Rio Lagartos – Las coloradas

June 23, 2021

Mexico

TRANSPORT

Holbox - Chiquila en ferry avec la compagnie 9 hermanos (20 min, 220 pesos). Billet acheté à la station.
Chiquila - Rio Lagartos en voiture (2h30).
Route facile et bien indiquée en compagnie de Malek rencontré à Holbox.
Trajet possible en bus en 3h15 pour 65 pesos (3 euros).

To visit

Rio Lagartos - A stop not to be missed

Rio Lagartos is a kept secret in the Yucatan Peninsula. It is a small fishing village on the north side of the peninsula in the state of Yucatan. The town is the entrance to a wildlife reserve known as Ria Lagartos (Parque Natural Reserva Ría Lagartos).

To visit it, you just need to book a boat trip along the port for around 1000 pesos (6 people max). The tour lasts from 2h to 4h depending on what you have negotiated.

You will be able to see a large number of species of birds, flamingos, crocodiles, waters with amazing colors. You can experience the famous Mayan bath: you coat your body with white mud. This contains a high concentration of sulfur, minerals, salts and seaweed; which makes it very rich for the skin. You will dry off while you reach a superb beach with white sand and crystal clear water. There, you will rinse off and bask.

Personally I feas-ted. I was in heaven: it's really magical.

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The plus

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Housing

- La Placita -

Pour réserver, cliquez ici

Charming little hotel with 6 bedrooms.

Super welcome from the owner. The room booked on Booking is perfect and cheap (25 euros / night). Despite this low price, it includes 2 large beds. Private bathroom. Very clean. Ideally located. Lovely staff. Air conditioning and Wifi of course. Just perfect !

Strengths of the establishment

Encounters

From left to right, Dylan, Laurie, Estelle and Cherryl. The 4 French met during their respective trips and decided to travel together. No sooner had we arrived at the reception than with Malek, we met them. The conversation is in full swing and will continue with an aperitif then a restaurant. They leave the next morning. Breakfast together before their departure. Exchange of telephone numbers. Bye bye young people, it was really nice.

Anecdote: we were dining in a restaurant facing the sea when suddenly a crowd formed in the port. We go out to see what triggers so much curiosity. Well, a crocodile is walking right there on the shore of the harbor. A fisherman baits him by hitting the water with his sandal. The crocodile approaches his boat. Neither one nor two, Dylan climbs into the boat and strokes the crocodile's tail. Wow! Awesome Dylan! He'll tell us it's slimy. No problem we believe you 😂. I am reckless but not at this point hahaha.

TRANSPORT

Malek et moi reprenons la route, prochaine destination : Las Coloradas. Rio Lagartos - Los Coloradas en voiture (25 min).

To visit

LAS COLORADAS - Magique

Las Coloradas is a small town located in the eastern part of the state of Yucatan. Its population is barely 1000 inhabitants, but the city is still one of the most visited of Yucatan because of its pink waters so special.

Las Coloradas are pink saltworks that belong to the Yucatan salt industry. Salt is produced in large quantities and one of the steps in the process is that the water turns pink. There are even areas where it will be a little more orange. The water will turn a pink color due to microorganisms, bacteria and the salt concentration. It is divided into lakes and, as you can imagine, the salt industry is very important in this region.

It should be mentioned that this phenomenon cannot be observed all year round, with the most recommended months being May, June and sometimes July. Guides on site say the best time of day to see the pinkest water possible is from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. It was our case.

It is now strictly forbidden to bathe and even touch the water, as this contaminates it and can impact the production of salt.

La couleur rose des eaux de cet endroit donne à la ville de Las Coloradas l’un des paysages les plus étonnants que l’on puisse voir dans le monde entier. Selon l’intensité du soleil, la couleur est plus chaude ou la couleur des eaux est plus intense. Malek filme et fait des clichés du site. Wow ! D’en haut, c’est tout simplement spectaculaire. On vous en fait profiter 😉

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Assessment

I will keep a great and extraordinary memory of these really intense 24 hours. We shared excellent moments in the village of Rio Lagartos, which has a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere. The landscapes are simply grandiose and majestic. I took full eyes. I feel like a child in awe of everything. I smile all the time. I am very enthusiastic.

Malek and I continue on our way to Merida. On the way, we stop at Tizimin. It's a bonus!