I don’t consider myself super girly and I’m not particularly young, but pink gives me a happy feeling. So, when I first found out about Mexico’s pink lagoons through someone’s Instagram feed, I was instantly mesmerized. Truly, a picture can say more than a thousand words – and the pictures I saw put this place on my bucket list right away.
A quick online search for the location of the mystical waters pointed to Las Coloradas in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. Getting there would take a bit more effort than that!
Deciding to hit the road in the middle of the holiday season made it impossible to find accommodation in Rio Lagartos, the nearest town to Las Coloradas. Instead, we chose for base camp El Cuyo, a rustic seaside village east of Rio Lagartos and west of Holbox, Quintana Roo.
Our stay at Cabañas El Cuyo KiteSchool provided basic lodging and easy access to a virgin beach with nothing more than kite surfers. Luis, our host, was super helpful in reassuring us of Las Coloradas’ existence and how to get there.
The 3-hour journey was rough but fun. Luis’ directions took us on an off-road adventure starting at the town’s cemetery and leading to suspiciously deep-looking puddles a couple of times, when we had to carefully turn back.
Even our GPS seemed confused as we bumped up and down a narrow trek, non-existent on Google maps. All we knew for sure was that Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve and its gracious flamingos were to our left, and the Caribbean sea to our right.
Just when we started to wonder if we had somehow missed it, we reached the tiny town of Las Coloradas and its Laguna Rosada with its cotton candy waters quietly waiting under the midday sun.
The simple fact of being there to witness the spectacle of color, snap a few pictures and make happy memories with my little girl (whose favorite color is pink, of course), was worth the trip.
And while I'd totally recommend it to someone who wants to experience this peaceful rosiness, a part of me selfishly hopes that not many decide to venture out there.
For those who do, a better route is to take the Cancún-Valladolid highway, head North toward Tizimin and from there to Río Lagartos and Las Coloradas.
Of course, you can also opt for booking a private tour from Playa del Carmen.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
Las Coloradas lagoons get their characteristic rose color due to high concentrations of salt, halobacterium, and other microorganisms
The ancient Maya who lived in the region were known to extract salt here
Las Coloradas is home to one of the largest salt production companies in Mexico
While the salinity allows for floating in its shallow waters, the lagoons are private property and swimming is not permitted
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