Las Coloradas is an incredible tourist destination located in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula, very close to Cancun and the Riviera Maya. It’s a magical place that dazzles those who visit it to see the beautiful pink lagoons.
Yucatan by itself is a very attractive place to visit for all the experiences you can enjoy, such as time-traveling into the past in its beautiful haciendas, swimming in cenotes with the crystal clear waters, spending a sunny day on the beaches with the green emerald sea, or explore and learn about the Mayan culture in its archaeological sites.
However, being able to see a pink lagoon in a dreamlike landscape makes more than one decide to embark on an adventure to get to know this place.
So you don't miss out on this impressive spectacle that nature gives us, we will tell you how to get to Las Coloradas, Yucatan, and all the routes and means that you can use for your trip.
Las Coloradas is a small fishing port located in the east of the state of Yucatan and belongs to Río Lagartos.
Located approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes away from Merida and almost the same distance from Cancun. Depending on the transport you use is the time it will take you to get there. Bus travel time is the longest
This Tourist Park is privately owned and is part of the Yucatan Salt Industry. Grupo Roche is in charge of the production of the number one salt in Mexico: Sal Sol it is also an important source of jobs and income for the inhabitants of the area.
Las Coloradas —together with Río Lagartos, San Felipe and El Cuyo— are part of the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, a protected area. On June 26, 1979, it was declared a Wildlife Refuge Zone.
It’s important to mention that in 1986 it was designated as the first Mexican wetland of international importance by RAMSAR (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance).
The best part of visiting Las Coloradas is that you can take advantage of the trip to visit other tourist places, and although there is a direct route to get to Las Coloradas, we will tell you about other routes that you can take to get there, knowing these different routes will give you a pleasant surprise.
We can say that Las Coloradas is the most frequently searched. Most of the tourists have in mind to arrive in Mérida city and from there head to the rest of the tourist destinations of the state.
Considering all this, we can take several alternative routes that will allow us to enjoy all the attractions that are on the way.
We show you 3 different routes that you can take starting from Mérida to get to Las Coloradas:
The quickest way to get there is by the road to Tizimín, but assuming you are in the center of Mérida—you must head northeast towards the peripheral ring road.
In the city center, the shortest route to get there is taking 59th street until you reach the San Camilo bridge, once you are at the peripheral intersection, take the right lane until you reach the Cholul exit on highway 176.
Continue driving on the Mérida-Motul highway passing by the town of Conkal, then continue until you pass the municipality of Baca and arrive in Motul. Here you can make the first stop to have some delicious “Huevos Motuleños” for breakfast, a dish originating from this place and considered one of the jewels of Yucatecan gastronomy.
You can also take a walk through the main square, capture beautiful photos next to the big painted letters with the name of Motul and visit the Cenote Sambulá. In the main square, you can take a motorcycle taxi that will take you to the place where the cenote is located. The entrance to the cenote has a costs $40 MXN which includes a life jacket.
Now, to continue with the route, take Highway 176 towards the municipalities of Temax and Buctzotz, which you will not have to cross, you can go around them until you reach Tizimín.
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Arriving at Tizimín, we recommend you make a second stop to be able to tour this city. It is located in the municipality with the largest territorial extension of the state. These are some of the activities you can do here:
To have enough time to visit all the tourist attractions on this route, we recommend that you plan your itinerary in advance, considering the locations, prices, and distances so you don't miss any of them.
Continuing with the route, at the exit of Tizimín you must take federal highway 295, that is, the Tizimín-Río Lagartos highway towards this town, which is perfect for a third stop.
What can you do in Río Lagartos? Besides just visiting the beach and swimming in the sea you can:
This port is the closest place to Las Coloradas, consider using the ATMs there if you need cash and buy travel expenses that you require for your visit, because in the tourist park you will not find many stores, so it’s better to buy everything you need previously in Rio Lagartos.
Finally, it only remains to take the exit to Las Coloradas and follow the signs, because after a few minutes of travel you will arrive at your destination.
Once you arrive at Las Coloradas, don't hesitate to take one of the tours available in the park to make your experience unforgettable, the expert guides will give you all the information about the place and the salt industry in the area, and will take you to the best locations to capture all those photos you dreamed of in a pink paradise.
This route, although it is longer, offers other incredible options to visit along the way.
To start your trip from the center of Mérida, you should head towards the eastern peripheral road along Quetzalcóatl Avenue at the exit of the Mérida-Peto/Mérida-Valladolid highway, that is, federal highway 180, also known as the Cancún-Valladolid highway.
In the first part of the trip, you will pass next to the municipality of Kanasín, ¨The Capital of Panucho¨, and near to Hacienda Teya, which is a really nice place to taste the best of Merida's gastronomy.
Afterward, all you have to do is follow the signs to Valladolid, Yucatán, one of the four Magical Towns of the state.
However, this is a great opportunity to make a little detour and visit the Archaeological Zone of Chichen Itza, which was named one of the wonders of the world in 2007 and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
In this archaeological zone, you will be able to see the wonderful Mayan structures such as the Kukulkan Castle, the Caracol, the Ball Game, and the Sacred Cenote, the most important in Yucatan.
Visiting Chichen Itza is an experience that you will not regret, so, don’t miss the opportunity to visit this Mayan city.
Continuing with the route, once you arrive in the city of Valladolid you should take a couple of hours to get to know its main attractions, which include:
From Valladolid —passing through Ek Balam— we have to continue north on Highway 295 towards Tizimín and later to Río Lagartos to finally reach Las Coloradas and its beautiful pink lagoons.
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This route is a combination of the previous two but it gives us two very interesting perspectives, it is a detour in which you can visit one or two Magical Towns depending on your choice:
Izamal is located halfway between both routes, you can make the combination that best suits you so that your adventure has more options.
Why do we mention this deviation? Although the two previous routes offer a wide variety of things to do, visiting the Magical Town of Izamal is an experience that you will not want to miss.
Izamal is a beautiful town painted entirely in yellow, also known as "The City of Three Cultures", where all its streets invite you to travel back in time to the colonial era. It also has interesting activities to do such as:
Now that you know the main routes to get to Las Coloradas from Mérida, the one you choose will be an unforgettable experience, and once you see the dreamy pink lakes you will want to return, so you can take another route on your next visit.
If we take a careful look at the map of Yucatan we can realize that, to get to Las Coloradas from anywhere, you have to go through Tizimín and from there go to Río Lagartos.
If we are in Cancun, Quintana Roo the same thing happens. The trip begins by taking federal highway 180D Cancún-Kantunil towards Valladolid and from there to Tizimín via highway 295.
Now, the combinations become interesting, because there is another route that seems shorter, however, it involves passing through small towns, which takes longer and there aren’t so many tourist attractions to visit.
Another option is to travel along the Quintana Roo coast to Playa del Carmen and from there take highway 305D and at the intersection with highway 180D head towards Valladolid.
If you have time and would like to enjoy the beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea in the Riviera Maya, you will love this second option. Many people choose to go from Playa del Carmen to Las Coloradas and take advantage of their visit to Quintana Roo.
So now you know how to get there, but what is the best way to go? The options are to go by car, by bus or on a tour. We will tell you the details of each one so that you can take the one that works best for you.
We can say that it is the most comfortable option, because you can manage your time, the route and the destinations where you will stop to see the tourist attractions. You can also carry everything you need in the trunk without having to carry anything by transferring between buses.
The cost of the trip will depend on whether you have your own vehicle or if you want to rent one. In addition, you must consider the tolls if you choose routes with payment booths; this is not really an inconvenience if you consider that the roads are safer, more comfortable and you arrive at your destination directly.
If you do not have your own vehicle to do the tour, going to Las Coloradas by bus is the best option, as well as being cheaper, since public transport is generally cheaper and you can buy round-trip tickets that imply savings.
For example, at the Northeast bus terminal located at Calle 60 x 68 y 70 in the center of Mérida, a single bus ticket that costs $200 MXN may be better if you buy a round ticket for $340 MXN.
It is important to mention that the costs are constantly changing, and therefore you should find out the prices before going on an adventure so as not to get surprises that will upset your budget.
In the bus terminals of Mérida, Cancún or Playa del Carmen you can buy tickets to Tizimín, and once in this city, you can go to Río Lagartos in a collective taxi.
If you don't want to drive for so many hours or go from bus to bus, hiring a tour is the best option for you, because they take care of the itinerary and take you safely to your destination. Of course, you must adjust to the established schedules.
Las Coloradas is such a popular destination thanks to its pink waters that it will not be difficult for you to find tours that are exclusively for this place, or that have it as part of their itinerary along with other interesting places.
Regardless of the route you choose or the way to get there, your visit will be well worth it, because whoever visits Las Coloradas falls in love with its beauty, and who would not if they are surrounded by pink lagoons, white sand, and blue sky.
In this incredible tourist park, you will be able to take the most spectacular photos for your social networks, admire the pink flamingos and a great variety of birds, learn about the mangroves and sea turtles and learn how table salt is produced.
If you want to know why the water in Las Coloradas is pink, the guides will give you all the answers you are looking for.
Do not miss the opportunity to tour Las Coloradas by bicycle, or take the incredible safari tour in an all-terrain vehicle. Get in touch with us and book a tour that you will never forget.
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