Instagram Travel
7 Most Instagrammable Spots in Bacalar, Mexico's Lake of Seven Colours
Bacalar, a small town in Mexico's Quintana Roo state, sits on a 42-kilometre freshwater lagoon whose shifting shades of turquoise and blue have made it one of the Yucatán Peninsula's most photographed alternatives to the Caribbean coast.
Sep 25, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Laguna de Bacalar earns its nickname, the Lake of Seven Colours, from the way sunlight passes through varying depths of water over a limestone bed, producing bands of turquoise, teal and deep blue that shift through the day. It sits a couple of hours inland from Tulum and Chetumal, and its slower pace and near-total absence of high-rise development have kept it distinct from the built-up Caribbean coast nearby. Here are seven spots worth the camera.
1. The Canal de los Piratas
A narrow, shallow channel where the lagoon floor is close enough to the surface to stand in waist-deep water against a backdrop of open turquoise lagoon, making it one of the most reliably photographed stretches on the whole lake.
2. Cenote Azul
One of Mexico's deepest cenotes, this near-circular sinkhole at the lagoon's southern end drops to around 90 metres and is ringed by a wooden deck and a lakeside restaurant, making it a straightforward stop for both swimming and photographs.
3. Fuerte de San Felipe
An 18th-century Spanish fort built to defend the town against pirate raids, now a small museum with lagoon views from its stone ramparts, and one of the few built landmarks along the waterfront.
4. Los Rápidos
A stretch where a current runs between two parts of the lagoon, popular for floating downstream on an inflatable and generally considered one of Bacalar's liveliest, most sociable photo spots.
5. A sunrise swim from one of the lakeside docks
Many hotels and hostels along the western shore have their own small wooden jetties reaching into the lagoon; an early swim before the day's boat traffic starts is when the water and light are calmest.
6. A sunset boat tour on the lagoon
Small boats depart from the town's public docks for sunset circuits of the lagoon, taking in the fort, the channel and open water as the light turns the colour bands a deeper gold and blue.
7. The town's pastel streets near the main square
Bacalar's compact centre, just above the waterfront, has a low-rise, brightly painted streetscape that makes for an easy contrast to the lagoon shots, particularly around the church and plaza in the late afternoon.
Traveller tips
- Chetumal International Airport is the nearest, roughly 40 minutes by road; Cancún is a longer transfer of around three hours.
- Life jackets are compulsory on lagoon boat tours and are provided; sunscreen use is restricted in some areas to protect the water's microbial mats.
- The dry season from roughly November to April generally gives the clearest water and skies for photographs.
- Stinging jellyfish-like organisms occasionally appear in the lagoon in warmer months; check locally before swimming.
Where this is
Bacalar, Mexico