How we saw flamingos and pink lakes in Mexico at the Rio Lagartos Nature Reserve for free. Detailed route to Las Coloradas with photos and descriptions.
The pink lakes in Mexico in the north of Yucatan are so intensely colored due to microorganisms that contain beta-carotene. Flamingos are the same color because they feed on these microorganisms. I really wanted to see flamingos in their natural environment, and we rushed to them.
So, the godforsaken village of Las Coloradas became the first point in our road trip through Mexico. By the way, forgotten by God, but not by tourists - quite a lot of people come here to see graceful flamingos, formidable crocodiles, the pink surface of lakes combined with blue skies and white salt shores. Sounds tempting, don't you agree? And how great it all looks in advertising brochures!
Self drive or excursion?
You have probably seen these lakes if you watched Eagle and Reshka. There, the presenter comes to the motoconcho to the gate, where they demand money from her for the entrance and the guide. All this is true - Mexicans are still cunning, and tourists are milked as they can. It is impossible to look at the pink lakes in Las Coloradas on your own and for free. For a walk to the flamingos in the Rio Lagartos nature reserve, you also need to shell out a decent amount.
But we scouted everything in advance and hacked the system! All you need is a rented car, a little adventurism and about 12 hours for everything. We tell you about little tricks, how we organized free birdwatching for ourselves, drove past kilometers of deserted beaches and pink lakes. If you like autotrip, deserted roads, birds, independence and freedom - this method suits you 100%!
If you want to go to the pink lake and flamingos with an excursion, then order it on the Tripster - there are several options. It is not cheap ($ 125-140 per person), but the trip also includes cenotes and pyramids.
Where is the pink lake in Mexico
This is in the north of Yucatan, in the town of Las Coloradas. You can get there via Rio Lagartos or El Cuyo. We have chosen the second path.
There is no road on Google between El Cuyo and Las Coloradas, but don't worry - it actually exists, and I've written about it in detail below. I just drew a line on the Google map between the two villages, but I advise using the MAPS.ME map as a navigator - the road is marked there. Before turning off the main road, stock up on gasoline!
How to get to the pink lake and where to look for flamingos
Our route started in Cancun. They chose an atypical path - not through Rio Lagartos, as everyone drives, but along secondary roads through El Cuyo. On the way there are only fields and ranches. Closer to the village, pink lakes began - but not as bright as in Las Coloradas, but gray-pink-rusty.
In El Cuyo, you need to go straight to the dirt road and drive under the barrier at the sign to the cemetery. Ahead - 15 kilometers of narrow dirt road through the uninhabited reserve Rio Lagartos. In some places the road is bumpy and with puddles, in some places it is covered with sand, but we drove on the Nissan March without any problems. However, after the rains, this road is definitely not worth driving. Minus - the branches scratched the car a little. And if there is an oncoming lane, it is difficult to leave, but almost no one drives there. After 15 km the road becomes flat and wide.
In general, there is no guarantee that you will see flamingos. And we were ready for this: the reserve is large, the birds are free - they can fly and feed anywhere. MAPS.ME has a mark 1000's of Flamingos: 21.548969, -87.823019. From about this point, start looking out for birds. At first we met single flamingos far, far away, then more and more closer ... One even walked at a distance of 10-15 meters from us! And it's all free.
Birds are not afraid of cars, but people and boats are very much. It is worth leaving the salon, as the flamingos slowly but surely give dyoru. But what a delight! They fly, flap their wings, clean feathers, fish - in general, they live their own flaming life. So beautiful and free.
In addition to flamingos, you will see many other birds and animals: hefty squat pelicans (there are a lot of them!), Cormorants, nimble selva birds, different species of herons, iguanas and lizards.
Closer to Las Coloradas, flamingos are no longer found. Pay attention now to the right side of the road - behind the hills there are ABSOLUTELY deserted beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and stunning color water. There is not a soul there, only white pelicans sway on the waves and sometimes dive hard for fish.
When you enter the village, take the main road past the stadium, then turn left. You will arrive exactly at the lakes. Parking and passage to the pink lake in Las Coloradas are located here: 21.604146, -87.991542. Perhaps there are other passages - we were not looking. The guide asks for 70 pesos per person for a 20-25 minute walk with a guided tour. Opening hours are from 8:00 to 19:00. We did not take the excursion, because it was already sunset - the pink lakes turned yellow due to the reflected light. We took a picture of the free part and went to Valladolid.
Advice
If it is important to see exactly pink lakes and take good photos, then the best time for this is from 12:00 to 15:00. Photos will not work at sunset.
You can stay overnight in the neighboring town of Rio Lagartos - there are hotels on Booking.com from $ 22 per day. We left for Valladolid.
If you come by bus from Merida or Valladolid, do not miss the last return flight. We met the Dutch who missed their bus and could not leave Las Coloradas, because there is not even a taxi there. We gave them a lift, of course.
An alternative to our route is via Chisimin along the highway, but this is a huge detour. In this case, it is better to stay in Valladolid and go to the reserve for 1 day, but it will take more time and kilometers.
There are excursions to flamingos on Tripster from Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Rio Lagartos. True, in the reviews, tourists often complain that the birds are mostly very far away. They are afraid of a person and do not allow boats to come close. But you will see many other birds and swim through the mangroves among crocodiles :)
