After spending 5 days in Bacalar this year, I’ve compiled the perfect 3 day Bacalar itinerary. You’ll find all the best things to do in Bacalar, Mexico, while still getting to enjoy some relaxation in nature.
Located right next to the Belize border in the Yucatan Peninsula lies the hidden gem of Bacalar. A small town often referred to as the “Maldives of Mexico”, Bacalar is an enchanting destination to enjoy the stunning shades of blues in Laguna Bacalar. Combined with the opportunity to see living fossils, swim in crystal-clear waters, and float down natural lazy rivers, Bacalar Lagoon is an absolute must-visit place in Mexico’s Quintana Roo.
In this 3 day Bacalar itinerary, you’ll discover the charm of this sleepy town turned popular destination. This guide includes all the best things to do in Bacalar, including sunset boat tours, paddleboarding, cenotes, and hidden gem spots to enjoy stunning views of the lagoon. Follow this itinerary and you are guaranteed to experience the best that Bacalar has to offer in your short 3 days.
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Is Bacalar Worth Visiting?
A million times YES! Bacalar is 110% worth visiting for its stunning natural environment, off-the-beaten-path vibes, and amazing things to do. Don’t believe me? Well, Bacalar is actually a designated “Magic Town.” This means that Bacalar has been recognized by the Mexican government for it’s magical qualities relating to its astonishing natural beauty.
How Many Days Do You Need in Bacalar?
The ideal number of days to stay in Bacalar is around 3 – 4 full days. I spent 5 days in Bacalar to have a much slower pace, however, you can see all the best things this town has to offer in only 3. To fit in with most people’s Yucatan itineraries, I’d say 3 is the most ideal.
When to Visit Bacalar?
The best time to visit Bacalar is between the months of December – March. This is the time of year when rainfall is minimal and the hot temperatures will be manageable. Even during high season, the town does not feel crowded, so it is definitely worth a visit this time of year.
How to Get to Bacalar Mexico?
Bacalar is located in the Quintana Roo state of Mexico, only 40 minutes from the Belize border. Despite seeming quite far from the rest of the Yucatan’s most popular destinations, Bacalar is quite easy and straightforward to get to. If you have a rental car, it is an easy 5 hour drive from Cancun following Google Maps. If you do not have a car, the ADO bus is convenient, comfortable, and direct.
Bus Timing from Popular Destinations:
- Cancun: 6 hours including stops – the buses that run from Cancun to Bacalar often make stops to let people off in Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
- Playa Del Carmen: 4 hours
- Tulum: 3 hours
- Belize City: 3 hours
If you are looking to arrive straight to Bacalar from out of the country, the closest airport is in Chetumal, Mexico, very close to the Belize border.
The Perfect 3 Day Bacalar Itinerary and Full Guide
Day 1: Tranquil Sunrise Paddleboarding, Swimming in the Lagoon and Lakeside Dinner
Enjoy a Serene Sunrise Paddleboard Adventure
To start off your 3 day Bacalar itinerary, embark on one of the best things to do in Baclar: a sunrise paddle board tour. Bacalar is known for its amazing sunrises and the best way to take this in is out on the water. I know getting up early isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, however, it is considered a must when visiting the lagoon.
Wake up bright and early to meet your tour at 6 am. Paddle through the dark with experienced tour guides. First, you’ll stop at Cenote Negro to watch the sky illuminate with pinks, oranges, and yellows as the sun rises above the clear blue waters of the lagoon. You’ll also have the opportunity to swim in the cenote, which during the day is forbidden due to high boat traffic.
After enjoying a peaceful sunrise, you’ll paddle to Pirates Channel. Swim in the crystal clear waters and sit in the waist-deep water to enjoy fruit right off the paddle board and drink coffee from coconut cups. The sunrise paddleboard tour is peaceful, enchanting, and a completely unique way to experience your first day in Bacalar, Mexico.
After the tour, grab some breakfast and head back to your hotel for a nap or some relaxation.
How to Go Sunrise Paddleboarding in Bacalar:
You can book this sunrise excursion from most of the tour shops in town or if you want to book it in advance of arriving, you can do so here:
Due to this being a popular excursion in Bacalar, I recommend booking it in advance to ensure it fits with your desired itinerary. Here are the two BEST tour options that offer breakfast on the water, coffee, multilingual guides, and pictures:
- Paddle Board Sunrise Tour in Seven Colours Lagoon of Bacalar
- Sunrise Stand Up Paddle Board Tour With Breakfast
Swim in the Seven Colours Lagoon at One of Bacalar’s Beach Clubs
After relaxing in your hotel for as long as you need, head to one of Bacalar’s beach clubs to enjoy swimming in the lagoon. Today (and most days of this itinerary) are all about water activities.
The term “beach club” is used generously because Bacalar doesn’t have actual sand beaches. Bacalar’s waterfront is largely occupied and owned by hotels and businesses in the area, meaning you’ll need to enjoy the water from a beach club (more accurately known as Balnearios) or a municipal pier. The municipal public piers are great and simple options if you want a dock to swim off of, however, due to being free, they are also more busy with locals.
That’s why I recommend paying the fee to spend your time at one of Bacalar’s Balnearios. If you are staying at a waterfront hotel then this is a great option as well. Grab a lounge chair, bring a book, and cool off in the stunning water.
The Best Beach Clubs in Bacalar Are:
- Balneario Ejidal Magico Bacalar – One of the cheapest beach clubs in Bacalar, Balneario Ejidal Magico features dock access to the lagoon, lounge chairs, a restaurant, water slides, and kayak rentals.
- Bacalar Beach Club – Considered the fanciest and best balneario on Bacalar lagoon. This beach club features a restaurant with gourmet food, jacuzzis, lounge chairs, a pool, and more.
- Beach Club Blu – Another beach club with great amenities and delicious food. This is one of the best spots to enjoy swimming near the stromatolites (more on this later) which add extra beauty to the already awe-inspiring lagoon. There are sunbeds and umbrellas, dock access to the water, music, fresh towels, food, and more.
- Balneario Municipal el Aserradero – If you are looking for a free spot to enjoy the water without the bells and whistles of a beach club, check out this public pier. You’ll have dock access to swim out into the water.
Enjoy A Gourmet Dinner at Waterside La Playita
La Playita is widely known as one of the best restaurants in Bacalar. The combination of their incredible food and fantastic ambience makes for a fantastic evening dinner experience.
La Playita is known for their ceviche and fresh seafood. The restaurant is located on the waterfront and is filled with lush green plants making you feel like you are in a jungle oasis as you dine. They also have hammocks to lounge and take photos in after your dinner.
Grab a Traditional Mexican Dessert in Bacalar’s Main Square
To finish off your first day in your 3 day Bacalar itinerary, head to Bacalar’s main square for dessert at a popular local food stand. Marquesitas are a must-try when visiting Bacalar. Prepared similar to a crepe, marquesitas are crunchy and filled with the sweet toppings of your choice. I personally opted for nutella, nuts, and bananas but they have numerous varieties of toppings to enjoy.
Grab a marquesita from the food stand and sit on a bench in the square’s park enjoying the vibes and your delicious treat.
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Day 2: Float Down the Whimsical Los Rapidos and Take a Famous Sunset Boat Tour
Visit Bacalar’s Best Thing to Do – Los Rapidos
For your second day of this 3 day Bacalar itinerary, head to Bacalar’s most famous thing to do and one of my favourite places in all of Mexico. Los Rapidos is a natural wonder located only 15 minutes drive outside of town. It is a natural lazy river filled with the most stunning water and rock formations you can imagine and is lined with ancient stromatolites on either side.
What Are Stromatolites? Often referred to as living fossils, Stromatolites are the earth’s oldest living lifeform. They predate humans, dinosaurs, and even plants. They are a grouping of cells in colonies that create sedimentary rocks that resemble large cauliflower-like rocks. Today they can be observed in rare colonies across the world and Bacalar is home to many of them. At over 1,000 million years old, they are truly something special to witness.
Los Rapidos consists of a restaurant and boardwalk that takes you upriver so you can float back down and start again. The cost to enter is 200 pesos and you’ll also have access to a life jacket, some floating hammocks, and a small area to relax in. There are lockers available for the extra cost of 50 pesos and bathrooms on site for free.
Most people spend a couple of hours here, however, due to the price I recommend bringing a book and making a bit of a day out of it. You are not able to bring your own food in, but you can grab a snack from the restaurant and enjoy lounging on the restaurant beach chairs between floating in the water.
Important Information For Los Rapidos:
- Hours: 9 – 6 pm
- Entrance Fee: 200 pesos
- How to Get There: If you do not have a rental car, take a taxi to and from Los Rapidos for about 200 pesos each way.
- Best Time to Go: Go right for open to avoid some of the business and get the newest/cleanest lifejackets
Enjoy Lunch at the Hip Food Truck Mi Burrito
For such a small town, Bacalar is filled with delicious food options. If you’re in the mood for a burrito, the best in town are from the food truck restaurant called Mi Burrito. There is a little patio section in front of the truck for you to sit and enjoy your food. They are open everyday except for Wednesday from 12 – 9 pm.
Take a Dreamy Boat Trip on The Lagoon of Seven Colours
Bacalar Lagoon is often referred to as the Lagoon of Seven Colours due to its drastically different shades of blue. One of the best ways to experience this is by taking a guided boat tour, where you can see the different shades of blue in 4 different spots. If you pay attention as the boat speeds along, you can even notice the colours transition and change.
Most boat tours take about 2 – 3 hours and you can choose to embark on a regular speedboat, catamaran, or even sailboat. Due to the popularity of this activity, there is a large variety of options to experience this excursion from Bacalar. My personal favourite was the sunset boat tour, where the orange colours from the sun reflected and mingled with the bright blue waters of the lagoon.
The Bacalar boat tour will take you to all of the best places to visit in the lagoon, including Pirates’ Channel, Black Cenote (or Cenote Negro), the island of birds, and Cenote Esmeralda. You’ll be able to get out and swim in the clear shallow waters of Pirates Channel and the nearby Cenote Esmeralda.
The Best Bacalar Boat Tours:
- The Best Half-Day Boat Tour with Open Bar – See and learn about all the best sights on the lagoon while enjoying unlimited alcoholic drinks. This tour gets exceptionally high reviews and the common denominator is FUN!
- The Best Snorkelling Small Group Tour on a Sailboat – Cruise the lagoon in style on a sailboat tour that offers 3 drinks per person, snacks, and snorkeling equipment
- The Best Private Tour with a Boat BBQ – Enjoy the lagoon on a private excursion with your friends or family! You’ll witness all the highlights of the lagoon with 6 drinks per person and a delicious surf & turf BBQ (with veggie options available).
- The Best Sunset Sailing Tour – Enjoy a tour of the lagoon, snacks and alcoholic beverages before enjoying the beautiful sunset out on the water.
** Please note that there are no boat tours running on Wednesdays because of a weekly lagoon closure to assist with conservation efforts. Make sure you plan accordingly!
A Vibe-Filled Dinner at Mr Taco
Mr. Taco is the hottest restaurant in town to grab a cheap-eats taco and a must when visiting Bacalar. Despite being budget-friendly, the tacos are absolutely delicious and the vibe of this place is stellar. It is always really busy because of its popularity in town and they often have live music playing on the weekend.
Day 3: Swing Over Cenote Azul, Enjoy a Hidden Gem Swim Spot, and View Bacalar From Above
Enjoy a Delicious Breakfast at Picaflor
One of the best breakfast spots in town, Picaflor is a great place to grab something to eat before embarking on your day of activities. The food here is delicious with a variety of sweet or savoury breakfast options, their fresh juice is delicious, and it is set in a back garden patio that makes for a great environment to enjoy a meal.
Grab a Bike Rental and Swim in Cenote Azul
For today’s adventures, grab a bicycle from my favourite bike shop, Yaya Bike Rental, and make your way slowly to Cenote Azul. The bike ride takes about 15 minutes but there are a few small hills, so definitely view this as an experience and take it slow. When you arrive at Cenote Azul there is a bike rack for you to lock up your bike right outside of the entrance.
Entrance to Cenote Azul is just 30 pesos. When you first enter, you can view the cenote from above at a nice viewpoint. From there, you can explore the cenote’s shore and find a spot to stay put in. There is a nice dock/platform area if you want to be in the sun, or if you walk left upon entering you’ll come to a nice shaded spot by the Cenote Azul swing.
I personally opted to enjoy my time in the shade, leaving my stuff on a chair right where I could see it and enjoying swimming under the limbs of a tree that stretched out over the water. There is also an adorable swing in the water that makes for a great photo op.
A visit to Cenote Azul can last a very short or long time depending on what you do there. I recommend enjoying the water for quite a while as it is the perfect place to cool down in Bacalar’s crazy heat. There is also a restaurant onsite to grab something to eat.
Enjoy Some Quiet at Cenote Cocalitos Resort
After enjoying a slower morning at Cenote Azul, head to my absolute favourite spot in all of Bacalar, Cocalitos.
Cocalitos was once a popular beach club in Bacalar, however, they have been closed for the last year or so. Until recently… Cocalitos is now discreetly open (despite what it says on Google) and is consequentially a lot less crowded.
They no longer have hammocks or swings in the water, but they have a beautiful shaded green space right by the water to enjoy relaxing and reading with views over the stunning white and blue water. They also have some gorgeous displays of stromatolites and the water is one of the best spots to swim in the lagoon. This is a great place to spend a couple of hours soaking up the quiet and natural beauty.
Climb the Tower at Casa Arabe to See Bacalar Lagoon From Above
After enjoying your time at Cocalitos, continue biking back towards town, stopping at Casa Arabe for a birdseye view over the lagoon and its many shades of blue. One of the best spots in town for viewing the lagoon from above, this tower looms tall over a hotel and its waterfront. They offer a day pass to enjoy the rest of their facilities, which includes a nice lounge area and sunbeds by the water, but if you ask to simply go up in the tower you can do this for free!
Final Dinner at La Cabanita Grill & Cantina
La Cabinta Grill & Cantina has something for everyone, from delicious pasta dishes and unique salads to amazing tacos and ceviche. They also have some of the best cocktails in Bacalar. The restaurant atmosphere is beautiful and they have stunning plating.
Bonus Activity:
If you happen to be in Bacalar on a Wednesday night, attend the famous waterfront party at The Yak Lake House.
This neon party is the best spot in town for nightlife. They bring a live DJ and have the whole shebang set up for his show, including a stage, crazy lights, and a smoke machine. There is a face painter who decorates people’s faces with glow-in-the-dark neon paint and the best part of all? A fire dancer performs periodically throughout the night.
No matter your age, this party is for everyone. I saw all ages enjoying the show.
Where to Stay in Bacalar
When staying in Bacalar, I highly recommend opting for a waterfront hotel or hostel to make the most of your time there. You’ll have access to the water without having to visit a beach club and enjoy views of what you came here for – the lagoon! Here are my favourite places in Bacalar:
Hostel Option:
The Yak Lake House – Yak Lake House is the place to stay in Bacalar if you are looking for FUN! They offer both dorms for budget travellers and private rooms. There is tour company onsite for you to book your adventures with, the hostel staff are amazing at integrating you into the daily activities and events, and its right on the water with places to lounge during the day. The only caveat with this hostel, is if you are looking for a really quiet place to sleep it’s probably not for you. The music turns off every night at midnight (except for on Wednesdays).
Mid-Range Hotel Option:
BOA BOA Bacalar – The scenery at this lagoon-front hotel is a stunning oasis. The staff are incredibly helpful and lovely and the hotel offers kayak rentals. They have a well-designed access to the lagoon to enjoy the water and everyone describes it as a peaceful stay.
Luxury Hotel Option:
Our Habitus Bacalar – Right on the lagoon and featuring luxury bungalows, Our Habitus Bacalar is THE place to stay if you are looking for a luxury place to stay in Bacalar. This hotel has the most stunning design with gourmet food in their onsite restaurant and the most stunning areas to lounge in nature by the lagoon. Book this place to experience true paradise in Bacalar.
Unique Eco-Hotel Option:
Centro Holistico Akalki – Surrounded by mangroves and jungle, this beautiful eco-hotel is the perfect escape from the bustle of travel to relax and get back in touch with the natural environment. The hotel focuses on wellness and connection, with programs, food, and sustainable practices to back it up.
Essential Tips for Visiting Bacalar
- Bring Cash – The majority of restaurants and shops in Bacalar only accept cash. There are only two ATMs in the entire town and they are almost always out of cash. A few restaurants and some of the tour agencies accept credit cards or payment online, but this is not enough to rely on. It is essential that you bring enough cash for your entire stay in Bacalar.
- You Aren’t Allowed to Wear Sunscreen – Due to the delicate ecosystem in the lagoon and nearby cenotes, you are not allowed to wear sunscreen while swimming. This applies to even natural mineral and reef-safe sunscreens. Therefore, bring some alternative sun protection.
- Be Aware of Weekly Lagoon Closures – Laguna Bacalar closes for the entire day on Wednesdays, so there are no boat trips running during this time. Make sure you plan your trip there accordingly.
- There is Limited Wifi in Bacalar – The wifi situation in Bacalar is not as dire as it appears online, however, it still remains limited. You can absolutely book a hotel that offers decent wifi and there are some occasional cafes with wifi. I’d say just be aware that it’s not always easy to find and perhaps buy a cheap e-sim so you at least data on your phone.
FAQs For Visiting Bacalar
Is Bacalar Safe?
Bacalar is considered a very safe part of Mexico and walking around at night here is not typically a concern. Petty crimes are possible but even pickpocketing is not common. Of course though, use your common sense anywhere you go, don’t walk alone at night, and keep track of your valuables.
Are There Crocodiles in Bacalar Lagoon?
Yes, there are crocodiles living in Bacalar lagoon. Does this mean you should not swim in Bacalar though? No.
Due to the regular activity of tourists, crocodile sightings are very uncommon. The areas that people typically swim in are also not the usual environment crocodiles spend their time. Swimming in the lagoon is still extremely popular.
Are There Mosquitos in Bacalar?
There are mosquitos in Bacalar and many say they can be bad, however, I didn’t experience this at all. I visited right in the high season in March and the mosquitoes were not a bother and I hardly noticed any.
Plan Your Trip to Bacalar – Logistical Tips:
📱 Stay Connected Without Expensive Roaming Fees
I never travel without an E-Sim now. Stay connected at a fraction of the price of roaming fees, and my favourite part, you can simply down the E-Sim to your phone and don’t have to switch SIM cards around. The service I always use is Airola.
🚍 Book Your Buses in Mexico
The local bus websites are often only in Spanish and are very glitchy. I used Busbud to book all my bus tickets in Mexico because they actually offered the exact same rates as buying them in person with the added bonus of your tickets being secured in advance.
🏠 Book Your Accommodation
Hostelworld is the best place to book hostels, whether you are staying in a dorm or a private room. They offer great environments to meet people and many will also offer activities. If you prefer hotels, Booking.com is great for finding the cheapest rates.
🏄♀️ Book Your Tours and Excursions
The best search tool I use to book tours in Mexico is Viator. It has the largest selection of tours with local operators and offers flexible cancellation.
Final Thoughts on The BEST 3 Day Bacalar Itinerary
This 3 day Bacalar itinerary provides the perfect highlight of all the best things to do in Bacalar. From paddleboarding in the beautiful waters of the lagoon to floating lazily down the enchanting Los Rapidos, this itinerary offers a taste of all of Bacalar’s natural wonders.
Spending 3 days in Bacalar allows you to savour this magical place without feeling rushed, while still fitting seamlessly into most Yucatan itineraries. Whether you’re seeking adventure or relaxation in nature, Bacalar delivers!
* Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link. I only recommend products and companies that I use. Thanks for the support!
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