (Chetumal Bay)12.2 NM away
- Calderitas Seafood Village (Chetumal Bay)12.3 NM away
- Chetumal International Airport14.7 NM away
- Chetumal Malecón and Museo de la Cultura Maya14.8 NM away
- Chetumal Provisioning14.8 NM away
- Chetumal Malecón Walk to Calderitas15.5 NM away
- Chetumal Port of Entry15.5 NM away