Highlights
7 Colors
The crystal clear waters and white sandy bottom of the lagoon cause the water color to morph into varying shades of turquoise, blue, and deep indigo, all at varying depths. Mayans believed the 7 colors came from the 7 di erent cenotes in and around the lagoon. Each one of them o ering a di erent hue of blue.
Belize
A short car, bus, or ferry ride from Bacalar, can take you to the beautiful country of Belize. Belize is great for weekend trips to the popular island of Ambergris Caye. If you are a bit more adventurous, Belize is home to the famous Blue Hole and world class scuba diving.
Medical Tourism
A Canadian company is investing 4.5 billion pesos to develop medical & residential facilities in the state’s capital due to the booming growth. Another project in the works is The Blue Lagoon. The project includes 1,800 tourist villas, with low environmental impact, a residential area & a poliforum around the lagoon. The demographic of focus will be retirees from Canada & U.S.
STROMATOLITES
In the Bacalar Lagoon, you can find structures similar to coral reefs known as “stromatolites.” These natural treasures are composed of rock produced by millions of bacteria which have formed over millions of years. They’re considered to be the earliest signs of life on Earth.
PUEBLO MAGICO
Earning the designation as a “Magic Town” is no simple task. Even so, the beautiful town of Bacalar has achieved this tile, which they absolutely deserve. A picturesque community in which lovers of nature, adventure, history and cultural events find a perfect setting.
WILDLIFE
The biodiversity found in and around Bacalar is more than any other part of the Yucatan. The area flourishes with all kinds of wildlife from 100’s of species of birds to the elusive tapirs, toucans, spider monkeys, anteaters, armadillos and coatis, to name a few. You can also find the world famous Melipona honey bee just minutes from town.
PIRATE CHANNEL
The Route of the Pirates designates a natural channel that joins the Hondo River (natural border between Belize and Mexico) with the Bacalar Lagoon. In the 18th century, pirates and smugglers arrived from Mahahual to the town of Bacalar in search of natural resources. Along this channel you can travel aboard boats such as a pontoon or kayak. You can exfoliate your body in the mud rich in sulfur and see the sites frequented by pirates.
CENOTES
Bacalar’s Lagoon of several colors contains several cenotes. They include Cenote Negro, Cenote Esmeralda, Cenote Cocalitos, and Cenote Azul. While visiting the cenotes, you can swim, snorkel or dive.
ICHKABAL
Opening soon to the public, the city of Ichkabal contains architectural structures never before seen in the Mayan ruins. One of its buildings measures more than 40 meters high and 200 meters at the pyramidal base. Quadrupling the base size of the main pyramid of Kukulcan, the city is also presumed to be older than one of the wonders of the modern world, Chichen Itza.