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Here I am back at you at another marvel of nature in peaceful Balacar! Where I came following visits to family just north as you can read in previous posts.

So we go on with some exotic parts of Mexico lindo y querido. Not taking you to the popular areas anyone can do that, I like to take you to seldom and little seen Mexico down in a popular State of a well known region but a bit south of it all towards Belize. I will be talking about Bacalar in Quintana Roo, Yucatàn, Mexico.

And naturally beautiful Cenote Azul. To recap the history I like on this marvelous spot of Mexico!

Bacalar is bordered on the east by the lagoon of Bacalar, which overlooks the Caribbean Sea.  The name Bacalar is believed to have gotten its name from b’ak halal, or ‘surrounded by reeds’ in Mayan, with a lagoon, the Laguna de Bacalar or ‘Lake of the Seven Colors’  to the east of the city. Bacalar lies a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Tulum and around a 40-minute drive from the city of Chetumal (see post) which sits on the border to Belize.

The first inhabitants of the place are the Mayas in pre-Columbian times. In 1543, the city was taken and occupied by the Spanish conquistadors. In 1545, it was  established a Spanish town in the same place and baptized it Salamanca de Bacalar.  In 1848, during the Caste war, the rebel Mayans based in Chan Santa Cruz (the current city of Felipe Carrillo Puerto) took the city. The Mexican army reclaims it in 1902.

Bacalar is a relaxing city. The streets and buildings are simpler than in Tulum, the prices are fairer and the smiles more spontaneous. We have indeed left the Riviera Maya and its hordes of tourists.  The main appeal here other than the fortress (see post) is that it sits on the rim of Cenote Azul, a 90 meters deep by 182 meters in diameter cenote that is crystal clear and good for diving when the Caribbean is too rough. Because the water is so clear you can easily see quite deep. It is the largest and supposedly the deepest Cenote in the Yucatan. Its arguably one of the cleanest. However, get advise from the locals if diving as many spots it is very thick with vegetation and rocks difficult to dive/swim.  The most unexpected are the nuances of colors. The water is intensely clear in places, then very dark a few meters away, depending on the depth of the lagoon.

The Lake Bacalar with many watersports offers with kayaking across the lake one of the favorites. But you can ,also, do jet ski, waterski, swim, fish and sail.

The Bacalar Lagoon includes several cenotes, and this one will be presented to you as the must see of the local attractions. The cenote has a very large diameter, swimming is pleasant, but the color of the water is quite dark compared to other places in the lagoon. Cenote Azul is the darkest of the four cenotes in Bacalar. And for good reason, it sinks abruptly, without warning, to a depth of 90 meters. The cenote itself, the hole, is about 30 yards away, where the water suddenly darkens. You will  discover stromatolites. It looks like blocks of stone, it’s hard as a rock, but it’s alive. Rest assured, they will not bite your toe as their only movement is to grow 0.4 millimeters per year!

What is a Cenote? Well, Yucatan is a large riverless peninsula made primarily of limestone. There are thousands of underground caverns, many running with underground rivers. Occasionally these caves will collapse leaving an opening. If the cavern is running with water, it will create a cenote. The Mayans used these for sources of water and would even build cities around them. Cenote Azul is a mature cenote and is documented as the largest in the Yucatan.

The webpage on Zona Turistica on the Cenote Azul : https://www.zonaturistica.com/en/things-to-do/quintana-roo/bacalar/cenote-azul-blue-sinkhole

The government site in Bacalar on the history of Bacalar: http://www.bacalar.gob.mx/historiabacalar.html#

The Mexico tourist board on the cenotes of Bacalar: https://www.visitmexico.com/en/quintana-roo/bacalar/cenotes

A private site Cenote finder on the best cenotes in Bacalar: https://cenotefinder.com/cenotes-in-mexico/bacalar-cenotes/

Another good site En Yucatan on the Cenote Azul of Bacalar in Spanish: https://en-yucatan.com.mx/costa-maya/cenote-azul/

There now you are loaded with info and I have updated the text , hope you enjoy this beautiful tranquil part of Mexico. Bacalar is awesome!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

Ok so giving life to older posts with new text and some older or newer photos in my blog. The name to some will tell you I am in Mexico. This was a memorable visit just north of this have now family as reading previous posts.

So we go on with some exotic parts of Mexico lindo y querido. Not taking you to the popular areas anyone can do that, I like to take you to seldom and little seen Mexico down in a popular State of a well known region but a bit south of it all towards Belize. I will be talking about Bacalar in Quintana Roo, Yucatàn, Mexico.

I will tell you here the visit to historical San Felipe fortress/museum.

Bacalar is a town located on the southeast side of Mexico, in the state of Quintana Roo. The city is bordered on the east by the lagoon of Bacalar, which overlooks the Caribbean Sea. All of this part of the Yucatàn peninsula. The name Bacalar is believed to have gotten its name from b’ak halal, or ‘surrounded by reeds’ in Mayan, with a lagoon – the Laguna de Bacalar or ‘Lake of the Seven Colors’s to the east of the city.  Bacalar lies a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Tulum and around a 40-minute drive from the city of Chetumal (see post) which sits on the border to Belize.

The first inhabitants of the place are the Mayas in pre-Columbian times. In 1543, the city was taken and occupied by the Spanish conquistadors. In 1545, it was  established a Spanish town in the same place and baptized it Salamanca de Bacalar. In 1848, during the Caste war, the rebel Mayans based in Chan Santa Cruz (the current city of Felipe Carrillo Puerto) took the city. The Mexican army reclaims it in 1902.

The Fort of San Felipe was built in 1733 under the order of don Antonio de Figueroa y Silva, field marshal of Yucatan, to protect the Bacalar population from the frequent attacks by pirates from the Caribbean and to defend the region from harassment from the traders of wood in Campeche. In the second half of the 19C, during the so-called War of the Castes, the fortress once again became the scene of skirmishes for the possession of the fortress. It has recently been restored and sits looking over Lake Bacalar in the center of town.

The fort is built in the form of a four-pointed star and has a moat 4 meters deep.  It was designed by the Italian Juan Podio, and developed based on limestone, marine and volcanic stones. It has 11 cannons, although formerly it had about 34, which were located in places such as the Baluarte de Santa Ana, and also the Baluarte de San José. In the first section of its construction included: 4 bastions called Santa Ana, San Arturo, Santa María and San Joaquín, a plant shaped like a four pointed star, a building shaped like a rectangle, at that time the highest in the construction, which was baptized with the name of Jesús María, which was equipped with a gunpowder store, a chapel, a room for the commander, a supply or food store, a weapons room and a troop accommodation.  Over the years, embankments for bastions, a moat with a drawbridge were added to this fort, the number of cannons was increased, the parapets were improved, as well as the facilities of the High Knight were increased and improved, building new sentry boxes and raising the curtains of the fort. From its towers and watchtowers, you can see the large lagoon area covered by the lookouts.

The fort San Felipe contains a museum of local history and nice recreations since 1983. The plaques on the museum are in both English and Spanish and there is free parking nearby. Today, this Museum has surround sound, 6 giant video screens, where recreations of pirate attacks and much of the history of Bacalar are projected.

More on the museum in San Felipe fort and other cultural sites from a local webpage soy de bacalar in Spanish here: https://soybacalar.com/informacion/cultura

And on Mexico Cultural site in Spanish: https://www.mexicoescultura.com/recinto/52178/museo-del-fuerte-de-san-felipe-bacalar.html

A well known webpage there Zona Turistica in English on the museum of San Felipe: https://www.zonaturistica.com/en/things-to-do/quintana-roo/bacalar/museum-of-fort-san-felipe-bacalar

Local government on the history of Bacalar in Spanish: http://www.bacalar.gob.mx/historiabacalar.html

The Mexico tourist board on Bacalar in English: https://www.visitmexico.com/en/quintana-roo/bacalar

There now you are loaded with info and I have updated the text , hope you enjoy this beautiful tranquil part of Mexico. Bacalar is awesome!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!