Lake Bacalar
Lake Bacalar is a chiller's haven. We even extended our stay a night to enjoy the tranquility of the lake and the peaceful town where it is located.
The journey from Tulum to Lake Bacalar was very straight forward. We headed to the ADO at midday and managed to catch the 1.30pm bus straight to Bacalar - this was around 210 pesos (£11).
Once again we went with the highest rated hostel on Hostelworld which was called the Yak Lake House. We were so pleased to have chosen this one as it was literally the most incredible location on the edge the lake, and had loads of added benefits such as early morning paddle boarding to catch the sunrise, and a beautiful boat tour through the Laguna de Siete Colores... And the lake genuinely does have 7 different shades of blue. It's amazing. The hostel itself had the perfect setup with a really sociable bar area and very spacious rooms with rather luxurious showers. An added bonus is the breakfast, lots of fresh fruit, cereals, toast and coffee etc offered to fill yourself up for the day.
Lake Bacalar is a great place to chill. We were also pleased to find that the whole area is so environmentally friendly. People there have a genuine want to contribute what they can to saving the planet. Every single restaurant we went to didn't give you plastic straws with your drink (like we had unfortunately found with most places on our trip so far) or if they did, they were paper. They only used biodegradable disposables like napkins and even cutlery. What's more - there were even many restaurants offering solely plant based foods.
The highlight of the time in Lake Bacalar was when we embarked on the early morning sunrise paddle boarding and canoe trip, offered from the hostel. To be lay afloat a paddle board, watching the sky change from the hazy pale blue morning light, to yellow, orange, red as the sun painted the sky with it’s rays was just magical.
The hostel itself has a great area to relax, but we also found a great chilling spot further along the lake called Los Aluxes. This hotel/restaurant had an area on the lake with swings across the water, sunbeds and chairs on their own wooden platforms on top of the crystal clear water. It has the most incredible setting! It’s an excellent spot to set up camp for the day, and bask in the tranquility this natural wonder provides.
Where to eat/drink...
La Playita - a cute little hang out on the side of the lake with an unreal menu and beautiful view.
Mango Y Chile - great vegan burgers and delicious raw chocolate and banana milkshakes.
Christian's Tacos - cheap local food and excellent margaritas. Especially good for big groups.
Pizzeria Bertilla - the owners are from Italy and make their own fettuccine which is delicious, after a week of only Mexican food we were really craving a carb fest (found this on TripAdvisor which is always worth looking at for food suggestions.)
