Bacalar Lagoon Small Catamaran Sailing Experience

The Lagoon of Seven Colours

Bacalar Lagoon runs for more than 40 kilometres through the green lowlands of southern Quintana Roo, a few kilometres from the border with Belize. Its fresh water rises from cenotes and underground rivers and rests on brilliant white limestone sand, so every change in depth shows as a new shade, from glassy turquoise in the shallows to sapphire and almost black over the deep sinkholes. Locals call it the Lagoon of Seven Colours.

Few places in Mexico combine such calm water with steady breezes, which makes the lagoon a natural playground for sailing. Is Bacalar worth visiting for a sailing trip? If you enjoy nature without crowds, absolutely: the lagoon is wide enough to find quiet water within minutes of leaving the shore, and its colours are at their most striking when seen from just above the surface.

Sailing a small sport catamaran on Bacalar Lagoon

A sport catamaran is a light, fast sailing boat with two slim hulls joined by a stretched net, known as the trampoline. You sit or lie on the net only a little above the water, feeling every gust and every ripple, while the skipper trims the sail. When the breeze picks up, one hull may lift slightly and the boat accelerates, an exciting but safe feeling with an expert at the helm.

With only 5 guests on board, the experience is personal and relaxed. The skipper explains the basics of wind and sail, and if you are curious you can steer under guidance. There is no engine noise at all, just the sound of water under the hulls. Bring a sense of adventure: you may get splashed, so wear swimwear or quick-drying clothes.

The life of the lagoon: stromatolites, cenotes and birds

Beneath the clear water, Bacalar shelters one of the largest freshwater stromatolite colonies on earth, living mounds built layer by layer by microbes related to the planet's earliest life. Cenotes such as Cenote Negro open in the lagoon floor and appear as dark circles in the turquoise, and the mangrove shores are favoured by herons, egrets, cormorants and ospreys.

Your skipper knows the lagoon well and points out the changes of colour that mark the cenotes and shallows, as well as the birds along the shoreline. Because the catamaran is silent and wind-powered, it disturbs neither the wildlife nor the fragile stromatolites, making it one of the most responsible ways to enjoy this protected landscape. Please use only biodegradable sunscreen.

Bacalar town, the San Felipe Fort and the best time to sail

Bacalar, a small lagoon-side town named a Pueblo Magico, has kept a relaxed, low-rise character. Its landmark is the Fort of San Felipe de Bacalar, built in the eighteenth century to protect the town from pirates who sailed in from the coast, and now a museum with fine views over the water. Cafes, craft shops and small restaurants surround the central square nearby.

If you are wondering how to get to Bacalar, it lies about 40 kilometres north of Chetumal and roughly two and a half hours south of Tulum by road. The best time to visit Bacalar is the dry season, November to May. Choose the 09:00 departure for calm morning light, 12:45 for the strongest breeze and brightest colours, or 16:00 for golden late-afternoon sailing.