Want to know how to spend the perfect 48 hours in Bacalar Mexico? As travellers who’ve been to Bacalar three times already, you can expect to find the absolute best things to see and do in Bacalar in this post.
Bacalar Mexico is a charming Mexican town, located at the Southern end of Quintana Roo and sits upon the incredibly beautiful Bacalar Lagoon.
This pretty little town is one of four Pueblos Magicos in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. In this blog post, we’ll share everything you need to know about the last hidden gem of Quintana Roo, and how to spend 48 perfect hours in Bacalar, Mexico.
How to get to Bacalar from Playa del Carmen
The small town of Bacalar Mexico is located about 280km / 173 m south of Playa del Carmen. There are two ways we’d recommend for getting to Bacalar Lagoon.
1. ADO bus: Taking the ADO bus is budget-friendly and a great option if you’d prefer to not have to drive in Mexico. The ADO buses are comfortable, safe, and affordable and our number-one option for travelling between destinations within The Riviera Maya. Multiple buses commute between Playa del Carmen and Bacalar daily. You can find your bus tickets online, or you can purchase them at the station. Keep in mind that there are two bus stations within Playa del Carmen; one is located on 5th Avenue and the other is on 20th Avenue.
The ADO bus takes around 4 hours to get to Bacalar and a one-way ticket will cost you around US$28.
The bus will drop you off on the main road in Bacalar, and from there, you’ll need to catch a local taxi to get to Bacalar town or your accommodation. The taxi ride shouldn’t take longer than around 10 minutes, and you shouldn’t be charged more than around 30-50 pesos (US$2-4). Just make sure to have some cash on you and agree on a price before getting into the taxi.
2. Rental Car: Having a rental car to get to Bacalar Mexico from Playa del Carmen is the quickest and most convenient option. Aside from the fact that you can freely stop along the way to check out the many roadside markets on Highway 307, it is quite convenient to have access to a car while you’re in Bacalar, as there aren’t many taxis available.
If you do plan on renting a car in Mexico, just be aware of hidden costs like insurance that may pop up while paying for your rental. We suggest using Discover Cars to find a rental. The site serves as a comparison platform between all the major car rental companies and helps you find the best deal available.
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Is Bacalar Mexico safe?
Although crime rates have increased a fair amount in the state of Quintana Roo, Bacalar is still one of the quietest and safest towns in the region and experiences very low levels of crime. If you’re wondering; is Bacalar safe at night? yes, it is perfectly safe to walk around the lagoon and town square at night. If you’re staying further into town, we’d recommend avoiding walking back to your accommodation alone late at night.
Overall, Bacalar Mexico is a very safe destination for travellers, we’d just recommend taking regular precautions as you’d do anywhere in the world.
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Is Bacalar Mexico Worth Visiting?
Considering that Bacalar is one of the furthest destinations to reach from Playa del Carmen, you may wonder if the 4-hour trip to this little Mexican town is worth the effort. In short, it absolutely is! As we mentioned earlier, we’ve been to Bacalar three times in the last three years and will even go as far as to say it’s our favourite destination in the entire state of Quintana Roo (aside from the magical island of Contoy).
Aside from the town being small, quiet, walkable and charming, Bacalar Lagoon is truly incredible to see. The Lagoon is the most magnificent blue you’ve ever seen and the perfect place to spend your time cooling down in the crazy Mexican Caribbean heat.
Is One Day in Bacalar Mexico Enough?
If you’re travelling to Bacalar from Playa del Carmen, the 8-hour round trip is a little too long to visit Bacalar for just one day. Are you able to see and do most of Bacalar in one day? You probably can, but we’d highly recommend staying at least one night to enjoy the slow pace of living in this little town.
In our opinion, staying one to two nights is optimal if your primary purpose is to experience as much of Bacalar Town and Bacalar Lagoon as possible. If you’re looking for a slow-paced getaway to just rest and unwind, we’d recommend staying up to 5 nights.
Our top recommended places to stay in Bacalar Mexico...
The perfect 2-Day Itinerary for Bacalar
To maximise your time to enjoy Bacalar and all it has to offer, we created this itinerary for a two-night stay. We’d recommend booking your ADO tickets to depart Playa del Carmen at around 11:40 am. You should arrive in Bacalar by around 3:50 pm, which should give you enough time to make your way to your accommodation for the night and still get to enjoy the sun setting on the lagoon.
First evening: Enjoy a local and affordable dinner at El Socio, where they serve fantastic tacos, then head down to the lagoon to catch the sunset.
😴 Looking for a great place to stay in Bacalar? Here are the best options!
Day 1 - enjoy the natural beauty of Bacalar
Morning: For breakfast, we’d recommend visiting El Manati restaurant. We’ve been back to El Manati three times because it’s such a special place. The restaurant is located in a beautiful a garden courtyard with exciting art pieces. They specialise in breakfast and lunch and make a great cappuccino! In addition to the restaurant, they also have a gorgeous gift shop with artisanal gifts and souvenirs – nothing like what you’d find in the main tourist zones.
Afternoon: We’d recommend making the most of your day by spending it on the water. There are a number of ways to enjoy Bacalar Lagoon; some of them being free and some requiring you to take a tour.
Enjoying the lagoon without a tour means you can either find one of the few docks that are open to the public, and simply hop in and frolic around in the water. Or, you could rent a kayak to explore more of the lagoon and surrounding mangroves. We’d highly suggest renting a kayak because you’ll then be able to get over to the other side of the lagoon, where you’ll find the historically significant Pirates Canal, which is pretty cool to see if you’re into history.
If you want to explore more of the lagoon, you’ll definitely want to book a boat tour. Bacalar Lake is pretty huge and measures roughly 60km / 37 mi and is home to two cenotes. We took a boat tour on our first trip to Bacalar in 2020 and it was 100% worth it! The tour took us to see the two cenotes, and meandered miles south to an incredibly blue part of the lagoon that was shallow enough for us to hop out of the boat and walk on the soft and squishy lagoon floor – such a cool experience.
1
3 Hour Boat Trip w/ Swimming & Drinks
✔︎ Visit 3 cenotes
✔︎ Swim time in Bacalar Lagoon
✔︎ Visit Bird Island
✔︎ Swim at the Pirates Canal
✔︎ Seasonal fruit & beer included
2
Full Day Kayak Rental
✔︎ Full-day rental
✔︎ Life jackets included
✔︎ Visit any part of the lagoon without time restriction
✔︎ Meeting point at Casa China Bacalar
3
Sunrise Stand Up Paddle Tour
✔︎ 3-hour sunrise lagoon tour
✔︎ Learn how to paddle (professional instructor)
✔︎ Stop at Cenote Negro
✔︎ Photos included
Evening: There are many upscale restaurants located along the water’s edge to enjoy a fancy dinner, but if you’re on more of a budget or would simply prefer to enjoy a more local experience, there are tons of lovely restaurants located in the main plaza. Depending on the day and the season, there may be a night market just next to the main plaza, where you’ll find lots of traditional snacks to try out. To find out when the market is happening, just ask a local. If you do get a chance to grab something from the night market, you’ve got to try a marquesita, which is a crispy crepe, wrapped around fillings of your choice – our favourite is Edam cheese (queso de bola) and Nutella. Sounds crazy but it’s delicious!
Day 2 - experience the culture of Bacalar Mexico & Bacalar Rapids
Morning: If you’re anything like us, you appreciate the opportunity to eat as the locals do. In this case, you’ll want to head down to the Municipal Market (Mercado Municipal de Bacalar) to grab a tasty and authentic breakfast.
You’ll likely find items such as; panuchos, salbutes and tamales, all of which are made from a corn dough base and a great option if you’re looking for something filling and tasty. You’ll also find some super affordable freshly squeezed juices which are always a great addition to a nice local breakfast.
If you’re in Bacalar on Sunday morning, you cannot miss heading to the market for ‘cochinita pibil’, which is a slow braised pork traditionally eaten on Sunday morning and served in a bread roll or tortillas. If you’re a fan of pork, you’ve never tasted it like this before – it’s incredible!
Afternoon: We’ve saved one of the best activities for last, and that would be the Bacalar Rapids or ‘Los Rapidos’. Just a few kilometres south of Bacalar town, you’ll find the entrance to a much narrower part of the lagoon, that is home to ancient stromatolites – seriously cool!
💡Remember: Sunscreen of any kind is strictly prohibited as it causes significant damage to the water and surrounding mangroves. These are some of our favourite items we use to protect ourselves against the sun.
Bacalar Rapids open at 10 am, and we’d recommend arriving just around then to enjoy the place for a bit before the crowds descend. To get there, you’ll travel around 13km south of Bacalar’s downtown area along a well-paved road. The remaining few kilometres will have you driving through the jungle, down some very bumpy roads. A rental car is the best option to get to Los Rapidos, however, you could also just grab a taxi which will cost you around US$9 each way.
The venue has chairs and sunshades along the water for you to enjoy, as long as you’re paying for food and drinks from their restaurant.
Aside from the rapids being incredibly beautiful, they’re a ton of fun too. The stream acts as a natural lazy river, where you can jump in on one end and float down to the other end, all while enjoying the lush jungle surrounding you. Los Rapidos is a wonderful spot to spend most of your day and was one of our favourite experiences in Bacalar!
Evening: You’ll want to spend your late afternoon exploring the downtown area of Bacalar. Here, you’ll find the town’s most historically important structure – San Felipe Fort, which once protected the land from pirates. For a small fee, you can walk through the fort, but you can see most of it from the outside and easily circumnavigate the entire structure in under 10 minutes.
Once you’re done admiring the fort, there are a few small souvenir stores to meander through, as well as some lovely restaurants to grab some dinner. If you’re looking for a spot with one of the best views of the lagoon, we’d recommend grabbing a light and healthy bite at Mango y Chile. They serve vegan food and have the best location right on top of the hill, providing you with unobstructed views of the lagoon.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a peaceful getaway from the hustle and bustle of Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen, then adding Bacalar Mexico to your itinerary is the way to go! If you have any other suggestions of awesome things to do in Bacalar, let us know in the comments 👇
