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Rio Lagartos Travel Guide – Where to Eat, Sleep, Play!
Rio Lagartos, Mexico is a small fishing town located in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. A small untouched lagoon lays on the Gulf of Mexico this is an outdoorsman’s dream with a variety of wildlife and a protected biosphere. Rio Lagartos is known for its boat tours, crocodiles, mangroves, exotic birds, and Las Coloradas Pink Lakes. This is a wonderful town to escape the crowds and enjoy the natural beauty of the Yucatan Peninsula.
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Rio Lagartos Travel Guide – Getting to Rio Lagartos
Fly to Cancun
From Cancun, you can either rent a car and drive or take the popular Ado Bus. We chose to drive as we were traveling to five other Yucatan cities. The toll roads are easy and worth the extra fee. Most of the drive is on a highway that is well maintained and easy to navigate.
Driving Distances
Cancun to Rio Lagartos: 3.4 Hour Drive, Toll Road
Playa del Carmen to Rio Lagartos: 3 Hour Drive, Toll Road
Valladolid to Rio Lagartos: 1.5 Hour Drive
Isla Holbox to Rio Lagartos: 2.75 Hour Drive
Merida to Rio Lagartos: 3 Hour Drive
Rio Lagartos Travel Guide Packing List
Documents
- Passport + Passport Cover
- Itinerary
- Tickets
- Travel Wallet
- Driver’s License
- Credit Cards + Cash
- Document Folder
Personal
- Book
- Travel Journal & Pen
- Pencil Pouch
- Snacks – Think! High Protein Bars
- Water Bottle
- Sunglasses
- Small Jacket, Scarf
- Travel Lotion & Hand Sanitizer
Electronics
Rio Lagartos Travel Guide – Where to Stay
Budget Friendly ($) – Hotel Mercy Inn
We stayed at the Mercy Hotel. This was a great stay right on the water. It is not a fancy hotel but it offers a great location, Wi-Fi, clean private rooms, and great service. Breakfast was included with our stay, which was delivered to our room on a tray with scrambled eggs, fruit, juice, and toast. The breakfast was simple and filled us up for our day out on the boat.
One large perk to staying here is that they partner with Ricky’s Boat Tours. When we checked in the host asked us if we were interested in the tours. We said yes and that was that!
Moderate Price ($$) – Hotel Villa de Pescadores
- Hotel Style Located right by the water
- Free-Wifi
- Parking Included
- On-site Restaurant & Bar
- Breakfast Included
Upscale ($$$) – Hotel Rio Lagartos
Hotel Rio Lagartos is the fanciest resort in this small town. They are located right on the water on the Northside of the peninsula.
- Outdoor Pool
- On-Site Restaurant
- Air-Conditioning
- Balcony
- Breakfast Included
Getting Around Rio Lagartos, Mexico
Walk: We walked everywhere in Rio Lagartos. Everything is situated around El Centro and the streets are easy to navigate. I always prefer to walk in most cities because you get to see so much more and it is great exercise.
*I wore Chacos every day I was here because they are comfortable walking shoes, stylish, can get wet, and are easy to clean.
Drive: Being such a small town, almost everything is within walking distance. It is nice to have a car for any day trips to the nearby cenotes.
Taxi: There are very few taxis in this town.
Rio Lagartos Top Restaurants
Perico Marinero Restaurant
This is one of the top restaurants in town. Located right on the water at the North point of the peninsula. We found this restaurant on google plus our hotel recommended it for dinner. We are so happy we dined here for dinner! They offer amazing food at a reasonable price, with gorgeous ocean views. We sat upstairs by the wall of windows and got to watch the sunset while we ate. This restaurant does accept credit cards! Most restaurants in Rio Lagartos do not accept credit cards in this town so bring cash!
What to Order: Ceviche + Grilled Fish Filet
La Mojarrita Restaurant
One of the top restaurants listed in Rio Lagartos on Tripadvisor. We were planning to dine here for dinner and lunch but unfortunately, they were closed for dinner and they only have lunch available to their tour groups, as this is a tour group company and restaurant package.
Things To Do in Rio Lagartos
Rio Lagartos Boat Tour
An absolute must thing to do in Rio Lagartos is a boat tour. I highly recommend Ricky’s Tours. The guides are knowledgeable, fun, and include everything for a great price.
What’s All Included:
- Boat Tour
- Private Guide
- Explore the four different Mangroves
- Crocodile Sightings
- Flamingos
- Exotic Birds Mayan Mud Bath
- Las Coloradas Pink Lakes
Crocodile Boat Tour at Night
Go on a thrilling boat tour at night looking for crocodiles. If you find small baby crocodiles your guide might catch one and let you hold it! Book your tours with Ricky’s Tours or with Rio Lagartos Experience.
Rio Lagartos Travel Guide – Swim in the Nearby Cenotes
Cenotes are all over the Yucatan Peninsula, Rio Lagartos is surrounded by them! These are naturally made underground springs with fresh water that you can swim in. Cenote Azul is a quick drive from Rio Lagartos and is a family-friendly cenote. Cenote Kilkil is a bit further located near the town of Tizimin. This is a well-maintained cenote with green foliage hanging from the top of the natural cave. Cenote Acancun Azul is another popular cenote with bright blue water.
Visit Las Coloradas Pink Lakes
The internet has made the Las Coloradas Pink Lakes a popular attraction. The iconic Pink Lakes located in Rio Lagartos Mexico are not the vibrant bright pink color you see in pictures. While they did have a small pink hue to they were not pink. OFur tour guide, explained that the recent hurricane washed them out and disturbed the pink color they once were.
Rio Lagartos Travel Guide – Iconic Sign
Take some iconic photos at the Rio Lagartos colorful sign. The sign is painted with animals, people, and activities that are home to Rio Lagartos.
Rio Lagartos Travel Guide – Eat Fresh Seafood
Rio Lagartos Travel Guide – Visit El Centro
*They might have an entertaining community basketball match going!
After a lovely dinner, we strolled down the sidewalk and took our touristy photos at the colorful Rio Lagartos sign. The town was quiet and seemed very sleepy… until we heard loud music and people cheering coming from El Centro. On Saturday night, we found the whole town cheering on a local basketball match. There was a small carnival/awards ceremony going on as well but the main event was the men’s basketball game. We joined the locals in the stands and watched the basketball game. This was a great experience that showed how close the Rio Lagartos community is.
Walk around the Peninsula and Enjoy the Ocean Views
Rio Lagartos Travel Guide – Watch the Sunrise/Sunset
Visit the inland town of Valladolid and taste some Authentic Yucatan Food
