Yucatán in pink: Las Coloradas
Las Coloradas, Yucatán, inside the Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, casts a spell with the pink colour of its salt ponds. Can you picture a pink beach?
Las Coloradas, Yucatán, inside the Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, casts a spell with the pink colour of its salt ponds.
Can you picture a pink beach? There is one very near Mérida, at Las Coloradas. Yucatán’s beaches are an artist’s dream come true.
Yucatán stands out for the diversity of its landscapes and, above all, for its colours, which tint the afternoons and life itself.
We find the peculiarity of its colours in the design created by flora and fauna in every tourist spot, every Magical Town and every building; but the colour pink is a constant in life in Yucatán.
Las Coloradas, a curious reddish landscape full of pink flamingos, is a little over two and a half hours from Mérida. It offers a scene that will strike all your senses — an impressive visual spectacle. A quiet place where you can admire natural pink waters and a clean, stunning horizon.
Almost untouched, Las Coloradas is a fishing village with little infrastructure but everything needed for a guided visit. Its salt-producing past and present set it apart from the other coastal towns, which live only from fishing. In fact, its salt industry is the largest and most important in the region.
Read: The most beautiful cenotes near Mérida.
Las Coloradas, Yucatán: why is the water pink?
The main draw of this pink beach near Cancún is its distinctive salmon-coloured water, which varies in intensity with the amount of salt.
Since Maya times, this area has been used for salt extraction. Because the lagoons are shallow, plankton, red algae and shrimp thrive and paint the water. As the water evaporates, these species become more concentrated, turning the surface pink.
The landscape is even more striking because during April and May it hosts a large community of flamingos, which are also pink and frame the canvas of Las Coloradas.
As tempting as it is, you cannot bathe in the lagoon. To enter you must pay an entrance fee of about 50 pesos and go with a local guide, whom you’ll find at the access area.
When to visit Las Coloradas?
The best season to visit Las Coloradas is all year round. There are moments when the salt company empties one of the sluices; the guides ask permission to enter another one. As mentioned, April and May concentrate the pink life of Las Coloradas, so it is also the right time to see this pink spectacle.
Two tips
The pink colour is seen most intensely between noon and 3 p.m., when the sun is at its zenith. Don’t forget comfortable clothes, a hat and sunscreen. Stay hydrated and protected from the sun.
Nearby, take a look at:
Playa de Las Coloradas
This beach is very quiet, and perhaps that’s its charm. If you go in May, you may find the different sea turtle species that come here to nest.
Playa Cancunito
Little known to foreigners but a favourite among locals. It is on the way to Río Lagartos — ideal for a swim with some privacy.
Río Lagartos
If you’re heading to Las Coloradas, I suggest also taking a boat trip in the nearby Río Lagartos biosphere. Just take the main road; 30 minutes away you’ll find the access and the boats that take you into the reserve.
How to get to Las Coloradas, Yucatán?
The distance from central Mérida to Las Coloradas is 219 kilometres. Take the road towards Tizimín; from there it is 53 kilometres.
How long does it take from Mérida to Las Coloradas?
It depends on your transport. By car it is about two and a half hours. By bus the trip can take up to three and a half hours. The Mérida–Las Coloradas bus leaves from the TAME terminal. First go to Tizimín; from there, direct connections run every two hours, then take a bus to Las Coloradas.
How to get there from Cancún?
From Cancún you can book a tour or a taxi. There is also public transport, but you need several combinations: Cancún–Tizimín, Tizimín–Las Coloradas. By public transport it is more than 4 hours; by car or taxi, about 3.
Yucatán holds an infinite gallery of paradise places, worthy of dreams and surrealist paintings. Las Coloradas, with a beach of pink life.
We recommend: Sand, sea and pirates at Playa Bonita, Campeche.
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