Town in Yucatán, Mexico
Photo: Adam Baker from Houston / Moscow / Toulouse (travel a lot), CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Río Lagartos is a coastal town in the northeast of Yucatan. It is a relaxing, quiet town that aside from its beaches and seafood restaurants, is world famous for its population of tens of thousands of pink flamingos who breed in the adjacent Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (which surrounds the town with mangrove swamps, marshes, and rainforest wetlands). Ría Lagartos is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Just west of town begins another large natural wetland area, the San Felipe Biosphere Reserve. The area is also a popular tourist destination for visitors coming to see Las Coloradas, bright pink lagoons just begging for Instagram-worthy selfies to be taken.
Comfortable, friendly seafood restaurant next to the water. Large portions and very fresh. Big shrimp cocktails and tasty coconut shrimp platters. They also arrange boat tours into the swamps.
Large palapa restaurant, popular with tour buses. Many fish dishes including cazon (dogfish), shrimp and ceviche.
Super casual, super affordable , family-run breakfast place. Mostly empanadas and tortas, but the specialty (as the name of the place promises) is salbutes — small, crisp tortillas topped with shredded turkey, avocado, pickled onions and hot sauce. Salbutes are a common street food throughout the Yucatán region of Mexico and are often found in mercados.
Comfortable, clean, well-equipped modern hotel. Great sunset views from the rooftop terrace. Bar on-site. Swimming pool. Restaurant serves a good breakfast.
Clean, comfortable, well-equipped rooms at reasonable prices. Swimming pool with poolside bar. On-site restaurant serves breakfast daily. Staff can recommend tour guides or arrange transportation.
Small hotel with spacious, clean rooms. Good air conditioning. Parking is on the street.
Comfortable homey atmosphere with clean rooms and good service. Staff can provide suggestions for tour guides and can arrange transportation.
Basic hotel with somewhat dated decor but rooms are large and rates affordable.
Great location on the very tip of the point: tour boats are right outside the hotel, restaurants within a block, convenience store with cold beer about a block away. Rooms are a bit small and so are the beds. Breakfast is included in the rate (coffee, yogurt, fresh fruit, toast).
Modern, upscale boutique hotel with well equipped comfortable rooms. On-site restaurant, Maleconcito is bright and airy with fresh seafood dishes and waterfront vistas.
Small traditional marketplace with about 10 vendors. Fruit and vegetables, the butcher sells mainly pork, several stands selling prepared regional dishes.
By bus
From Valladolid take an ADO bus north to Tizimin, where you will need to change buses to continue north on an Autobuses Noreste Yucatan bus to Río Lagartos.
By car
From Valladolid, drive north on federal highway MEX-295. It is 100 km to Rio Lagartos on a good highway and the trip will take about 90 minutes.
The town is tiny: just a few streets, arranged in a cone. Nothing is more than a few blocks, and walking is the best way to get around. Bikes work too...
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