Bacalar Lagoon

Bacalar sits about 320 km from Cancun and 250 km from Tulum, a 3.5 to 4.5 hour drive or ADO bus ride south on the Chetumal route, making it the longest of Quintana Roo's popular day trips and one many travelers choose to extend into an overnight stay. Rental car offers the most flexibility for stops along the way, while the ADO bus runs direct routes from both Cancun and Tulum. The main draw is the Laguna de Bacalar itself, nicknamed the 'Lake of Seven Colors' for the bands of turquoise and blue created by its shifting depth and limestone bed. A typical day starts with a boat tour of the lagoon, stopping at the Canal de los Piratas swimming channel and the Cenote Azul, a deep, dark-blue cenote connected to the lagoon's southern edge, good for a swim and lunch at the adjoining restaurant. Midday is well spent walking the malecon and visiting Fort San Felipe, an 18th-century fortress built to defend against pirate raids, now a small museum on the town's history. The stromatolite formations near the lagoon's edge, among the oldest living organisms on Earth, are another point of interest for those interested in the lake's ecology. Afternoon and early evening are best reserved for the lagoon itself, either swimming from a dock or catching sunset from the malecon, before the long drive or bus ride back north. Given the distance, an overnight stay lets visitors see both sunrise and sunset over the water without a rushed return trip, and the dry season from November to April offers the calmest lagoon conditions for boat tours.