Things to do in Bacalar: Attractions

Bacalar is located in the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico and is mostly known for Laguna Bacalar or Lake Bacalar. This was our reason to pay a visit to Bacalar as well. We stayed two nights in this town and below you will find information about the things to do in Bacalar!

Canoeing on Laguna Bacalar / La Laguna de los Siete Colores

Lake Bacalar is a 42 km² freshwater lake and is a three-hour drive from Tulum. The lake is so special because of the different shades of blue. It’s hard to imagine how blue it truly is. For this reason, the lake is also called “La Laguna de los Siete Colores”, or the lake with seven shades of blue.

Villas Karalv, the accommodation were we stayed, is literally at the lake’s edge and this was awesome! We could use their canoes for free and take them out on the lake. We spent an afternoon canoeing on the lake and I’d definitely recommend it!

Note: Apply sunscreen liberally, as the sun is very bright, and you won’t notice it while canoeing.

You can see the different colors of blue passing by underneath your canoe. That’s absolutely awesome! We canoed from our accommodation to the other side of the lake and it took us about an hour. Once on the other side of the lake, we went into the water to cool down and snorkeled. We had the lake all to ourselves.

Drift snorkeling at Los Rápidos Bacalar

Los Rápidos is a river in Bacalar that ultimately flows into Laguna Bacalar. There are natural rapids there, allowing you to go drift snorkeling! Put on your snorkel, jump into the river and let the current take you away. When you float down the river, you can spot fish under water. A super fun and special activity! You’ll find a number of hammocks at the end of the river where you can relax and unwind. Next to Los Rápidos is a restaurant where you can get something to eat and drink.

The entrance fee for Los Rápidos Bacalar is 100 pesos per person.

Eating at La Piña

La Piña is a small restaurant in the center of Bacalar town. We found the restaurant via Tripadvisor and since it has so many good reviews, we decided to have dinner here as well. This was definitely a good choice! The restaurant is cozy, and they serve delicious Mexican food! The staff didn’t speak English, but they were very friendly, and they go out of their way to help you.

The swings at Los Cocalitos

Los Cocalitos is on the shores of Lake Bacalar and is the perfect place to chill out for an afternoon! The water contains a number of enormous stromatolites. Stromatolites are a kind of living stones that contain a lot of lime, which you aren’t allowed to touch. There’s a man at the entrance of the lake to keep an eye on them. Next to the lake you’ll find a small, simple restaurant where you can eat Mexican food or drink a beer. At the waterfront you’ll find some swings, which makes it an ideal location for a solid Instagram picture!

Visit Bacalar’s center and find the Bacalar plate

As I mentioned in other Mexico posts, you’ll find a sign with the name of the place in (almost) every town in Quintana Roo and Yucatán. We decided to go looking for this sign in every city and photograph it. We also found the sign in Bacalar. You’ll find the sign in the center, at the central square. Good luck! There are some nice restaurants and souvenir shops around this square. Lovely to spend an afternoon strolling around!

Breakfast at Enamora

If you’re looking for a nice breakfast joint? Then go to Enamora! This is a very small breakfast and lunch restaurant in the city center of Bacalar. They serve delicious eggs and sandwiches and also have some vegan options. We were so stoked about this place that we had breakfast here for two mornings in a row! Both mornings we also saw a Mexican couple sitting in front of their house reading the newspaper. It made for a beautiful and quintessential Mexican picture.