Planning your trip to Bacalar
Looking for magic in Mexico? Then you can’t miss out on visiting Bacalar. With its’ turquoise waters, warm weather and cute town center, Bacalar needs to be on your travel bucket list. A much lesser known paradise on the Yucatan peninsula! If you’re planning your trip to Bacalar and don’t know where to start, read on to learn all you need to know about visiting Bacalar!
How to get to Bacalar, how long to stay in Bacalar, where to stay and some of my favorite places to eat in town!
Where is Bacalar
Bacalar is located near the Belize border, on the southern end of the Yucatan peninsula. Located about 45 minutes north of Chetumal, and 2 hours and 30 minutes south of Tulum.
Situated between Tulum and Caye Caulker, it’s the perfect mid-way point to relax for a few days. Whether you’re roadtripping, or back-packing through Central America, you’ll definitely want to make sure you stop here.
How to get to Bacalar Mexico?
When planning your trip to Bacalar, you’ll surely wonder how to get to this slice of heaven. Well, luckily enough, getting to Bacalar is rather easy, whether you’re traveling by car, bus or plane.
If you’re traveling via Belize, don’t forget to take into account the border crossing. The border crossing can take some time and be kind of complicated, however it’s very doable if you organize yourself correctly.
Check out my post about how I got from Caye Caulker to Bacalar!
Car
Located off of the 307 Highway, getting to Bacalar by car is quite easy. If you’ve rented a car and plan on visiting some of the main Yucatan beach towns, you can easily add Bacalar to your road-trip. Located only 2 and a half hours south of Tulum, you can easily go for a day trip, or spend a few days enjoying the lagoon.
Most hotels have free parking. Plus, the fact that Bacalar is less of a tourist hub means that parking is realitively easy.
Bus
Bacalar is serviced by the ADO bus lines in Mexico. This means that multiple busses come and go every day. Check out the Ado website for bus schedules!
The ADO bus station is only a 10-15 minute walk from the center of town. Walking to the bus station during the day is considered safe. However, we took a taxi and it only cost us a few dollars.
If you’re arriving or leaving after dark, I highly recommend taking a taxi to the bus station.
Plane
Bacalar is about 45 minutes away from the Chetumal airport, 3 hours from Belize city airport, and 4 hours from the Cancun airport.
If arriving from Chetumal airport, you can easily catch a taxi, or rent a car, to get to Bacalar.
Trying to get to Bacalar from Caye Caulker, Belize? Read my post here.
Staying in Bacalar Mexico
How long to stay in Bacalar
Bacalar is a relatively small town, with its’ main attraction being the lagoon. Planning your trip to Bacalar and deciding how long you want to stay will depend on how active you want to be on your holiday. If you’re short on time, 2 days will be long enough to enjoy the lagoon and the town center. If you like to lounge around, sun bathe and go slow, then 3 to 4 days is perfect.
Where to stay in Bacalar
When choosing where to stay in Bacalar it’s important to decide early on if you will want your accommodation to have lagoon access or not. Personally, for me it was either find a place with a pool and not too far from the lagoon, or stay somewhere with direct lagoon access.
Free lagoon access is about a 15-minute walk from the center of town (towards the north). Otherwise, the other points of access require an entry fee. So, in order to get the best of both worlds, I recommend staying somewhere in between town and the free lagoon access towards the north!
If you want to know more about the activities in Bacalar, and how to access the lagoon for free, check out my post here!
Places to stay in Bacalar Mexico
Here are some recommendations for staying in Bacalar.
A 4-star resort located on the lagoon. If you’re looking for relaxation then you’ll definitely get what you’re looking for here. Enjoy the continental breakfast, the onsite restaurant or the spa!
Check out Alkalki Hotel by clicking here!
Other Luxury Hotel options: Mia Bacalar Luxury Resort & Spa, and Habitas Bacalar
With its clean and spacious facilities, the Blue Palm is the perfect place for a relaxing stay in Bacalar. For less than $200 a night, you’ll have a great view of the lagoon, an onsite restaurant and much more.
With its’ clean and spacious dorms, cozy common areas, and direct lagoon access – it’s hard to beat the Yak Lake house. Whether you’re looking for a bed in a dorm, or a private room, you can stay at the Yak house.
Best Party hostel in Bacalar: Che Bacalar Hostel & Bar
Definitely the place to stay if you’re looking for a party scene. They’ve got tons of group activities organized, including dinners. The pool is a great place to hang out, and you’re only a few minutes away from the lagoon!
Where to eat in Bacalar
Bacalar has some great places to eat, apart from lounging in the lagoon, restaurant hopping is definitely the next best activity here! Below are a few of my favorite places in Bacalar! If you want more delicious restaurants, check out this article!
Best Taco: Mr Taco
Hands down, Mr.Taco is the best place to grab a delicious and affordable taco. For only $20 a taco (pesos not USD), you can get a full plate of tacos for less than $4 USD! You have around 17 different toppings to choose from, including their delicious molé. I ended up eating here 5 times in only 4 days.
Best Burrito: Bar Cool
Bar Cool, located kaddy corner from Mr.Taco has some delicious burritos that will leave you wanting more.
Best Breakfast: Ixchel Bacalar
For a tasty and affordable breakfast, you can’t go wrong with Ixchel. The setting is calm, colorful and tucked away from the streets. The perfect way to start the day!
Best Vegan/Vegetarian option: Mango y Chile
Looking for vegan or vegetarian options, and an incredible view of the lagoon? Mango y Chile has a plant-based menu, with burgers and tacos that will satisfy anyone! Plus, the view of the lagoon at sunset makes for the perfect dinner spot.
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