Bacalar, Mexico
Bacalar is a town of 11,513 people in Quintana Roo, Mexico, founded in 1545.
Why visit Bacalar
Townapedia lists 13 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 120 places to eat, 71 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Lanchas El Fuerte de Bacalar.
Weather in Bacalar
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Bacalar
Bacalar (Spanish: [bakaˈlaɾ] ) is the municipal seat and largest city in Bacalar Municipality (until 2011 a part of Othón P. Blanco Municipality) in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Chetumal. In the 2010 census the city had a population of 11,084. At that time it was still part of Othón P.
From the Wikipedia article Bacalar (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Bacalar on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks13
Lanchas El Fuerte de Bacalar
Monument and historic site · 1.0 km
Calle 14
Mo-Su 08:00-18:00
What SUP
Monument and historic site · 2.4 km
63 Av. Costera Sur
1 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes120
NAO Japanese Fusion
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.1 km
Japanese fusion in an outdoor charming ambiance along a delicious cocktail menu made with local ingredients. Deliciosa cocina japonsea...
Costero, Bacalar
Mo-Su 09:30-22:30
Damajuana Mezcaleria
Bar and pub · 1.1 km
Chic hideout bar by the lagoon. Fine mixology with local ingrdients and sexy electronic music. Sushi also served by NAO.
Costero, Bacalar
Mo-Su 13:00-23:00
DELI CORNER
Cafe · Bagel, Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Deli, Sandwich, Tea
Calle 32 A
Su-Sa 07:00-21:00
Enamora
Restaurant · Breakfast · 0.6 km
Calle 18
We-Mo 07:30-16:00
Tito
Cafe · Breakfast, Burger, Coffee Shop, Mexican, Pancake · 0.7 km
54 Calle 20
Mo-Su 07:00-23:30
Deli Corner
Cafe · Bagel, Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Deli, Local, Sandwich · 1.6 km
Calle 32
Sa,Fr,Th,We,Mo-Tu,Su 07:00-23:00
El Güero
Restaurant · Fish, Local, Regional, Seafood · 1.4 km
48 Calle 42
Th-Mo 07:00-17:00
108 more on the map.
History
Bacalar was a city of the Maya civilization in Pre-Columbian times, and was founded in 415 A.D. with the name of "Sian Ka'an Bakhalal". It was the first city in the region that the Spanish Conquistadores succeeded in taking and holding, in 1543 (during the 1543–1544 Pachecos entrada). In 1545 Gaspar Pacheco established the Spanish town here with the name Salamanca de Bacalar with the help of Juan de la Cámara. The southern half of what is now Quintana Roo was governed from Bacalar, answerable to the Captain General of Yucatán in Mérida.
After pirates sacked the town in the 17th century, the Fortress de San Felipe Bacalar was completed in 1729, and may be visited today.
In 1848 Bacalar had a population of about 5,000. In 1848, during the Caste War of Yucatán, rebellious Chan Santa Cruz Maya conquered the town. It was retaken by the Mexicans in 1902.
Between 2005 and 2010 Russian Mennonites who speak German established a colony in Salamanca that had 967 inhabitants in 2010 and 1.175 in 2020. All inhabitants were Protestants and only one of those aged 15 and over was illiterate.
From the History section of Bacalar on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay71
Casa Maya Blue
Motel and hotel · 1.5 km
SN Avenida 19 Libramiento y Calle 46 (Calle al balneario SEMARNAT), Bacalar
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Universidad Poilitécnica de Bacalar
School · 2.4 km
Avenida 39 entre calle 50 y 54, Bacalar
Healthcare7
Map of Bacalar
247 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chetumal International Airport (CTM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 20 km away.
- Salamanca 8 km west, about 8 min by car
- Laguna Guerrero 13 km east, about 13 min by car
- San Isidro la Laguna 15 km north, about 15 min by car
- Xul-Ha 16 km southwest, about 16 min by car
- Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla 18 km north, about 18 min by car
- Huay-Pix 19 km south, about 19 min by car
- Luis Echeverría Álvarez 19 km east, about 19 min by car
- Chetumal 20 km southeast, about 20 min by car
- Calderitas 20 km southeast, about 20 min by car
- Subteniente López 21 km south, about 21 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kiosko, Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos De los Últimos Días Bacalar Quintana Roo Por Raymundo Tziu Cuxim, Raymundo Tziu Cuxim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Iglesia Católica San Joaquín Bacalar Quintana RooPor Raymundo Tziu Cuxim, Raymundo Tziu Cuxim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mexico - Yucatan Peninsula Bacalar 02, Andreas Lehner, CC BY 2.0
- Mexico - Yucatan Peninsula Bacalar 04, Andreas Lehner, CC BY 2.0
- Mexico - Yucatan Peninsula Bacalar 01, Andreas Lehner, CC BY 2.0
- Pueblo Mágico de Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Bacalar. - panoramio (1), holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Bacalar, Pueblo Mágico. - panoramio (1), holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Bacalar, Pueblo Mágico. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Casa típica de Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Remax, Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Parque de Bacalar, Costa Maya, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Bacalar Agua y Sol 2006, Carey Akin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Fuerte de Bacalar Julio 2006, Carey Akin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- View from fort at Bacalar 2006, Carey Akin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Parque principal de Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Casa de madera típica, Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- En Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Parque Central de Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Pasillos del parque principal, Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Pasillos del Parque de Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Gardens on the park of Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- En el parque de Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- En el Parque, Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Mexico - Yucatan Peninsula Bacalar 03, JoAnn Miller, CC BY 2.0
- Street on Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Walking on the park of Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Bacalar, Costa Maya, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Parke de Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Parque, Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio (1), holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Parque, Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Streets of Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Parque y kiosko, Bacalar. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Pasillos del parque, Bacalar, Q. Roo. - panoramio, holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Bacalar Collage, AdriLov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Parque. - panoramio (3), holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Gardens - panoramio (2), holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
- Jardines. - panoramio (1), holachetumal, CC BY 3.0
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