KAYAK & SUP TRIPS

[These trips will be available when Camp Toucan starts operating.]

Camp Toucan is a great place to kayak or stand-up paddleboard (SUP) whether you are already experienced or more of a beginner. The water is warm, clear, and beautiful, and the scenic shore is usually close by. There are several different lakes and user-friendly tropical rivers to choose from. The guides already know that participants will paddle at different speeds, so they seek opportunities to split into slower groups and faster groups as needed. So if you are quite experienced, the guides look forward to racing you down the lake or river when you want. But if you are new to paddling, the guides will show you how to stroke effectively to keep your kayak or board moving along at a steady, leisurely pace, which is all you need to do. They will teach you what you need to know in short increments, so you learn by doing, not by lengthy instruction or drills. Since the water is warm and clear, you can experiment without being concerned about falling into cold, dark water – you will usually welcome the chance to get wet. So it’s a great place to learn how to roll a kayak, or balance on a narrow board, and other more advanced skills. 

The keepers of Lake Bacalar ask you to not wear sunscreen lotions, due to the delicate stromatolites and other special creatures in the water. So in sunny weather, it’s good to wear a long-sleeved swim shirt made of synthetic fiber, and usually keep it somewhat wet, so the evaporation keeps you cooler and prevents sunburn. It’s also good to wear a broad-brimmed hat that can get wet, to keep the sun off your face and ears. When the weather turns cloudy or rainy, the air itself is still warm, so you don’t need to put on a paddling jacket or wetsuit – it may be a good time to paddle shirtless and free, as the ancient Mayans did.

For each kayak and SUP trip, we meet in the Bacalar plaza at 7:30. (Please note the different meeting times for different Camp Toucan activities, due to the different activities involved.) Most breakfast places don’t open until later, so we meet in front of La Tartaleta Panaderia, a small bakery that opens at 7:00, where you can get a quick breakfast before the meeting time. (Or bring your own breakfast -- we don’t serve a group breakfast, because people’s breakfast habits vary greatly, and it would take too long to clean up and put away afterward.) La Tartaleta Panaderia is half-way along the west side of the plaza, next to the large Palacio Municipal government building, with tables and chairs on the sidewalk. We then proceed to our launching area along the lake, where we make sure that everyone is outfitted with a kayak or board, and a paddle. We adjust the fit for each person, with padding as needed, then proceed to the water.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

There’s a different trip for each day of the week, Monday through Saturday. The Monday trip is the one on which the guides are most prepared to teach beginning kayakers and paddleboarders, and split up the group as needed, and it’s the trip on which the guides can shorten the distance paddled for some of the participants, if needed. The trips later in the week are longer and more advanced. So if you are a beginner or near-beginner who plans to paddle during your stay, please sign up for the Monday trip to get started.

Monday: Kayak and SUP Trip 1, interesting loop near Bacalar.

(About 12 kilometers, a kilometer being 62 percent of a mile.)

We meet in the Bacalar plaza at 7:30, then proceed to our launch area along the lake, where we outfit each person with a kayak or paddleboard, and a paddle. We adjust the fit for each person, with padding as needed. Then we paddle around near the launch area for a few minutes, to make sure everyone is ready for the trip, then paddle a short distance to a small protected natural area, where we are likely to see birds wading in the shallow water, and other birds swimming rapidly underwater to catch small fish. After watching the wildlife for a bit, we paddle to Cenote Negro (Black Pool), which is a deep pool of water along the edge of the lake, where clear spring water bubbles up from deep underground. We continue to Cenote Esmeralda and Cenote Cocalitos (Emerald Pool and Pool of Stromatolites). The stromatolites are somewhat like living fresh-water coral, looking like giant mushrooms made of rock, living at the surface of the water. They are up to 10,000 years old, and they descended from ancestors about 3.5 billion years old, making them among the oldest forms of life on Earth. Next we paddle to the Island of Birds, where hundreds of migratory birds nest in the trees, squawking loudly as they tend to their young. Along the way we stop for an outdoor lunch (included in the trip). We continue to the entrance to the Canal de los Piratas (Pirates’ Channel), first dug by Mayans over a thousand years ago, then used in the 1600s by pirates for sneak attacks on Bacalar. We stop to wade and swim in the shallow, turquoise-colored waters around the entrance to the channel. Then we paddle to Punta Muniz, a natural area where we stop in the shade of the trees for a while, to watch for wildlife. Then we paddle back to our launch point, where we swim a little in the lake before drying off. In the early evening we head back to the plaza for Social Hour with our fellow paddlers and other explorers, over a drink and an appetizer (included in the trip). 

Tuesday: Kayak and SUP Trip 2, exploring a tropical wilderness lake.

(About 14 kilometers.) This trip is for people who went on Trip 1, or otherwise have enough experience to paddle through narrow, winding channels with occasional current, for a total of about 14 kilometers. We meet in the Bacalar plaza at 7:30, then proceed to our launching area to make sure that everyone is matched with a kayak or board, and a paddle. We adjust the fit for each person, with padding as needed. After warming up around our launch area, we paddle to the entrance to the Pirates’ Channel, then we continue down that channel (with a little current carrying us along) to the next lake, Laguna Mariscal, which is small and quiet. We cross that lake, then paddle down another short channel to a third lake, which is a maze of mangroves and tropical wildlife. It is very quiet except for the sounds of the wildlife. We paddle quietly, threading our way among the mangrove islands, watching for birds. We stop along the way for an early outdoor lunch (included in the trip). In due time we start paddling back, stopping on the way at a place where we can wade and swim. From there we paddle back to our launching area, where you can take another swim in the lake before drying off. In the early evening we head back to the plaza for Social Hour with our fellow paddlers and other explorers, over a drink and appetizer (included in the trip). 

Wednesday: Kayak and SUP Trip 3, down the Rio Hondo.

(About 14 kilometers.) This trip is for people who went on Trip 1 or 2, or who otherwise have enough experience to paddle down a wide river, with some current and eddies. We meet in the Bacalar plaza at 7:30, then make sure that we have the right kayaks, boards, and paddles for everyone on the trip. Then we drive about 45 minutes south, with the kayaks and boards, to some clear, natural, spring-fed pools in a tropical jungle, near the Rio Hondo (Deep River), the border between Mexico and Belize. We swim in the spring-fed pools for a while, under the shade of large trees. Then we kayak down the Rio Hondo, watching for wildlife along the way, and stopping for an outdoor lunch in the shade (included in the trip). After lunch we continue paddling down the river, stopping to swim when desired. In the mid-afternoon we get to a small settlement along the river, where our van picks us up. We get back to Bacalar in time for Social Hour with friends and family (with a drink and appetizer included in the trip).

Thursday: Kayak and SUP Trip 4, down the Estero de Chac.

(About 21 kilometers.) This trip is for people who went on some of the previous paddling trips, or who otherwise have enough experience to paddle successfully down a narrow, winding river, for about 21 kilometers, some of it with current. We meet in the plaza at 7:30, then go to our launching area, and make sure everyone is matched with a kayak or paddleboard and a paddle. Then we paddle to the entrance to the Pirates’ Channel, and continue down that channel, then paddle to the southern end of Laguna Mariscal, which is the beginning of the Estero de Chac. (Estero meaning a small, shallow river, and Chac or Chaac being the Mayan god of rain and moving water.) As we paddle down the small river, the current carries us along, and through the clear, turquoise water we see the bottom going by, and the fish swimming below us. Along the way there are several rustic tropical cabins, with little wooden docks along the water. We navigate carefully through narrow places, and also some wide places where the river spreads out and it’s hard to know which way to go. Along the way we stop for an outdoor lunch (included in the trip). Then we continue paddling, through hilly jungle and wetlands. By midafternoon, we need to make a sudden turn into a narrow tributary creek. We paddle up that creek (which is easy because the current is slow), and after several twists and turns, we paddle into Laguna Milagros (Lake of Miracles). We paddle along near the shore of Laguna Milagros, under a canopy of large trees, to the village of HuayPix (meaning sorcerer’s cape, although huay is also one of the Mayan words for the human soul). We take out in HuayPix, then drive back to Bacalar, arriving in time for our usual open-air Social Hour in the plaza, with family or friends and fellow travelers, over a drink and an appetizer (included in the trip).

Friday: Kayak and SUP Trip 5, from Xulha to Bacalar, Los Rapidos.

(About 18 kilometers.) This trip is for people who went on some of the previous paddling trips, or who otherwise have enough experience to paddle successfully through Los Rapidos, which is a narrow channel with swirling currents, small waves, and rocks along the sides, which participants need to be able to paddle down without getting turned sideways and tipping over. This trip also involves longer stretches of paddling on Lake Bacalar than the previous trips. We meet in the plaza in Bacalar at 7:30, and make sure everyone is matched with a kayak or paddleboard, then we drive about thirty minutes south to the village of Xulha (beginning of the waters), which is a small, clear, spring-fed lake that is the beginning of Lake Bacalar. We paddle in the shade of large trees along the shore of this beautiful lake, then continue into a narrow section of Lake Bacalar, with a little current, that is about 4 kilometers long. Near the end of this section we get to Los Rapidos, the narrowest place in all the lake, where there are small waves and rocks that we need to avoid, as noted above. After regrouping at the end of Los Rapidos, we paddle a little further to our outdoor lunch stop (included in the trip). After lunch we paddle a short distance up a narrow, shady creek, which is easy because the current is slow. After exploring the creek for a while, we paddle back to the lake, then continue paddling down the lake through another narrow stretch, before getting to the wider part of the lake as we approach Bacalar. We get back to Bacalar in time for Social Hour in the plaza with friends and family, with a drink and appetizer (included in the trip).

Saturday: Kayak and SUP Trip 6, along the Mahahual reef and beaches.

(About 6 to 12 kilometers, with a choice of take-out.)

We meet in the Bacalar plaza at 7:30, and make sure that everyone is matched with a kayak or paddleboard for the trip, and snorkeling gear for this particular trip, then we drive about an hour and twenty minutes to the Caribbean coast. About halfway through the drive, we stop to visit a tropical butterfly sanctuary, where we walk into large, screened enclosures to observe the butterflies up close, as they land on leaves and branches next to us. When we get to the shore of the Caribbean, we unload the gear and put in, then start paddling south through turquoise pools of water between the beach and the reef, in front of the village of Mahahual. We stop along the way to snorkel next to the reef, looking for manta rays, conches, sea turtles, and other underwater wildlife. As we continue paddling south, we leave the village behind, then paddle along a more natural stretch of Caribbean coast. There can be more wind and waves in this stretch, so we have more than one take-out – the first for paddlers who are ready to take out by that time, and the second for those who want to explore some distance further down the coast. There’s a dirt road behind the coconut palms and shrubbery along the coast, so our van will take you back to town from either take-out, as you choose. Note that we take some drinks and snacks on this trip, to have along the way while paddling, but we don’t take a group lunch with us, because there are numerous open-air restaurants along the beach and walkway in the village, where participants typically want to have a late lunch of their choosing (such as grilled fish, Mexican dishes, or lobster), perhaps meeting up with friends and family members for lunch. Behind the restaurants there are rustic open-air showers, so you can rinse off after paddling. In the later afternoon we head back to Bacalar, stopping half-way through the drive at roadside stands that sell fresh tropical fruit and cold juices. We get back to Bacalar in time for Social Hour by the plaza, with a drink and appetizer (included in the trip). It will be Saturday evening, so there may be some live outdoor music, and mobile vendors selling various edibles and handicrafts. (Note: If you have non-paddling friends or family members on Mayan Trip 6, which goes to Mahahual at the same time as this trip but does not include paddling, you may want to plan to meet them at one of the beachfront restaurants for a late lunch, after you finish paddling. To paddle while in Mahahual, make sure you sign up for this trip, not that trip.)

Kayak making:

The present kayaks at Camp Toucan include sea kayaks and sit-on-top kayaks, single and tandem, of various lengths, models, and colors. Some are fiberglass and others are polyethylene.

In addition, we plan to make long kayaks for five people, with every other person paddling, so the paddles don’t clash. At rest stops, the participants will be able to trade positions (to paddle or not paddle) if desired. These kayaks will be reminiscent of the canoes paddled by the ancient Mayans, on these very same waters, over a thousand years ago, when Bacalar was a busy trading center for canoes coming from the north, south, and east. But these new kayaks will be made of modern lightweight materials. The speed of a kayak is largely determined by its waterline length, so these long kayaks should cruise along nicely, and people who don’t want to paddle will still be able enjoy the ride, or trade off paddling part of the time with someone else.

Kayaks like these have never been made before, so it’s a big project, and they won’t be ready immediately. Even so, it’s something to keep in mind. The goal at Camp Toucan is to expand and improve participant experiences, not just operate trips that are the same as those available elsewhere.