Bacalar

Three lagoon days from the Fuerte de San Felipe to Chacchoben

Spend your first Bacalar day on the water. After coffee on the costera, walk up to the Fuerte de San Felipe when it opens; its small museum explains how pirates used the lagoon and the Hondo river to raid the region, and the ramparts give a first view of the water. Swim from your hotel dock at midday.

In the late afternoon, take a two-hour boat tour from the docks below the fort: it usually stops at the dark Cenote Negro, sails past the Isla de los Pájaros, where herons and cormorants nest, and passes through the Canal de los Piratas, a channel of pale, shallow water. Dinner is on the costera.

Day two: paddle and float. Rent a kayak at dawn and paddle north along the shore. After breakfast, take a taxi south to Los Rápidos, where the lagoon narrows into a channel with a gentle current; float down it with a life jacket and look for the stromatolites along the edges. Stop at Cenote Azul, on the edge of the highway, a round pool 90 m deep where you can swim from a restaurant terrace.

Day three: Maya ruins. Drive about 40 minutes north to Chacchoben, a Maya site of temples under tall trees, or head west toward Chetumal for Kohunlich, famous for its huge stucco masks of the sun god. Return for a last swim and a mezcal at a lakeside bar.

Cochinita pibil and lakeside plates on the costera

Bacalar eats well in the Yucatecan tradition of southern Quintana Roo, cheaply around the plaza and with a view, at higher prices, on the costera. Start with cochinita pibil, pork marinated in achiote and bitter orange and slow-cooked, in tacos or tortas with pickled onion; it is a morning dish that often sells out by noon.

Start with cochinita pibil, pork marinated in achiote and bitter orange and slow-cooked until it falls apart, served in tacos or tortas with pickled red onion. It is a morning dish; stalls and small restaurants often sell out by noon. In the evening, look for panuchos and salbutes, small fried tortillas topped with shredded turkey or chicken, lettuce and onion; at Antojitos Orizaba on the zócalo, families eat them at plastic tables. Sopa de lima, a chicken broth with lime and crisp tortilla strips, is a lighter choice.

Seafood comes up from the coast at Chetumal and Mahahual. Ceviche of fish or shrimp is on almost every menu, alongside whole fried fish and garlic shrimp. The lakefront restaurants on the costera serve it with a view, and bars like the one at Los Aluxes have swings for seats.

Bacalar also has a small, growing bar scene. Mezcalerías on the lakefront pour artisanal spirits from Oaxaca and elsewhere, and cocktail bars stay open later than the town's restaurants. For breakfast, cafés around the plaza serve fresh fruit, juices and coffee from Chiapas. Many places take cash only.

Mahahual, Chetumal and the Kohunlich masks

Bacalar makes a quiet base for the far south of the Yucatán, which few tourists reach. Chetumal, the state capital, is about 40 minutes south on a bay facing Belize; Mahahual is the Caribbean beach village on the Costa Maya; and the Kohunlich ruins are known for their great stucco masks.

Chetumal, about 40 minutes south, is the state capital, on a wide bay facing Belize. It is a working city, and its Museo de la Cultura Maya is one of the best introductions to the Maya world in the region, and the bayfront boulevard makes a pleasant evening walk. The Belize border crossing is just outside the city.

Mahahual, on the Caribbean coast about 1.5 hours away by car, is a small fishing village with a sandy boardwalk and calm, clear water. It is the jumping-off point for diving trips to Banco Chinchorro, a large coral atoll offshore. On days when a cruise ship docks, the boardwalk gets busy; on other days it is very quiet.

Inland, the Maya sites are uncrowded. Chacchoben, about 40 minutes north, has temples rising out of the forest. Kohunlich, about an hour west of Chetumal, draws visitors with the Temple of the Masks, with stucco faces of the sun god about 2 m high. Dzibanché, nearby, is wilder and less visited.

A hire car makes all of this simple, since buses do not go to the ruins. Leave early to avoid the heat, and carry water, cash and insect repellent. In the rainy season, from July to November, check the weather for tropical storms before heading to the coast.