I have long been obsessed with all things PINK and when I found out that there are some cotton candy "Pink Lakes" hidden away on the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the word was enough to get me going on the roads of Yucatan!! This little known part of Yucatán is a surreal place with picturesque and unordinary landscapes, a giant salt factory and amazing pink lagoons surrounded by salt dunes. And, did I say that the pink lakes come with a side of pink flamingos?🙂😍
How to get to the colored lagoons??
Pink waters and white sand meet off the coast of Las Coloradas, a tiny fishing community on the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula. This rosy tinted beach is part of the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, which protects nearly 150,000 acres of beaches, forests and dunes. Las Coloradas has no restaurants or accommodation options so, you probably are going to drive up to Rio Lagartos first, a small and charming fishing village about 25 min drive from Las Coloradas.
The best way to do this fabulous trip is by driving your own rental car as this a bit off the beaten path and the buses will be really inconvenient. Rental car will let you wander, which is what Rio is all about. We were already on a 10 day road trip in the Yucatan so this was a no biggie for us. The funniest part was seeing highway signs that said “RUTA FLAMINGO” but at least we knew we were on track.
The roads of the highway are in very good condition for an hour or two but the highway eventually becomes narrower as you come closer to the town. You wouldn’t want to drive on that road at night, so either leave yourself time or stay overnight. A long day trip to Las Colorados is possible(2 hrs from Valladolid and 3 hrs from Playa Del Carmen and Cancun) but I would highly recommend spending atleast a night in the area.
There are not very high end hotels in Rio Lagartos though, there are a few decent ones!! However, we wanted to capture the essence of the local life there and therefore, decided to stay in an Airbnb apartment. If you haven't used AirBnb before, use this link to sign up and get up to $40 credit to use towards your first booking.
Finding the pink lakes and flamingos??
As soon as you enter the village of Rio Lagartos, you'll be approached by many guides on motorcycle trying to sell us a boat tour around the pink lakes but let me tell you it's easy to get to the lakes by yourself and I am so glad we declined all and chose to do it on our own.
Our Airbnb home was located in a perfect location right by the dock from where the boat tours leave. We were approached by many boat owners who promised to take us to the reserve for bird watching, crocodiles, pink lakes and flamingos. But be aware that most of them won't take you to the actual pink lakes but rather to a more brown lake. We did hear about many people being disappointed not seeing the actual pink lakes on the tour. If you decide to take a boat tour be very specific in telling them before paying that you want to see the pink lakes and not the brown ones. We didn't see the crocodiles but saw and enjoyed much more than it is possible on a boat tour.
We packed a few snacks as there no options for eating out in Las Coloradas and left for the day in search of the pink paradise. After you leave the town of Rio Lagartos you'll see a sign pointing towards left for Las Coloradas, that's your highway to the lagoons. You’ll follow a road that stretches along the northern Yucatan coastline.
We took a quick peek at the beaches and they looked deserted and pristine. As you come closer to the village you will see mountains of salt in a fenced salt extraction plant on the right and right after that you’ll start to see the salt ponds. Keep driving until you see a small town up ahead and signs for the protected area. A wide turn-off on the right and you have the pink lakes right in front of you.
All these lakes are owned by a giant salt company of Las Coloradas which is the main distributor of salt all over Mexico. Earlier you could even swim but these days as it's getting on many people's radar, the entry is secured by a gate and there are security guards on bikes patrolling the area and won't let you go anywhere close to the pink lakes. Unfortunately, these lakes which are used for salt extraction were being contaminated by people entering and swimming in the lakes and hence the restriction.
You can enter past the gate only with a guide by paying a small fee(50 Pesos pp) and they only allow you there for 30 minutes but no complaints I had some of the best pictures in that time. There is actually not much to do except staring and taking pictures of these cotton candy lakes. If you to want more time you can always pay again to the guide and get another 30 min. The day we were there was very windy but on a good day you even see reflections of sky in the lakes, how beautiful is that!! It was so incredible to see the change in the color of the lakes as the sun would come in and out of the clouds. The lake even appeared to be purplish pink from a specific direction.🙂
Tip: The highest the sun is, the more intense will be the color of the lake. This means that noon with no clouds in place is the perfect time to capture the pinkest pictures.
It was now time to go hunt in search of the flamingos!! There is a dirt track which is exactly in a direction opposite to the gate of the pink lakes. Just take that track and explore for as long as you want. We travelled along the dirt track for almost 30 minutes and were quite surprised that there are lagoons in the area that aren’t only pink – they are also yellow, orange, green and turquoise, giving you very vibrant options on where to dip in your feet and enjoy(sadly not in the pink ones).
What else did we see?? Yes, lots and lots of pink flamingos(though some were in far distant places)!! We also found a place where you can take a mud bath which has apparently healing properties(as they say in Las Coloradas). I decided to skip it unless I could carry the mud flats with me and keep healing my body for life.😉 It was actually quite funny to see a few people slathered in mud from head to toe on the docks when we returned to Rio Lagartos!! This all was much fun though.
This trip would have been incomplete without a little stroll in Rio Lagartos. We left our car at home and wandered for a while in the evening. The streets here are quiet yet bubbling with life and we even saw some beautiful houses painted in pastel colors. We were quite amazed to see how simple the life is here- doors of all houses open, people chilling in their hammocks as if this was a perfect connected community with no fear to anyone or anything from anyone. People are so welcoming here!! I couldn't remember when did I enjoy such quietness in a place except in the countryside of Switzerland.
There are just two or thee nice restaurants in the area and they close for the day really early like around 5:30-6:00 p.m. Yes, when it's time for dinner they get closed, it seems people here really know how to balance work and life. But, there is no need for you to get disappointed because there a few street food shacks where you will have some of the best food of your entire trip especially the TACOS!! Better than the ones served in restaurants, I am quite affirmative about this.😋😋 This goes not only for Las Coloradas but everywhere in Mexico, the best tacos you'll have are at the hole-in-the-wall eateries. While I am writing this down, I am literally wanting to go back there and attack on those delicious Tacos!! Nom,nom!!
There is one street food shack opposite to the Dunosusa supermarket. If you are in Rio Lagartos you should not miss the finger licking Tacos made and served here!!
Why is the color pink?
Mayans who are an important element in Mexico's rich history made these lagoons and used to extract salt from the salty ocean water that was flooding through the mangroves into these man made lagoons!! Now, a giant salt company is extracting salt from the lagoons. The salty ocean water evaporates in the sun, leaving natural sea salt behind.
The vibrant pink color is due to red-colored algae, plankton, and brine shrimp that thrive in these shallow and salty environment of the lagoons. As the water evaporates, these organisms become more concentrated, glimmering pink in the bright Mexican sunlight.
Things to know
There aren’t any ATM in Las Coloradas nor the nearby towns, so you must take enough cash to cover every possible expense.
There are no petrol pumps between Valladolid and Rio Lagartos & Cancun/Playa Del Carmen and Valladolid so, it's better to fill up your tank before leaving any of these towns.
You can park your car for free right outside the gate which gets you entry to the pink lakes.
If you’re looking for something off the beaten path and memorable, a trip to the pink lakes of Las Coloradas may be worth the ride!
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