TOWN & LAKE

Bacalar is a scenic, family-friendly small town, along the shore of Lake Bacalar, which is a clear, warm, spring-fed, tropical lake that connects to the Caribbean Sea. 

The town was founded by Mayan traders in the 400s A.D. In the middle of town there is a stone fortress, with rusty cannons facing the lake, built in 1733 to defend the town from actual pirates of the Caribbean. (There is a museum about pirates inside the fortress.) Next to the fortress is the plaza, where couples stroll under flowering trees in the warm evenings, while children play on a pretend pirate ship.

There are numerous small restaurants around the plaza and adjacent streets, serving Mexican food, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, breakfasts of eggs with tortillas and beans, and so on. Some are economical, while others are more sumptuous, serving sushi and so on. There are also several small grocery stores, selling fresh tropical fruit economically. (So you can always get some bananas, or a sliced mango in a cup ready to eat, or other sustenance.)

There are several small hotels within three or four blocks of the plaza, so it’s convenient to sleep at one of those, then walk to the plaza in the mornings to meet for activities, then walk back to your hotel in the evening.

You can go swimming in the lake, at several locations within a block or two of the plaza, at any time of day, since it’s always warm enough. Then it’s okay to walk back to your hotel in damp shorts and a casual top.

Most of the families in town have lived here for generations, even centuries, and they keep track of who arrives from elsewhere, so it’s a pretty safe town. Along the streets near the plaza, some of the restaurants “lock up” at night by simply stacking some tables and chairs in the entrance, so valuable kitchen equipment and supplies could get stolen overnight, but they don’t. It stays warm long after dark, and kids walk home unaccompanied even late in the evening.

There’s a regional teachers’ college in town, where students train to teach school in the surrounding smaller towns. There is also a community college, where students learn to be physical therapists and computer technicians. Young people in town aspire to get those sorts of careers. A half-hour away, in Chetumal, there’s a college for dentists and other professions, for those who make the commute. Mexico is a big country, and in northern Mexico there are indeed drug dealers and crime rings (because it’s close to drug buyers in the U.S.), but Bacalar is not like that. It’s a small town where people know each other and watch out for unwelcome activity.

At Camp Toucan there will be numerous good day-trips, watersports, classes, and seminars to choose from, but at times when you want to do something in Bacalar on your own, here are some suggestions:

Swim in the clear, warm lake. In the central part of town, there are four different public places to swim: Where Calle 14, Calle 16, Calle 18, and Calle 36 meet the lake. In each location there is a public wooden dock, with a little wooden ladder into the water. (Be very careful about the slipperiness of the steps that are below the waterline.) At the end of some of these docks there is a thatched roof overhead, so you can rest in the shade while enjoying views of the lake and the tropical breezes.

Walk on the elevated rectangular walkway at the edge of the lake, to observe the wildlife below. (Early morning is the best time to see wildlife and the sunrise. Enter where Calle 36 meets the lake. There is a small admission charge if you get there after early morning.)

Explore around town, observing the lifestyle, the products being sold, the foods being prepared, and the tropical flowering trees, vines, birds, and iguanas that are right in town. (The iguanas mind their own business.) Right in town you’ll see very large ceiba trees, coconut palms, banana trees, papaya trees, and trees bearing several other tropical fruits that you probably haven’t heard of, populated by various tropical birds, including an occasional toucan or two.

Stroll around the plaza any evening, observing families and interactions. Local children play on little playgrounds until late in the evening, while their parents and relatives watch and chat from the park benches. Mobile vendors sell ears of corn (with mayonnaise and parmesan cheese), crepes filled with chocolate sauce and fruit (or whatever else you want), sliced mangoes served with a red sauce that’s sweet and spicy, and numerous other edibles. On weekend evenings there is often live music, and sometimes free dance lessons. 

The annual Bacalar Carnival is held in the plaza every year in late February, for five consecutive evenings, including parades and free exhibition dancing by large dance teams in elaborate costumes. (February is a great month for a “winter break” in Bacalar. The evenings are warm and the tropical music is lively.)

Swim in the Cenote Azul, which is a large, round, clear, bluish, natural pool of spring water, at the far southern edge of town, that is very nice for swimming and lounging. (Where Avenida 1 meets the main highway. Go there by taxi, or a long walk on Avenida 1, or by rental bike on Avenida 1 but with great caution. There is an open-air restaurant and shaded areas, and a small admission charge.)

See the folk art at a couple of local art galleries, and the artistic handicrafts and colorfully embroidered clothes sold in many places.

Visit the Casa de la Cultura to see local art on display, and after about 5 pm on weekdays to see local people practicing various types of dancing. (Where Avenida 5 meets Calle 26, two blocks north of the plaza.)

For nightlife, go to La Catrina, where there is live music and dancing, open air under a roof, from 5 pm to 2 am every night except Wednesday, with food and drink. (On Avenida 1 between Calle 26 and Calle 28.) 

There’s also live music, without dancing, some evenings at Nixtamal restaurant, open-air under big trees and vines. (On Avenida 5 by Calle 12. Open 7 days from noon to 10:30 pm. Serving grilled meats from a large barbeque, and also vegan choices such as stuffed mushrooms.)

If you just want a drink with dinner, almost every restaurant serves that. (You don’t need to find an actual bar.)

For breakfast, one popular place is La Tartaleta Panaderia, a small bakery right on the plaza, serving coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, and smoothies. (Midway along the west side of the plaza, next to the large Palacio Municipal city government building, with tables and chairs on the sidewalk. Open every day from 7 am to 11 pm.) Another place is Cafe Tito, serving a full menu. (At the southeast corner of the plaza. Open every day from 7 am to 11:30 pm.) Another local favorite is El Socio, serving plates of scrambled eggs, beans, tortillas, fried bananas, and so on. (One block west of the plaza, where Calle 20 meets Avenida 7, then four doors south along Avenida 7. Open every day from 7:30 to 5:30, except Sundays when they close at 2.) For dining right along the water, there’s Maria Sabina, serving a full menu. (Where Calle 20 meets the lake, with four sea kayaks tied vertically by the entrance gate. Open daily except Wednesdays from 8:15 am to 6 pm, with an optional buffet from 9:30 to 6.)

Note that all Camp Toucan day-trips and activities include lunch, either outdoors along a river or trail, or in an open-air restaurant. They also include an evening Social Hour, so you get back together with friends or relatives from other trips, to compare experiences over a drink and an appetizer. (The drink can be alcoholic or not as you choose.)

The sunrise over Lake Bacalar is quite beautiful most mornings, with the planet Venus shining prominently in the eastern sky. The ancient Mayans linked Venus to rain, the growing of corn, and the cyclical nature of the cosmos. Good places to observe Venus and the sunrise are on the grass on either side of the stone fortress by the plaza, and from the elevated walkway that you enter where Calle 36 meets the lake.

Go to a local church on Sunday morning (or other times), which can be quite a cultural experience. (The largest one is Iglesia San Joaquin, where Avenida 7 meets Calle 22, one block west of the plaza.)

For trip logistics, regarding how to get to Bacalar, where to stay, what to pack, and other trip planning, see the Trip Logistics page.

To sign up for day-trips and activities, once Camp Toucan is operating, go to the Signing Up page.