Mexico - Bacalar Lagoon and the ruins of Tulum

Bacalar

After more than four weeks in Guatemala and Belize, I am back in Mexico. And it's a completely different Mexico - the very touristy Yucatan. And by Yucatan, I mean the peninsula. But politically, it comprises the three states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Campeche. Many Europeans come here for their summer vacation. Germans, Dutch, French, but also for most Mexicans, this region is the number one holiday destination. After a long day of travel with some mishaps and problems, I arrive late in Bacalar and still haven't booked a hostel. That's when I realize for the first time how popular Bacalar is. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I finally find a place to stay.

The next day, I immediately go to the lagoon in the morning to see why so many people come here. And the first impression is overwhelming - like a commercial for the Caribbean. Except that it is a freshwater lake. The water is crystal clear and the various shades of blue and turquoise of the lake are incredibly beautiful. The water is also bathtub temperature and near the shore, it is still shallow, so you can wade to the sandbanks. That's why so many visitors are drawn here. The first impression confirms that. Accordingly, there are also many hotels and resorts with excellent food right by the lake. But I continue my tour through the city for now. Bacalar itself is quite nice and besides the lagoon, it also offers a few cenotes and the San Felipe Fort with the best view of the lake. It is still hot - very hot. To escape the heat, I go back to the hostel - siesta time. In the late afternoon, I take a boat tour of the lake with various stops and viewpoints. Swimming, including a mud pack, is also possible. There are even cenotes directly in the lake. That is rather unusual, as they are usually standalone formations. To be more precise, they are limestone holes that form when a cave collapses.

The next day, I want to ride my bike along the shore to the 'real' Cenote Azul. Because of the impending heat, I start early in the morning and arrive at the destination at 8 o'clock. However, I forgot to consider the usual opening hours. Nothing opens before 10 o'clock, I should have known. So I ride back a bit and look for a place to have breakfast that also has access to the lagoon. That is quasi the entrance ticket to be able to swim there or relax in the sun loungers. Right on time for lunch break, I have another personal highlight of my trip. I finally managed to capture the moment when the sun is directly overhead! I am particularly proud of that. 😉 It had probably happened to me before in Ecuador and Colombia, but I never paid much attention to it. And when I wanted to know, it wasn't so easy anymore. When I flew to Mexico, the sun was still further north, and then I moved faster than the sun to the south. In the last few weeks, I moved more to the east and now I'm going a bit north again. I almost missed it again because shortly afterwards I went to Tulum and there I would have been too far north for the 'spectacle'. So now, on July 26 at 1 PM local time, it's time - the sun is (almost) directly overhead. To be precise, it's 89.31 degrees above me. For 90 degrees, I would have had to drive a few more kilometers north on the highway. However, my photography and experimentation technique is not sophisticated enough to detect the difference. Fortunately, the clouds finally clear up, so I finally get 'my' photo. Happy and satisfied, I board the bus to Tulum an hour later.

Tulum

Tulum is also a popular destination for Mexicans and Europeans. The city itself is not directly on the sea, but nearby there are numerous resorts and hotels located directly on the Caribbean coast. However, for the past few months, there has been a lot of seaweed there, so the beaches are not as beautiful anymore. The city and the hotel operators are trying to remove the seaweed, but new seaweed comes in every day. Nevertheless, you can still go into the water, it just smells a bit unpleasant and doesn't look particularly good. So not quite what you would expect from the Caribbean coast. But it doesn't bother me much, I have had enough beach and sea in the past weeks, I am mainly here for the ruins.

On the one hand, there are the ruins of Cobá nearby. And on the other hand, the ruins of Tulum right on the coast. I start with the bus to Cobá, one hour inland by bus. This place probably only exists because of the ruins. It consists of just one street with restaurants and souvenir shops that leads directly to the archaeological site. There is only one bus connection, so I have to visit the site during the hot lunchtime. But the tourist crowds are limited. There are many tourists, but not too many. The distances between the buildings are quite large. That probably scares off some visitors. But you can also rent a bike or have a rickshaw transport you. I felt sorry for the poor pedalers with the XXL tourists. I take it as a nice walk through the jungle. The trees provide ample shade, it is very pleasant, and only when you have to climb the large pyramid in the midday sun (yes, the sun is almost overhead again 😉), it becomes really exhausting. But you sweat the whole day anyway - even without exertion.

In the late afternoon, I am back and I get a bike to cover the few kilometers to the beach and personally take a look at the seaweed. And it was pretty much as I was told before. With that, my workout of the day is over.

The next morning, I start early. This time by bike to the ruins of Tulum and then to the cenotes in the area. The intentions of the Maya with the ruins of Tulum will probably remain a mystery. Such a thing is very rare right by the sea. They probably just loved the beach. The whole site is accompanied by the sound of the sea. The buildings on the cliffs make great photo motifs. Not to mention the iguanas, which practically beg to be captured in their exposed positions. Even the insta-people can only look on with envy - no access!

By now, it's scorching hot after my tour, but my sombrero protects me as best as it can on the long ride to the first cenote. It's a straight road 10km along the highway. The deep beach cruiser I'm riding doesn't make the ride any easier. But I finally arrive at Cenote 'Carwash'. Well, at least the name is easy to remember. And that's what it is, essentially a water hole. But the water is wonderfully clear, sweet, and refreshing. I can really use that now. There are also a few divers practicing exercises. Then it's back to Tulum. There are more cenotes along the way. I stop at one that is more cave-like. You can jump directly from the edge into the water there. For GoPro folks looking for the adventure of their lives, there is also a kind of manhole through which you can also jump into the water. These cenotes can be found all over Yucatan. It's interesting how these beautiful formations formed. After this day, I am sufficiently exhausted, so I can only make it to the street vendor across from the hostel to buy myself a huge 'torta' (sandwich).