Los Rapidos, Bacalar: A Complete 2024 Guide for Visiting
Looking for one of the coolest spots along the Riviera Maya? Well, Los Rapidos, Bacalar is now one of the hottest attractions of this beloved destination.
Acting as a natural lazy river, Los Rapidos also boast a vibrant turquoise color and are lined by stromatolites and mangroves, making it the most perfectly serene experience.
In this guide we're going to share with you all of the details about visiting Los Rapidos de Bacalar, so that you fit it into your best Bacalar itinerary.
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📍 Where are Los Rapidos in Bacalar?
Los Rapidos are located downstream from Laguna de los Siete Colores, between Bacalar and Xul-Ha, and can be reached from off the side of the Carretera Xulha.
Bacalar is in the south east of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and the rapids are just south of the town of Bacalar.
How to Get to Los Rapidos, Bacalar
As you can see from the map, Los Rapidos are are located outside of the center of Bacalar, so they won't be able to be walked to from the town. Don't worry though! There are a few different options for being able to visit them.
🚗 How to Get to Los Rapidos from Bacalar
They are just 15 minutes south of Bacalar's center, so you can easily get there by taking a taxi, taking a tour, or driving there yourself.
We've found a fabulous tour that includes all of Bacalar's top attractions, including the rapids that you can sign up for.
🚴🏻 Can You Cycle to Los Rapidos, Bacalar?
As they are just 12 km south of town, you can certainly also cycle to Los Rapidos, Bacalar! Bike rentals are affordable, and some hotels even have them included for free to take advantage of.
⛺️ Glamping Asana Bacalar is an incredible budget-friendly accommodation for backpackers that offers free bikes.
How to Get to Bacalar
There are a variety of ways that you can get to Bacalar! Here are your options:
✈️ Fly to Chetumal and rent a car or take a bus
🛳 Go on a day trip from Costa Maya on a cruise
If you'd like to know more details about getting to Bacalar in the best way possible, check out our Bacalar Travel Guide.
Rapidos de Bacalar Price & Timetable
If you don't have a tour and want to go on your own to Los Rapidos, Bacalar, here's the basic info you need for doing so.
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🕘 What are the Hours of Los Rapidos, Bacalar?
Despite being out in nature, Los Rapidos in Bacalar are privately owned, so do have opening and closing times.
The rapids are open 7 days a week, from 10 am to 6 pm.
💸 How Much Do Los Rapidos Bacalares Cost?
When visiting Los Rapidos, Bacalar there is a basic entrance fee, and then you can pay extra for kayaks, meals, lockers, and Wifi.
The entrance is cash only, so make sure to take out some Mexican pesos at an ATM. (They accept USD and euros but give an awful exchange, so it will be much more expensive in foreign currencies).
Here is a breakdown of the price list at Los Rapidos, Bacalar:
🎫 General Admission: 200 pesos
👧🏻 Children 2-10: 150 pesos
👵🏻 INAPAM (those over 60 or on welfare in Mexico): 150 pesos
🛶 SIngle Kayak/hour: 200 pesos
🛶 Double Kayak/hour: 400 pesos
🔒 Locker: 50 pesos + 50 peso desposit
📶 Wifi: 80 pesos/device
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Amenities of Rapidos de Bacalar, Mexico
Being a privately owned business, there is just one establishment running Los Rapidos of Bacalar. Here are the amenities included, as well as some info for the ones that you can pay extra for.
🚽 Bathrooms/Showers
There are both bathrooms and showers on site, free of charge.
👗 Changing Rooms
You can choose to change in the bathrooms, but there are also two changing rooms on site.
🔒 Lockers
There are lockers that you can rent at Los Rapidos for a charge of 50 pesos. You'll just need to put an extra 50 pesos down as a deposit for the key, which you'll get back when you give the key back.
🍴 Food & Drink
There is a restaurant on site at Los Rapidos, and like most commercialized places in the Yucatan Peninsula, you can expect above average prices with mediocre quality, and pretty awful service.
We decided to eat before we went there, and we'd recommend doing the same, unless you want to spend the entire day there.
🦺 Life Vests
Life vests are included in the price of Los Rapidos, and are provided before you enter the boardwalk area. They have all different sizes, and while we were handed one each without wanting one, we also noticed not everyone wore them, so don't believe they are mandatory.
For photography purposes, we hate life vests, but if you can't float, then having the life vest is pretty useful!
🛶 Kayaks
One of the top activities to enjoy at Los Rapidos, Bacalar is kayaking. There are both single and double kayaks offered, and they are charged per hour.
Honestly, the area isn't too big, so you probably wouldn't need more than an hour unless you wanted to paddle all the way down to Xul-Ha and back.
⛱ Chairs & Umbrellas
There are chairs that are right on the water that you can relax at and soak up the sun. There is a minimum spend for these though (which was quite high), so we'd recommend sitting in the chairs at the restaurant instead, unless you plan on spending the whole day there.
We were there for the last hour, and despite there being hardly any people around, they were pretty rude about us not being able to sit there.
There is also a platform with lounge chairs, and we're not entirely sure if this area is extra, but imagine it would be.
🛍 Shopping
There is a small shop on site at Los Rapidos, where you can purchase bathing suits, cover ups, towels, or other accessories like flip flops or goggles. While there isn't anything crazy nice, it's good in case you forget to bring something.
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Los Rapidos, Bacalar: What to Expect
Los Rapidos has a parking lot, with a restaurant on site. It is perched on the waters where the rapids are, and you can jump right in the water from the left side, or you can float down the rapids from the right side.
As soon as you walk in, you'll pay your entrance, and then you can have a bite to eat, swim in the water, relax on lounge chairs, rent a kayak, or hang out on the hammocks in the water or the swings scattered around.
You can grab a life jacket, and walk down the boardwalk to the end which takes just a few minutes, and takes you much further up the river.
At the end of the boardwalk is a shallow area of water that you can walk right into, and then you can either swim upstream to the right, or you can simply float down the river to the left.
There are also a few small platforms that jut out from the main boardwalk that you can hang out on, or take a dive in from.
Floating down the river back to the property takes just a few minutes, and you can do it over and over again, or you can step to the side where the water remains calm if you want to simply chill in the cool waters.
Just remember not to sit or step on the stromatolites, which are the natural formations the line the sides of the river and are very delicate.
Other than the rapids, you can also enjoy swings, kayaks, and hammocks in the water.
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Safety at Los Rapidos, Bacalar
Now you know pretty much what to expect for visiting Los Rapidos, Bacalar. So we'll go over safety precautions while there.
🦺 Are Los Rapidos in Bacalar Safe?
While the lagoon of Bacalar has calm waters, the rapids are moving, which is something you'll have to keep in mind.
The good thing is that the water really doesn't move super fast, and there are plenty of parts that you can actually stand, making it easy to return back to the premises.
Swimming is at your own risk, but life vests are provided, so Los Rapidos is safe for all ages.
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Other Things to Keep in Mind While Visiting Los Rapidos, Bacalar
Now you know almost everything you need to know for visiting Los Rapidos, Bacalar. But don't go just yet! Here are a few other details you may want to keep in mind while visiting.
☀️ Weather in Bacalar
Bacalar experiences hot temperatures year round, and has sunny, dry weather in the winters, and humid, rainy summers.
Bacalar has tropical weather.
📆 The Best Time of Year to Visit Los Rapidos, Bacalar
The best time to visit Bacalar is in the winter time, from December to February for beautiful, sunny weather and mild temperatures.
With sunny skies you'll also experience the bluest waters, which is another reason that the winter is the best time to go.
We actually visited one time right after hurricane season (in October), and the water was super dark, and mirky, taking away from the whole experience of Los Rapidos, Bacalar.
🕘 The Best Time to Visit Los Rapidos, Bacalar
As far as the best time of day to visit Los Rapidos, it would be ideal to visit very early in the morning, but unfortunately they don't open until 10:00. We recommend visiting as soon as they open at 10 am to beat the crowds.
You can also opt to visit late in the afternoon before they close, around 3 pm. We went at 4:00 and we enjoyed our time, but also felt a bit rushed with everything closing up beforehand.
We visited in the afternoon and it wasn't too crowded.
🎒 What to Bring to Los Rapidos, Bacalar
- Bathing Suit
- Towel
- Underwater Camera (we use the GoPro for underwater shots, and the Insta 360 with the extra long selfie stick for drone-like shots)
- Drone for epic photos and video (we use the DJI Mini 4 Pro because it's small but has incredible quality, and shoots vertical.)
- Camera - (we use the Sony A7Riii)
- Wide Lens to capture more in one shot (we use the Sony GM 14 mm)
- Waterproof Phone Pouch (we use the Case Mate Phone Pouch)
- Make Up Wipes
- Reef-Safe Sunscreen (for after swimming)
- Toiletries to shower after (we use Sheer Alternatives because they are all natural and travel-sized)
- Change of clothes
- Cash (the entrance can only be paid in cash)
Bringing a drone gives really epic shots of Los Rapidos, Bacalar.
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🤔 Is Los Rapidos Bacalar Worth it?
Despite us not really loving the customer service at Los Rapidos, we do find the rapids to be a really unique and beautiful place to explore.
We'd recommend coming here early for the best experience, or for fewer crowds you can also experience stunning waters in Laguna Xul-Ha for free, which is just a bit further south.
Los Rapidos is worth it for it's unique rapids and bright turquoise waters.
⏳ How Much Time Do You Need at Los Rapidos, Bacalar?
You really only need an hour to experience the beauty of Los Rapidos in Bacalar. However, you could also easily spend a day here swimming, kayaking, and just soaking up the sun.
If we were to go back, we'd probably spend 3-5 hours there to truly take advantage of the entry fee and the amenities on site.
There are a lot of ways to enjoy Los Rapidos, Bacalar.
Tips for Visiting Los Rapidos, Bacalar
Do NOT step on the stromatolites!
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So are you ready to check out the incredible area of Los Rapidos, Bacalar? We hope this guide has helped you while planning your trip to Bacalar, and inspired you to explore more of the hidden gems of Mexico.
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