Coloradas, Ria Lagartos Boat Trip & One Natural Beach from Merida

This full-day tour from Mérida strings together four very different stops on the northern Yucatán coast: the pink salt flats of Las Coloradas, the untouched Cancunito Beach, a boat trip through the Río Lagartos Natural Reserve with a traditional Mayan clay bath, and a beachfront lunch in the fishing town of Río Lagartos.

The day starts with departure from Mérida at 7:00 a.m. and arrival at Las Coloradas by mid-morning, where a roughly 90-minute stop includes a guided walk through the salt production ponds, known for hues that shift from orange to bright pink, plus access to a viewpoint for photos. Entrance fees and taxes here are covered by the tour. Swimming in the pink water itself is not allowed, though restrooms are available on site.

From Las Coloradas you transfer to Cancunito Beach, also known as Playa Platino, for a shorter, roughly 45-minute stop at an untouched stretch of coastline. It is a good spot for swimming and photography, and for spotting marine birds among the surrounding mangroves, though there are no restrooms or restaurants at this particular beach.

The next stop is Río Lagartos itself, where you board a boat, capped at six people, for about two hours on the water. Binoculars are provided for birdwatching as you look for flamingos, crocodiles, and local and migratory birds along the reserve. The outing also includes a traditional Mayan clay bath, where you cover yourself in white clay before rinsing off with a swim at a clear-water beach.

The group then spends about an hour and a half over a gourmet lunch at El Maleconcito Restaurant on the Río Lagartos waterfront, with one dish of your choice included, and access to the restaurant's pool, restrooms, showers and bar. Afterward, the tour makes the return trip to Mérida, arriving back at around 8:00 p.m. and dropping you off at the same point where you were picked up in the morning.

Along with the stops themselves, the tour includes air-conditioned transportation with a cooler of ice on board, entrance fees and taxes at Las Coloradas, use of the restaurant's facilities, the boat tour with binoculars, and the Mayan mud bath, all with a certified guide throughout the day. Drinks at the restaurant are not included in the price.

A few practical notes worth knowing: in some cases hotel pickup is not possible for timing reasons, and you may be asked, without prior notice, to meet the group at the operator's office instead; a same-day no-show or cancellation cannot be rescheduled, so the tour would need to be purchased again; and the exact duration and order of stops can vary, with or without notice, depending on the guide's judgment, how busy each site is, and traffic. It is worth packing light, comfortable clothing for the beach, sneakers for the walk at Las Coloradas plus separate sandals or water shoes for the rest of the day, a swimsuit and towel, a hat or cap, sunglasses, sunscreen and mosquito repellent, and identification if you are a Mexican citizen (INE, driver's license, passport, or CURP for minors); eating a good breakfast beforehand helps, and a stop at a convenience store at the start of the tour lets you pick up anything else you might need. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers, though it otherwise suits all physical fitness levels.