Group trip to Costa Rica February 2025. Book your place here!
Gap Year

A brief and essential guide to Bacalar and Chichen Itza

April 29, 2024
Alfie Laurence

Bacalar

Bacalar is a gorgeous lake in the southern part of Quintana Roo. It’s known as the ‘Lake of 7 colours’ and you can see why.

How to get there:

  • ADO bus from Cancún takes approximately 5 hours 🚌
  • Once you’re there, everything is in walking distance or a very short taxi ride.

Unmissable Lake Tour:

  • Get yourself in touch with @caracoleros_tours who offer amazing catamaran tours of the lake.
  • Paddle Board & Kayak Tours
  • Los Rapidos

Going out:

  • Every Wednesday there is a party at The Yak Lake House and it’s a great way to meet people and have a boogie 🕺 
  • I Scream Bar to fulfil all your backpacker going out needs 🍹 

Where to stay:

  • Hostel Casa Eek Balam
  • The Yak Lake House
  • Yaxche (Ecocamping & Centro)

Food:

  • Mr Tacos on the main square is some absolutely unmissable scran with a huge range of meat, fish and veggie tacos, burritos and quesadillas 🌮

Warning:

  • I can’t stress the need to be careful with the water in Mexico. Brushing your teeth, washing your face should always be bottled water. If not, you run the risk of having an upset stomach 🤮

Chichen Itza:

One of the 7 wonders of the world is situated about 45 minutes drive outside of the beautiful little town of Valladolid, Yucatan 🤯

As you can imagine, it’s a very popular spot and with no sign of the high season stopping, you want to try and get down there as early as possible on your day trip.

Entrance fee isn’t cheap $570 MXP, which is around £20. Once you’re in, you can walk around all the ruins for a number of hours. If you’re a fan of learning about the history, they have lots of guided tours on offer around the site but not essential.

How to get there from Valladolid:

  • Colectivos (shared minivans/taxis) leave very often from the centre of town just next door to the ADO bus terminal. Cost of $30 MXP (£1.20).
  • Bring some snacks, water, a blanket to sit on and money for entry.

You know the drill. Save this post for later travel itinerary planning 📍

#backpacking #gapyear #visitmexico #bacalar #chichenitza #lagunabacalar #quintanaroo #holbox #valladolid #mexico🇲🇽 #latinamerica #centralamerica

Get The Best Tips,
Always,
Right Away.
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the latest travel tips, STT events, and new product launches.
We’re not into spamming you with emails, these will land in your inbox every other Friday.

Written by

Alfie Laurence
Back to home
We want to hear your stories!
Have an awesome experience or a great piece of advice you think other travellers should hear? Submit a story and get featured on the Student Travel Tips blog!
Write for us