Rio Lagartos and Las Coloradas, Mexico- a Crocodile River and a Pink Lake?

We visit Cancun, Mexico, every year and are pretty adventurous. We love the idea of exploring a different area each year. When I came across pictures of a beautiful pink lake four hours from Cancun, I knew I had to visit Rio Lagartos and Las Coloradas. What I found was better than I expected, but not exactly what I read about on the internet. Join along on my adventure and see what to do in Rio Lagartos, Mexico.

How to get to Rio Lagartos from Cancun, Mexico

It’s possible to take a day trip to Rio Lagartos from Cancún, although it will be a long day.

• You can catch a bus from Cancun or Merida. Check out the schedules.
• You can arrange an organized tour from Cancun that includes a boat tour of Rio Lagartos and a visit to Los Colorados.
• Rent a car and drive yourself. If you take the tollways, the drive is pretty straightforward. The only problem you may encounter is that this is far from touristy Mexico, so fewer people speak English. When we visited, a search was going on for El Chapo’s kidnapped son, and having a fluent Spanish speaker made it quicker to get through the Federales checkpoints.
• Secure a driver who can take you from Cancun to Rio Lagartos. Getting a private driver is my preferred way to sightsee when I travel. I like that we can move at our own pace, stopping wherever and whenever we want. I also learn much more about an area’s politics, culture, and lifestyle by getting to know one of its locals. We are fortunate to have had the same driver, Daniel, for the last twenty years. He was our driver on our ill-fated trip to Belize, which might not have ended so well without him. As Daniel is now retired, I can now recommend Fabian who you can reach at 52-998-239-5351.

The Town of Rio Lagartos, Yucatan, Mexico

Rio Lagartos is the name of the quaint, typical Yucatan fishing village on the coast of Ria Lagartos. There isn’t much more to the town than humble housing for its residents and a few hotels and restaurants for tourists. There are also docks for fishing and boats that catch octopus, which also offer tours.

Ria Lagartos, The Natural Reserve

What is Ria Lagartos?

Ria Lagartos is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its important bird species. In 1517, when Francisco Hernandez discovered the river, he named it “Lake of Many Dragons, or alligators.” This is the first misconception about what we would find here. Although we did see reptiles, the particular dragons in question are crocodilos, or crocodiles, not dragons.

To see this river’s beauty and to see many of its birds, particularly the numerous flamingos, you need to go by boat. If you do not go into town with an organized tour, you can find a fisherman waiting to offer you a tour at the docks.

They only accept cash, and the town doesn’t have an ATM.

We were fortunate, and Daniel’s nephew, Manuel Abraham Silva, was available to give us the tour. Manuel typically works as an octopus fisherman but is happy to do a more lucrative tour. If you are interested in hiring him for a tour, his phone number is 52-998-219-2430. The best way to get in touch with him is to direct message him on Facebook.

Manuel’s boat was spotless, with a covered area to protect all seven people on board from the sun. He also had an ice chest where we could store our drinks and snacks. We first spent half an hour exploring the mangroves on the way to view the flamingo lagoon. We spied many beautiful birds, such as herons, egrets, ibis, and kingfishers. There are over 395 different bird species here.

Flamingos in Ria Lagartos

Did you know there are flamingos around Cancun? This lagoon has the highest concentration of birds in Mexico. The flamingos congregate on a shallow lagoon, and the boats can’t get too close. Therefore, bringing binoculars would be a great idea. Humans staying away is good for the birds, as it helps avoid disturbing their habitat. There are always flamingos here. I was impressed with the number we saw in August; however, there are thousands in the spring. It must be magical at sunset to see so many in one place!

La Playa de Las Coloradas

After our flamingo viewing, we crossed the river to view the pink lakes of Las Coloradas. What we found was more accurate to the name, Las Coloradas, which means ‘The Colors,’ not just pinks. We found reddish-brown lakes set against a backdrop of stark white mountains, protected by a guard on an ATV.

My research had promised a naturally pink lake due to the presence of microscopic algae in the water. According to our guide, this is far from the truth. Las Coloradas is a salt mine. Through a series of dams, water is contained in pools and is treated with chemicals. The chemicals cause the salt to precipitate out, so it can be mined and later turned into the big white mountains, which are then sold.

When you visit, the water may be pink, red, or brown, depending on how much water has evaporated. Although it wasn’t as strikingly pink as I expected, it was still a unique and beautiful sight that I was happy to have seen. And when I started researching my trip to Las Coloradas, I didn’t realize I would get to see flamingos. So I still got my fair share of seeing pink!

You can also access Las Coloradas pools and its town by car. There is a chance that the water’s color on that side, where there is a bigger pool, is due to microbes, but it is also adjacent to the salt mine, so I am suspicious. We visited the lakes in the afternoon, and I have also heard that the color changes throughout the day as the sun warms the water.

Baño Maya or Clay Baths in Ria Lagartos

The sulfuric clay that lays along the beaches of Ria Lagartos is said to have curative properties. Most tours end with a good old mud slathering on tourists’ bodies. Many of the tours put it on at the Playa Las Coloradas. Manuel took us away from the masses to a more private beach, where he painstakingly searched for the perfect clay that didn’t smell nearly as much.

You will then take the boat ride back toward town, looking like the strange ghosts you saw going past you on your way in.

A Bath at the Beach

Manuel then took us to a fabulous, shallow beach that was accessible only by boat. There, we washed the clay off. We spent a while frolicking in the perfect water. As a note of caution, we all ended up with a sunburn. I think this was because the clay exfoliated us. We then spent a lot of time in the shallow water. We reapplied sunscreen when we got out, but we were burnt already.

Under a palapa, he fed us lunch, including an incredible ceviche that he made from yesterday’s catch of octopus. This whole experience was a highlight of the day. The beach was a great escape from the hordes of tourists we had been with around Cancun.

A Road Trip from Cancun to Ria Lagartos

The ride to Rio Lagartos through Mexico was enjoyable too. It passes through many Mayan villages, where you can stop, meet the locals, and try some local food. Even though their houses look primitive compared to those in big cities, these people’s happiness and open smiles are a good reminder of what is truly important in life.

If you are a nature lover or want to see a more remote but equally beautiful part of Mexico outside of Cancun, a visit to Rio Lagartos and Las Coloradas is a must-visit on your Mayan Riviera itinerary. Another of my favorite things in this area are cenotes.

To see more Mexican wildlife, consider swimming with sea turtles in Tulum. 

Read on for more fun and unique things to do in the Yucatan Peninsula.

This trip was a great reminder that sometimes the best adventures are those that don’t go as planned.

Have you been to Rio Largartos or a place where you put clay on yourself?

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