Bacalar

Getting to Bacalar

Highway 307 has two lanes on each side for traffic. There are no tolls to pay. The exit for the city of Bacalar is on the left. The scenery is through the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve for part of the trip. The driving time from Cancún is 5 hours; from Tulum, 2½ hours. Well worth the drive.

1. 01
   Estacion Bacalar - Tren Maya

   Modern railroad through the Yucatan peninsula.

Worth seeing

The water of Lake Bacalar is among the most pale and gemlike blue that could possibly exist. The main attraction of traveling to this area is the lake, whose beauty could easily induce one to sit and read for a few days without regret. The lake is somewhat shallow at the shores, except where there are sinkholes commonly known as cenotes. It is well seen by kayak or sailboat.

1. 01
   Fortress de San Felipe Bacalar
2. 02
   Blue Cenote
3. 03
   Cenote of the Witch

   Dark coloured cenote with depths that range from 2 m (6.6 ft) to 90 m (300 ft).

4. 04
   Los Rapidos

   Los Rapidos Bacalar is known for its stunning electric blue water near the Lagoon of Seven Colors.

Things to do

On the Lake Bacalar you can do a 2 hour boat tour seeing five sights for M$250 (Feb 2022). Tour operators are available at the lake in the city center. Choose one with an English audio guide like the operator The GAIA Experience. They have a daily departure at 3pm when the sun is less strong. Use suncream anyway.

1. 01
   Club Náutico Bacalar

   Non-profit association for sailing lovers that holds sailing tours and sailing lessons for tourists.

Where to eat

= =

Getting around Bacalar the local way

Bacalar sits on the west shore of the Laguna de los Siete Colores, strung along a few blocks between the fort and the water, with Federal Highway 307 running past the back of town. Almost everything arrives on that highway. ADO and its cheaper sister brands run first and second class coaches down from Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum and up from Chetumal, and the bus station is on the highway about a kilometre north-west of the centre, not by the lagoon, so there is a short taxi or a walk at the end. Chetumal is only 22 km south and buses do it in 35 to 50 minutes, all day, for a few dollars. Shared vans, called colectivos or combis, run the same 307 corridor and are the local option; the through route from Tulum breaks at Felipe Carrillo Puerto, where you change vans, though direct Tulum to Bacalar colectivos exist. Combis have no luggage compartment, so a big bag rides on your lap. Since 2024 there is also a Tren Maya station at Bacalar, and it genuinely runs: two trains a day each way between Cancún Airport and Chetumal Airport call here, plus the Chetumal to Escárcega and Palenque service, but there is no direct train to Mérida and the timetable is thin enough that the bus is usually still faster to plan around. Within town you walk or cycle; taxis are cheap and plentiful and the drivers' union set a fixed fare from the train station in 2025. The lagoon itself is the other transport network: boats and sailing catamarans leave the muelles in town for the Canal de los Piratas, Isla de los Pájaros and the cenotes, and nothing sails on Wednesdays. South of town the road to Xul-Ha carries you to Cenote Azul and Los Rápidos, and east the 307 branches at Limones for the 100 km run out to Mahahual on the coast.

1. 01
   ADO and second-class coaches to the Bacalar bus stationbus

   Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Mérida, Valladolid and Chetumal to the Bacalar terminal on Highway 307

   Where

   The bus station sits about 1 km north-west of the centre, on Highway 307 rather than down by the lagoon, so budget a taxi or a fifteen-minute walk into town at the end. ADO runs the first-class service and also owns the cheaper brands you will see on the board: ADO GL, AU (Autobuses Unidos) and the second-class Mayab. Schedules and prices for ADO, OCC and AU are in the ADO app or on ado.com.mx; Mayab times are not published online and are shown on a screen at the ticket booth inside the terminal. A new, larger ADO terminal for Bacalar was announced in January 2024 and reported nearly finished in October 2024, so the stop may have moved

   When

   Regular all day. Chetumal to Bacalar has departures from about 00:30 to 23:59 across six operators; Tulum to Bacalar from 00:00 to 23:50; Cancún to Bacalar from 00:30 to 23:59

   Fare (2026)

   Chetumal to Bacalar from US$3, with ADO averaging about US$8 (2026). Tulum to Bacalar from US$6, ADO averaging about US$28 (2026). Cancún to Bacalar from US$8, ADO averaging about US$44 (2026). Mérida to Bacalar from US$21, ADO averaging about US$44 (2026). For comparison, in 2022 the Tulum run was M$250 on second-class Mayab, M$286 on AU and M$324 on ADO

   Takes

   Chetumal 35 to 50 minutes for 22 km. Tulum 2h 35m to 2h 51m for 196 km. Cancún 5h 20m to 5h 41m for 320 km. Mérida 4h 50m to 6h 40m

   Season

   Year round, several departures an hour on the Chetumal leg. Book ahead for Cancún and Mérida in December to April and at Easter

   Booking

   ado.com.mx or the ADO app for ADO, GL and AU. Mayab and other second-class services are cash at the counter

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2022-02) · bookaway.com (2026-09) · confidence high

2. 02
   Colectivos and combis along Highway 307colectivo

   Chetumal to Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Playa del Carmen to Felipe Carrillo Puerto, both passing Bacalar on Highway 307; also direct Tulum to Bacalar vans

   Where

   Combis are shared vans that run continuously along a set route and are the normal way locals move along the Quintana Roo coast. They stop on Highway 307 rather than in a terminal, so in Bacalar you wait at the intercity bus stop on the highway and flag the van; you can also get off anywhere along the road. The corridor is split at Felipe Carrillo Puerto, which is the terminus for both the Chetumal route and the Playa del Carmen route, so a Tulum trip is usually two vans with a change there. In Felipe Carrillo Puerto the Chetumal vans use their own sitio next to the zocalo and the Playa del Carmen vans a sitio on Highway 307 between Calle 73 and Calle 75. In Chetumal the colectivos leave from the old ADO station on Salvador Novo street. The vans have no luggage compartment, so anything you bring sits on your knees, which rules them out with big bags

   When

   Continuous through the day, roughly 05:00 to 22:30 on the northern stretch. No fixed timetable, they leave when full

   Fare (2024)

   M$180 direct Tulum to Bacalar (March 2024). Split at Felipe Carrillo Puerto it was M$70 Tulum to Carrillo and M$70 Carrillo to Bacalar (February 2022). Pay the driver in cash

   Takes

   Similar to the bus or a little slower because of the stops: about 40 minutes to Chetumal, about 3 hours to Tulum with the change

   Season

   Year round

   Booking

   None, flag it on the highway and pay cash

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2024-03) · en.wikivoyage.org (2022-02) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

3. 03
   Tren Maya at Estación Bacalartrain

   Bacalar station on Avenida Tajma Ha, on the Tulum to Chetumal Aeropuerto line, between Limones-Chacchoben and Chetumal Aeropuerto

   Where

   The station is a purpose-built stop on the edge of town, not in the centre, and taxis meet the trains. It works, and the timetable is real, but it is sparse: two trains a day each way on the Cancún Airport to Chetumal Airport run, plus the Chetumal to Escárcega and Palenque service. Northbound the trains call at Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos and Cancún Airport. There is no direct train from Bacalar to Mérida; the booking system returns nothing for that pair, so you would change at Cancún. Chetumal's station is out at the airport, with a shuttle bus into the downtown ADO terminal, so a Bacalar to Chetumal train trip does not drop you in the middle of Chetumal

   When

   Northbound to Tulum and Cancún Airport at 10:29 and 17:09. Southbound to Chetumal Aeropuerto at 13:38, 20:11 and 22:20. Inbound from Cancún Airport at 09:00 and 15:33, arriving Bacalar 13:36 and 20:09. Inbound from Tulum at 10:45 and 17:07. Inbound from Chetumal Aeropuerto at 07:30, 09:50 and 16:30 (checked for 15 October 2026)

   Fare (2025)

   Not published as a table. For scale on the same line, Chetumal to Cancún Airport was M$1,237 in tourist class (August 2025). Fares are only shown inside the booking flow at reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx

   Takes

   Bacalar to Chetumal Aeropuerto 37 minutes. Bacalar to Tulum 2h 51m to 2h 54m. Bacalar to Cancún Aeropuerto 4h 36m to 4h 42m

   Season

   Year round, but the timetable is revised often and routes have been suspended and restored, so check the date you want rather than a printed schedule

   Booking

   reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx, or at the station ticket office. Customer line +52 55 9771 1000, WhatsApp +52 55 7200 0052, 07:00 to 22:00 daily. Free baggage allowance is three pieces up to 50 kg total

   Sources: reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx (2026-09) · trenmaya.gob.mx (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2025-07) · confidence high

4. 04
   Town taxis and the fixed fare from the train stationshare taxi

   Within Bacalar town, and from the bus station, the Tren Maya station and the highway down to the lagoon front and the hotels

   Where

   Taxis are the normal way to close the last kilometre from the highway, the bus station or the train station, and locals describe them as cheap. They wait at sitios around the zocalo and the fort and meet arriving trains and buses. The Bacalar taxi drivers' union agreed a fixed fare from the Tren Maya station in January 2025, so ask for the tarifa fija rather than negotiating. Agree the price before you get in, as you would in Chetumal, where the airport run is quoted at M$70 and haggled down to about M$30

   When

   All day, walk-up

   Fare (2025)

   A fixed fare from the Tren Maya station exists but the amount was not confirmed. A visitor review on the Los Rápidos site put a taxi from Bacalar centre to Los Rápidos at about M$200 (2025). Chetumal comparison: M$25 to M$30 from the bus terminal to the centre (April 2022)

   Takes

   A few minutes across town; the bus station to the lagoon front is about 1 to 2 km

   Season

   Year round

   Booking

   None, flag one or use a sitio. Ask your hotel to call one after dark

   Sources: 24horasqroo.mx (2025-01) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · rapidosdebacalar.com (2025-04) · confidence medium

5. 05
   Walking and bicycles in townbicycle hire

   The grid between Highway 307, the fort and the costera along the lagoon

   Where

   The town is small and flat and most of what a visitor wants sits between the zocalo, the Fuerte de San Felipe and the lagoon front, so walking covers it. Bicycles are the local step up from that and hotels and hostels rent or lend them; the costera along the water and the road south towards Cenote Azul are the two rides worth doing. Guided kayak, canoe and bicycle tours run out of Villas Ecotucan, about 5 km north of town

   When

   Always

   Fare (2026)

   Free on foot. Bicycle rental rates not confirmed

   Takes

   Ten to twenty minutes across the centre on foot

   Season

   Year round. Midday heat and the afternoon rains in June to October are the limits

   Booking

   None for walking; ask your hotel for a bicycle

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

6. 06
   Lagoon boats and sailing catamaransboat

   From the muelles on the Bacalar costera north to the Canal de los Piratas, Isla de los Pájaros, Cenote Negro and Cenote Esmeralda, or south past Cenote Cocalitos

   Where

   Tour operators sell from stands along the lagoon front in the town centre. Two kinds of boat go out: motor launches doing a two-hour circuit of five sights, and sailboats, catamarans and pontoons doing three-hour trips with a captain. Wild Bacalar Adventures, one of the sailing outfits, runs at 11:00 and 15:00 with a 06:30 sunrise option; the GAIA Experience runs a 15:00 departure with an English audio guide. Club Náutico Bacalar, a non-profit sailing association, uses the emptier north end of the lagoon and teaches as well as tours. The important rule: the lagoon is closed to boat activity on Wednesdays, and operators say plainly that nobody sails that day. Kayaks and paddleboards rent by the hour from the same stretch of shore

   When

   Daily except Wednesdays. Sailing departures typically 11:00 and 15:00, motor tours through the day, sunrise trips around 06:30

   Fare (2023)

   M$250 for a two-hour five-stop boat tour and M$150 single or M$250 double per hour for a kayak (February 2022). Club Náutico Bacalar quoted MXN 800 (2023). Sailing and catamaran operators quote by WhatsApp rather than publishing rates

   Takes

   Two hours for a motor launch circuit, three hours for a sailing trip

   Season

   Year round, closed Wednesdays. Wind is what makes or breaks a sailing trip

   Booking

   Walk up at the lagoon front, or WhatsApp the sailing operators a day ahead

   Sources: velerobacalar.com (2026-09) · wildbacalaradventures.com.mx (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2022-02) · confidence high

7. 07
   South to Cenote Azul, Xul-Ha and Los Rápidosother

   Bacalar centre south along the old highway and the Carretera Xulha to Cenote Azul, the village of Xul-Ha and Los Rápidos at the southern end of the lagoon

   Where

   Cenote Azul is just south of the village centre beside the main road, close enough to cycle. Xul-Ha is a quiet village at the very south end of the lagoon about 20 km away; colectivos heading for Puerto Carrillo or a second-class bus will drop you there. Los Rápidos, the natural channel with the stromatolites and the drift current, is another few kilometres on along the Carretera Xulha, and there is no public transport that reaches the gate, so it is a taxi, a hired bicycle or a tour. It opens daily 10:00 to 18:00, has parking, lockers and showers, and visitors report it is cash only

   When

   Colectivos along the Xul-Ha road through the day; nothing scheduled to the Los Rápidos gate

   Fare (2026)

   Los Rápidos entry M$200 adult, M$150 for children 2 to 10 and for INAPAM cardholders, kayak M$200 single or M$400 double per hour, locker M$50 plus M$50 deposit (2026). Cenote Azul M$25 (2020). A taxi from Bacalar centre to Los Rápidos was reported at about M$200 (2025)

   Takes

   Cenote Azul a few minutes from town. Xul-Ha about 20 km. Los Rápidos about 12 km south of the centre

   Season

   Open daily 10:00 to 18:00. Crowded from about 11:00 on Saturdays

   Booking

   None, pay at the gate in cash

   Sources: rapidosdebacalar.com (2026-09) · rapidosdebacalar.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2025-07) · confidence high

8. 08
   East to Mahahual and the Costa Mayaother

   Bacalar highway stop east via Limones and the Mahahual branch road to Mahahual on the Caribbean coast, about 100 km

   Where

   There is no dedicated terminal for this. Pick up the ADO service or a colectivo at the intercity bus stop on the highway in Bacalar. ADO runs to Mahahual twice a day from Bacalar and Chetumal. Coming from the north instead, the trick is to take a Mayab bus down the 307 as far as Limones and change there to a Mahahual colectivo. From Chetumal the Caribe buses leave the main terminal and the colectivos leave the old bus station on Salvador Novo

   When

   ADO twice a day; colectivos more often from Limones and Chetumal

   Fare (2022)

   ADO Chetumal to Mahahual was M$150 from the main bus station and M$255 from Chetumal airport (April 2022). No current Bacalar-specific fare found

   Takes

   About 2 hours for the roughly 100 km

   Season

   Year round. Cruise ship days fill the road and the village

   Booking

   ado.com.mx for the ADO runs; cash on the colectivos

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2022-04) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

9. 09
   Marlin Espadas vans south into Belize and Guatemalaminibus

   Bacalar and Chetumal to Corozal, Belize City, Belmopan, San Ignacio and Flores, and back

   Where

   An air-conditioned van service based in Chetumal that covers Bacalar and runs the border corridor that the coaches handle badly. Book a seat on marlinespadas.net and confirm by WhatsApp, which is how they actually operate; they are quick to answer. Payment by card is taken at their Chetumal office during the stopover. The Belmopan stop is at the Wings and Feathers cafe; the Chetumal office is across town from the ADO bus station. Border formalities can take a long time, so the arrival hour slips and you message them for an estimate. Passengers are mostly backpackers. The alternative is the single daily ADO coach from Belize City to Chetumal leaving at 19:00, which does not appear in the ADO app

   When

   Daily services along the corridor; confirm the day you want by WhatsApp

   Fare (2026)

   Bookaway lists Marlin Espadas Chetumal to Bacalar at about US$12 average (2026). Through fares to Belize and Guatemala were not found

   Takes

   Not published; border queues dominate the timing

   Season

   Year round

   Booking

   marlinespadas.net then WhatsApp to confirm; card payment at the Chetumal office

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2024-05) · en.wikivoyage.org (2024-05) · bookaway.com (2026-09) · confidence medium

Not yet confirmed: Tren Maya does not publish a fare table anywhere on trenmaya.gob.mx or on the booking portal outside the purchase flow, which runs on a JSF widget that could not be driven from outside a browser session. No Bacalar-specific fare was obtained. The M$1,237 Chetumal to Cancún Airport tourist-class figure from August 2025 is the closest comparable on the same line. Call +52 55 9771 1000 or ask at the station.; The exact amount of the fixed taxi fare from the Bacalar Tren Maya station could not be read. The January 2025 report from Diario 24 Horas Quintana Roo confirms the union set one, but the publisher's own site would not resolve and the Google News link does not expose the article text. Ask for the tarifa fija at the station rank.; ado.com.mx blocks automated requests and did not resolve at all, so no ADO timetable or official fare was read directly. The bus figures come from Bookaway's operator pages for September 2026 and from Wikivoyage's 2022 field notes. Treat the US dollar averages as indicative and check the ADO app for the day you travel.; A new ADO terminal for Bacalar was announced in January 2024 and reported nearly complete in October 2024, but no source confirms whether it has opened or where it is. The bus stop location given here is the older one on Highway 307, 1 km north-west of the centre.; How far the Tren Maya station actually sits from the lagoon front could not be pinned down. The Wikivoyage listing gives Avenida Tajma Ha and coordinates near the town, but no source describes the walk, and Overpass and Nominatim returned nothing for the station. Assume you need a taxi.; Tren Maya has launched a feeder bus brand, Tren Maya Conecta, announced on its home page in 2026. Whether it serves Bacalar station, and on what route, is not stated anywhere reachable. Chetumal's station does have a M$35 shuttle into the downtown ADO terminal.; No current published price for the sailing catamaran and pontoon tours on the lagoon. Wild Bacalar Adventures and the other operators quote by WhatsApp only. The M$250 two-hour motor-launch figure is from February 2022.; No bicycle rental rate for Bacalar was found on any reachable site.; The Wednesday lagoon closure is confirmed by both Wikivoyage and an operator, but no official notice explaining who imposes it or whether it applies to kayaks as well as motor and sail boats was located..

The field note on Bacalar reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.