Bacalar and the Lagoon of the Seven Colors

It is one of the gems of the Caribbean coastline; a haven of artists, nestled within an area of outstanding natural beauty, where the adventurers zoom, at 125mph, across the ocean's clear, blue horizon. This is Bacalar, named a Pueblo Magico (Magic Town) by the Mexican government; the first with such a designation in the whole of Quintana Roo. It is known as the Lagoon of the Seven Colors.


The town sits just twenty minutes drive south of Chetumal; and the residents of the state's capital have found it well enough. Bacalar is where they come to kick back and relax. A tranquil outpost, where the pace of life winds down to a snail's crawl; where fun is informal and the food is rich, authentic Mexican fare. This is the Mexico that the tourists think that they are getting, up in sanitized, Americanized Cancun. This is real.

Yet external influences have made their mark here too. Bacalar lies right on the River Hondo, the deep river, which provides a natural, national border with Belize to the south. The best of Belize makes it into the town, in dishes, dances and music.

This is especially true during the first fifteen days of August, when the annual Fair of San Joaquin de Bacalar is in full swing. In those heady days of concerts, races, staged fighting, demonstrations, ballets, mercados and fiesta fuelled celebrations, there is as much Belizean as Mexican. Their neighbour is an ally and the fun is shared.


But parties can be had all over Mexico. What most people are here for is the scenery. Hemmed around with lush, jungle foliage, Bacalar boasts a wide and shallow lagoon, that changes color as it moves towards the shore.

Out in the bay, the mirror calm ocean reflects back the rays of the sun, in a twinkling array of glistening gold. This is the Caribbean, so the waters are crystal clear, allowing the underwater world to throw up its colors, in softening hues of green and blue. The white sands are seen long before it sheds the blanketing sea and envelopes the beaches.

It is not unusual to find a tourist here, losing hours in misty-eyed contemplation, at the quiet wonder of it all; nor to overhear the delighted shrieks of the newly arrived, "I feel like I've died and gone to Heaven!!" The artists know. They've been painting it for years.


The lagoon, of course, isn't merely pretty. The waters, stretching out as far as the eye can see, are never deeper than 20ft (6 meters). That makes it perfect for adventure sports, like kayaking. There are places throughout the town, where sail-boats can be hired or trips arranged on a speed-boat. Scuba diving, snorkelling, swimming and every water activity under the sun can be indulged in Bacalar.

This includes cenote diving, swimming and exploring. Cenote Azul, a vast sinkhole, lies right at the entrance to the town. It is the gateway to a sprawling network of underground rivers, caverns and passageways, some of which are yet to be fully discovered. That is the preserve of the experts, but many are mapped for tourist treks. Meanwhile, the cenote itself is one of the most popular attractions in the area, drawing people from miles around to enjoy its refreshing waters and cool, beautiful rockface.

Competitive races are held here too. The biggest is the Rio Hondo-Bacalar Nautical Marathon, which draws crowds in early August. They naturally stick around for the town's large fair.


There is history to explore in the town too. The Fort of San Felipe Bacalar was originally built, in 1725, to protect the town from pirates and illegal loggers. But its importance grew towards the end of that century, when hostilities erupted between the British, in Belize, and the Spanish, in Mexico. With soldiers lined up on either side of the Rio Hondo, the nearby fort became a base of operations and supplies.

Again, in the 19th century, the fort held a pivotal role in the Caste War, when the local Maya rose up against those of European descent. The fort changed hands several times in that conflict; and the history is still there for visitors to see.

Today, it is difficult to imagine battles ever touching Bacalar. The less energetic lie draped on hammocks or sun-loungers; or amble around Bacalar's streets and shops. There are beach-side bars and quiet cafes, or higher class restaurants for those meaningful moments. The beautiful town goes on, in peace and relaxation, and the ever changing colors of its tranquil lagoon.

Cenotes

Eden must have looked like this. Little bubbles of paradise glimpsed from the ground. There are no natural lakes on the Yucatan. The porous bedrock can't support them, as it acts like a sieve sucking the water down into the hidden caverns. But there are the cenotes and they are wonderful.


Cenote (pronounced Sen-o-tay) is a Yucatan Mayan word meaning any sinkhole with accessible groundwater. For thousands of years, these cenotes have been the wells, providing water for the villages and towns dotted around them. They are formed because the bedrock here is limestone. Rainwater hitting limestone is a little like trying to hold water in a colander. It seeps through the bottom and drips down below. Eventually it will hit sturdier rock and will be allowed to pool. Hence the lakes, in the Yucatan, all being underground.

Yet, as the water filters through the rock, it dissolves it, undermines it or erodes it. In some areas, this finally becomes too much and the roof collapses, exposing the pool to the open air. Thus the cenote is formed around crystal clear water, filtered by its slow passage through the rock. For the local human population, it's a source of life, spirituality and entertainment.


There are thousands of cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula. Some are tiny, some are vast; some are self-contained bowls, some are the access points to a sprawling subterranean maze of rivers and caverns; some are shallow, some are deep; some are major tourist attractions, fitted with piers, springboards, rappel lines and all the comfort amenities, and some are hidden away in people's backyards. More are discovered all the time. Building work and landscaping can suddenly uncover a cenote. They are usually a welcome addition to the scenery.

For generations of locals and tourists alike, cenotes are a spectacularly beautiful place to refresh, after a trek through the jungle or a visit to the Maya ruins. Not only is it shaded in a cenote, but the water is deliciously cool. Some, like Ik Kill, near to Chichen Itza, are always full of bathers. They enter with a look of serene relief, then bob about in the water, with smiles on their faces. It's the purity of the water; the beauty of the scenery; and the sense of the sacred, in this hidden world.


Of course, sacred is right, because many of these cenotes meant more than just accessible drinking water and a place to bathe for the Maya people. In many cenotes, votive offerings have been found. The legends and histories also make it clear that, for the ancient Maya, these cenotes acted as holy places. They were the natural cathedrals.

Sometimes, this religious feeling had darker overtones. In the Cenote Sagrado (Sacred Sinkhole), within the grounds of Chichen Itza, there have been found ancient human bones. This was where human sacrifice was offered to the gods of the underworld. Elsewhere on the Yucatan, in Sahcaba, a whole underwater complex of Maya temples were discovered in 2008. It was believed that the Maya viewed this as an access to the land of the dead.



If you are in Mexico, please don't pass up the chance to swim in a cenote. It is a sublime experience that will remain with you for years - a little piece of paradise on Earth.

The Yucatan's Cliff-diving Daredevils

Acapulco's cliff-divers are world famous, but how many people knew that this thrill-seeking sport exists on the Yucatan Peninsula too? With 6,400 cenotes dotting the landscape, it can often be a long way down.


The latest round of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series took place, on the Yucatan, this weekend. The centerpoint was the Ik Kil Cenote (sinkhole), near to Chichen Itza. The greatest international cliff-divers gathered to discover who would take the title of the best amongst them. They took turns to launch themselves, from an especially erected diving board, into the wide, gaping mouth of the cenote. Then it was a 27 meter (90ft) free-fall plunge, through thin air, reaching speeds of 40mph before hitting the pool at the bottom.

Colombia's Orlando Duque emerged as the best of them. In second place was last year's winner, Britain's Gary Hunt. However, this is just one round in a global competition. The overall champion will not be crowned until another leg of the series takes them into Athens, Greece, later this year.


Cenotes form all over the porous, limestone bedrock of the Yucatan. As surface water is drawn down, into the rock, it causes submerged pools and rivers. Sometimes this erosion opens up a hole above, allowing access to the wondrous subterranean landscape below. These holes are the cenotes.

Ik Kil translates as Sacred Blue. The Maya often used cenotes as subterranean shrines; with the tunnels leading away from them being part of the rite of passage into adulthood. Young men would have to survive the descent into them and arrive safely out the other side. It was a rebirthing into manhood.

Diving into them, from the surface level, is certainly not recommended for amateurs. It takes great skill and training to cliff-dive like a champion. However, many cenotes have been developed for tourists to visit. Swimming is allowed in them and diving boards have been set up from safe heights.

Selvatica: Cancun's Number One Attraction

There are 58 Cancún attractions listed on TripAdvisor. As tourists visit and vote upon, these places fall or rise in the league. A bad review causes a venue to topple, losing ratings; a good review sees it soar above the competition. Yet one attraction has managed to hang onto its top spot since 2009. Last year, it was voted the best adventure park in Mexico. Selvatica Canopy Expedition and Adventure Tour is officially the ride of your life.


Selvatica is about an hour's drive from Cancún's Hotel Zone, but it is well worth the visit. This is an attraction for adrenaline junkies, which will have you flying through the tree-tops; racing along wild tracks in dune buggies; then plunging into the cool freshness of a cenote.

The adventure takes place out in the Yucatán Jungle. There are twelve zip-lines here, comprising of some of the highest and fastest in the country. The biggest of them all, only for the most daring visitors, is 65 feet (20 meters) above the ground. That one is obviously not for those suffering from vertigo. For the less adventurous, there are zip-lines much closer to the jungle floor.

The adults will then pair up to ride dune buggies, across rough jungle tracks, towards a crystal clear cenote, thirty minutes down the road. This is not a ride for children. They will be conveyed, more sedately, in a truck. For those at the wheel of the buggies, this will be driving like you've always wanted to do it: fast, reckless and fraught with wild abandon. Why should rally drivers have all the fun?


It may sound like this is an adventure park where you take your life into your hands. However, the facilities are quite safe. At each stage, trained personnel ensure that everyone is safely harnessed and experiencing nothing but unadulterated fun. They can cater for youngsters as young as three years old. The activities are then graded upwards to match every visitor's nerve and stamina.

Selvatica Canopy Expedition and Adventure Tour
Over 20 mental and physical challenges, with zip lines, suspended bridges, dancing cables, buggies and a cenote.

Rio Secreto: Conversation and Tourism

50 million years ago, the Yucatán Peninsula was just drying out from being under a warm, shallow sea.   During this time, billions of fish and other creatures had lived and died in the proto-Caribbean Sea.   Their remains sank to the bottom of the waters and were buried in the sediment.   They were joined by the ancient coral and tiny marine insect life.    Then, as the sea receded, land emerged.   The fragmented remains of all these creatures and plantlife became crushed together, compacted, and, as the millennia passed, hardened and became limestone.

Limestone changes in water.   As the drip, drip of surface moisture passed through the Earth, from uncountable years of rainfall, some of this limestone began to erode.   First cracks, then holes, then caves, then caverns, then wondrous subterranean natural cathedrals were etched out of the rock.   Long before humankind had even stood up on two legs, an underground river was starting to twist its way through the early stalactites and stalagmites; crystal clear water pooling.   One tiny drop after another tiny drop, in endless succession, in patient formation.

Thus it was that, four million years ago, Rio Secreto began.   It is one of the best kept secrets of Playa del Carmen.  A subterranean Wonderland, based in a series of caverns, 13km (8 miles) deep.   It has only been open to the public for just under three years.   Those visiting it tend to emerge, in blogs and forums, or excitedly chattering to friends, saying such things as, "OMG!  If you do nothing else in Mexico, go there!  Go there!"  or "Wow!  That was really spiritual.  I'm going to have to contemplate this.  Excuse me..."  or "I've been all over the world and seen so many wonders, but Rio Secreto has blown my mind."    Yep.  I don't think it's going to be a 'best kept secret' for much longer.




But the owners of Rio Secreto have a deep responsibility here and they know it.   When a system has taken longer to evolve than we have, then destroying it in the name of a quick buck is worse than criminal.   Therefore, they have gone out of their way to ensure that it can be seen, whilst maintaining minimal damage.   It's a hard call, particularly when bending to the pressure of tourist convenience could make them all very quickly rich.   Yet the owners are steadfast.    They are all passionate and knowledgeable about conversation.   Even students are starting to be directed towards them, in order to learn about ecological sustainability.

Visitors are required to have a quick, rinse-down shower before entering the caverns.   This can be done in their swimming suits, but ensures that harmful chemicals, such as might be found in perfume, sunscreen, deodorant or insect repellent, isn't carried in to pollute the pristine waters.   Even band-aids and jewellery have to be removed, in case they fall into the environment.   There are two tourist routes through the system, carefully planned to minimalize damage caused by people banging into rocks.   Multi-lingual guides are always on hand to steer their parties in the right direction.  There are discreet ropes both to mark the route and to politely keep tourists on it.

One of the other measures, often commented upon by visitors, is the lighting.   Those at Rio Secreto have resisted the temptation, endemic in other subterranean attractions, of placing electric lighting throughout the caverns.   In fact, there is no electricity down there at all.   Instead, visitors see the spectacular sights by use of Davey Lamps.  These specially adapted torches are fitted onto helmets, lighting up wherever the head is turned to see.   The result is not only a sublimely magical ambience, but it also protects the rocks.   You see, the limestone is still forming and the caverns still growing; the river and pools are still getting deeper, drop by drop.   Rio Secreto has learned the lessons of other cavern attractions, where electric lighting creates moss, which spreads and eats away at the very things that everyone has come to see.




Another policy is more controversial amongst visitors, but entirely understandable in the circumstances.   This is the banning of cameras and camcorders underground.   Pictures are taken, but by a company photographer, who takes four quality snaps of each party.   These can be purchased for a price, once everyone is out again.   One photograph for $25 or a DVD of all four for $59.   Many have bulked at this and screamed 'scam!', as some people are wont to do.    But there are very good reasons for this camera prohibiton and not all of them are commercial.

The first is purely and simply to do with health and safety.    The tourist routes aren't overly arduous (young children and the elderly have managed them with relative ease), but the owners refuse to harm the environment by putting down walkways.   This means that visitors walk, wade or swim through the natural ways.  Sometimes that involves watching their footing, therefore the guides would rather people weren't distracted by trying to take the perfect photograph.    There's also the fact that cameras in hands mean that people haven't got both hands free.   This can be problematic, when there are narrow, rocky areas to traverse.   Not to mention the fact that photographers, who don't pay attention to their surroundings, could well be knocking off fragments of the formations.

The second reason is to do with the ambience of the place.   The selective lighting renders a sacred air to the caverns.   The ancient Maya did use them as a place of meditation and worship, so this isn't entirely imaginary.    Most who visit the place emerge expressing gratitude at the lack of camera flashes.   It would have totally detracted from the atmosphere.

The third and final reason is commercial.   This is something that commercial manager, Gavin Greenwood, has apologetically defended.   "I must also however point out here that given our current global economic struggle, soaring costs, and terribly expensive distribution channels (especially in tourism) our hand is sometimes forced beyond where we would like to be."




Rio Secreto is a business.   That should not be something to be sneered at, even if all of the members of staff are ecologically aware.   If they were just doing it for extra profit to get rich, fair enough.   But that isn't why they are doing it.   While Rio Secreto own the subterranean caverns, they do not also own all of the miles of land above it.   If they went out of business, then there is nothing to stop landowners snapping up the cavern below them and then digging down to create their own entrances.  It's not a hollow fear, as it's already happened in the past, with previous owners.   A concrete door is the legacy, something which would damage the system more to remove than to keep.

As Gavin Greenwood explained, "I cannot protect Rio Secreto from fast-encroaching urban sprawl and the hoards of profit-mongers that lurk in the wings if I cannot ensure that we have a viable business. No business means no conservation of the site."    All of the money, from the photographs sold, go straight into the conversation fund for the caverns.  No-one forces tourists to buy them, but when they do, the funds are gratefully received.   Greenwood added, "There is no sustainability if there is no triple bottom line: environmental protection/conservation; healthy community development; and profitable business."

In the meantime, the whole company seeks to spread its message of conservation, protecting our natural resources and sustainability; whilst also providing a stunning attraction for visitors to their complex.   Go to Rio Secreto.   It's worth it.