Here’s How to Get From Merida to Las Coloradas Pink Lakes (The Best & Worst Ways)
Planning to visit the pink lakes in Mexico?
Las Coloradas, located in the Yucatan Peninsula, is a Mexico bucket list destination for many visitors.
The nearest major city is Merida, but you can access the pink lakes from other areas. This article, however, is all about how to get from Merida to Las Coloradas.
As I live in Mexico (and lived in Merida for many years), I have been to the pink lakes before, and always recommend booking this Las Coloradas, Río Lagartos and Playa Cancunito Tour, with a near-perfect 5 Star Rating.
If you want to go on your own, you’ll also discover your transportation options — including additional Las Coloradas tours, driving directions, and buses from Merida to Las Coloradas.
Whichever way you choose, you’re about to learn all the best ways to visit Las Coloradas from Merida, Mexico — including my best tips on how to visit Las Coloradas so you see the lakes in all their pink glory.
I’m also going to let you know about an off the beaten path pink lakes in Yucatan site, and answer all your Las Coloradas FAQs. Ready to dive in? Let’s get to it!
Merida to Las Coloradas pink lakes
Where is Las Coloradas Mexico located?
Las Coloradas is in Yucatán State, Mexico — one of the three states that make up the Yucatan Peninsula.
It is about three hours from the top destinations in the region, like Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya and Merida. For a visual, check the Las Coloradas map below.
How far is Merida from Las Coloradas?
The distance from Merida to Las Coloradas is 145 miles (233 km). The drive takes three hours in normal traffic.
While Merida is the nearest city to Las Coloradas, it is accessible from these other parts of Yucatan as well.
Merida to Las Coloradas pink lakes
Best Merida to Las Coloradas Tours
If you’re wondering how to get to Las Coloradas the easiest way, that would 100% be on tour.
In fact, this is what I did when I visited Las Coloradas from Merida — and I still recommend it to all Merida visitors who ask me for advice.
The cool thing about tours from Merida to Las Coloradas is that they combine it with a visit to other great sites, like Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins, cenotes near Merida, great Yucatan beaches, and more.
Below you’ll find my Top 3 Merida to Las Coloradas Pink Lakes Tours:
Merida to Las Coloradas pink lakes
1. Las Coloradas, Río Lagartos & Playa Cancunito Tour from Mérida (The Best Tour)
⭐️ Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 13 hours | 🦩 BOOK NOW
What’s included in this Las Coloradas, Río Lagartos and Playa Cancunito Tour?
- Visit to Las Coloradas Pink Lake
- Visit to Playa Cancunito Beach
- Rio Lagartos Boat Tour
- Traditional Yucatan food lunch
- Private, round-trip transportation
- Certified guide
This Las Coloradas, Río Lagartos and Playa Cancunito Beach Tour is my choice for the best of all Merida to Las Coloradas trips because it includes the pink lakes and a beach.
I have done this your myself, and I liked it so much because you get to visit several places, and your admission fees, food, and everything is all included in one price — so there’s no pesky hidden fees.
On the tour, you’ll join a certified local guide to explore the famous Mexico pink lakes of Las Coloradas, one of the most beautiful areas in the Yucatan Peninsula — and one of the lesser-visited.
You’ll also go to nearby Playa Cancunito Beach, an impressive unspoiled beach described by many as one of the most beautiful and best beach in Yucatan.
If that wasn’t enough, you’ll head to the pueblo (small town) of Río Lagartos to take a boat cruise through the Ría Lagartos UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
On the cruise, keep an eye out for wild flamingos, crocodiles, eagles, giant pelicans, and other endemic birds, native flora and fauna.
Jump into the water at one of the islands in this river and exfoliate your skin with the clay from here that’s renowned for healing properties.
At the end of the boat ride, relax and and enjoy a traditional Yucatecan foods lunch (included int he price) overlooking the river at Maleconcito Restaurant near the boat docks.
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2. Private Tour of Las Coloradas, Cenote Swim & Rio Lagartos Boat Tour
⭐️ Ratings: 5 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 8-11 hours | 💧BOOK NOW
What’s included in the Private Tour of Las Coloradas and Rio Lagartos?
- Private tour for just you and your group
- Visit to Las Coloradas Pink Lake
- Swim in Cenote Saamal
- Rio Lagartos Boat Tour
- Traditional Yucatan food lunch
- Private, round-trip transportation
- Certified guide
Get picked up right at your Merida hotel or Merida Airbnb, for an easy, stress-free start to the day!
Enjoy the comfort of private transportation for just you and your party on the three-hour drive from Merida to Las Coloradas Yucatan.
Upon arrival, you’ll board your private boat for a tour of Rio Lagartos, which means Alligator River — and yes, you will see gators 🐊
You will also see plenty of birds, including flamingos, as you cruise through the mangroves of this UNESCO Biosphere Natural Reserve and Wetland.
You’ll also, of course, spend time at Las Coloradas, to admire the pink water and take plenty of photos. The final stop before ending the day is a refreshing swim in the beautiful Cenote Saamal.
After a long day, board your private transport van back and relax as you’re driven back to Merida.
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3. Las Coloradas from Merida with Río Lagartos Boat Tour & Lunch
⭐️ Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 11-12 hours | 🦩 BOOK NOW
What’s included in this Las Coloradas Tour from Merida?
- Visit to Las Coloradas Pink Lake
- Visit to Playa Cancunito Beach
- Rio Lagartos Boat Tour
- Traditional Yucatan food lunch
- Private, round-trip transportation
- Certified guide
Hop in your air-conditioned vehicle and head to the pink lakes of Las Coloradas to admire and photograph this unique body of water.
Since you can’t swim in Las Coloradas, you’ll next visit the virgin beaches of Cancunito, where you can.
After, enjoy a private Rio Lagartos boat tour through the mangroves to see alligators and the Las Coloradas flamingos. End the tour with a nice meal in a local restaurant.
Note: Your admission fee to Las Coloradas is not included. You will need to pay $320 MXN pesos (about $17 USD) in cash/pesos to enter.
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Driving from Merida to Las Coloradas
🤔 Wondering, Is it easy to drive from Las Coloradas to Merida, or can I go from Merida to Las Coloradas by car?
The answer is yes! You will, of course, need to get a rental car in Merida first.
As someone who lives in Merida, I recommend and personally use, Discover Cars whenever I’m renting a car in Merida (or anywhere in Mexico, for that matter).
The drive is easy, as you really only take two highways. These aren’t huge highways, but they are nice, paved roads where you’ll likely only encounter a few other drivers.
From Merida, you just take Highway 176 to the city of Tizimin, and then switch to Highway 295.
Highway 295 will take you right from the pueblo (small town) of Tizimin, Mexico, straight to Rio Lagartos Biosphere, where you’ll get on a boat to Las Coloradas.
If you’re ever in doubt, just keep following the road signs overhead that say Ruta Flamingo (Flamingo Route).
📍 Merida to Las Coloradas Map
Use these directions from Merida to Las Coloradas — and make sure to download the map so you have it to use offline.
Your cell signal will likely go in and out as you drive from Merida to Las Coloradas, so you’ll want an offline map. In fact, if you want a signal at all, you’ll need a TELCEL SIM Card.
TELCEL is Mexico’s largest service provider and will give you coverage in most places, including in Las Coloradas and Rio Lagartos. 📲 Get more info on Mexico SIM cards here.
🚗💨 When renting a car, you do need Mexico driving insurance! If you buy the Explorer Plan with World Nomads Travel Insurance, you can get an add-on for car insurance.
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Merida to Las Coloradas Bus (Public Transport)
As it’s quite remote, you will need to take two buses and a taxi to get there on public transportation or go with your own rental car.
So while you can take a bus from Merida to Las Coloradas, you’ll probably want to stay the night at Hotel Rio Lagartos, the closest hotel to Las Coloradas Yucatan.
As there are no direct buses from Merida to Las Coloradas, this route requires two buses and takes about five hours.
Las Coloradas is located in a remote part of the Yucatan, near the small pueblo of Rio Lagartos.
As with most small towns, things close early and public transport stops running early as well. Since it takes five hours by bus, it’s not worth doing a Las Coloradas day trip from Merida.
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🚌 First Bus: Merida to Tizimin
To get to Las Coloradas from Merida by bus, head to the CAME Merida Bus Station in Centro Historico (downtown Merida).
From the CAME main Merida bus terminal (also sometimes called the TAME) take the ADO bus to the city of Tizimin, Mexico, and get off there.
Coming from Valladolid to Las Coloradas? You’ll follow this same route — by taking the bus from Valladolid to Tizimin, then the second bus to Las Coloradas.
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🚌 second Bus: Tizimin to Rio Lagartos
In Tizimin, you’ll take a second bus with Autobuses Noreste to the small town of Rio Lagartos, Mexico.
Here, you’ll get a taxi (many usually wait outside the station) and go to the boat dock in Rio Lagartos. At the dock, you’ll need to find a tour operator to take you to Las Coloradas.
The pink lakes Mexico, are only accessible by boat, so you must hire someone at the Rio Lagartos dock.
There is a standard two-hour tour, which costs about $300 MXN pesos ($15 USD) per person and offers a great way to see Rio Lagartos (Alligator River) and Las Coloradas.
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Xtampu: Closest Merida Pink Lakes
While Las Coloradas is the most famous of all Mexico pink lakes, there’s another pink salt lakes about 90 minutes closer to Merida!
Book this tour to visit the Xtampu Pink Lakes, as well as other sites nearby like Xcambo Ruins, Motul pueblo magico (magic town), Hacienda San Eduardo, and Puerto Progreso Beach.
The Xtampu salt lakes are located in the pueblo (small town) of Telchac, Mexico, which you can turn into a full Merida day trip if you have a rental car.
In the town of Telchac, Yucatan, you can have a beach day at Telchac Puerto, one of the best Yucatan beaches near Merida.
Next, head to the nearby Xtampu Pink Lakes, and then drive just five minutes further to Xcambó Mayan Ruins, a smaller site with pyramids you can climb.
Las Coloradas Pink Lakes: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Las Coloradas?
Las Coloradas literally translates to “the blush,” as in someone’s blush-colored, rosy cheeks — a reference to the color of the water.
The pink lakes of Las Coloradas are a naturally occurring phenomenon and among only 30 or so pink lakes on Earth.
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Is there a Las Coloradas Beach (Pink Beach)?
No — There is no such thing as a Merida pink beach, nor a pink beach in Mexico, and there’s no Las Coloradas pink beach.
Las Coloradas is commonly called a lake, though it’s actually a series of ponds. These pink ponds are sometimes referred to as a pink beach — though it’s not a beach at all.
In fact, the closest beach to Las Coloradas is Cancunito, located about 15 minutes away. You can visit Cancunito Beach on this Las Coloradas Tour.
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Why is Las Coloradas pink?
Las Coloradas has pink water because of the red algae, plankton and brine shrimp that live in this salty water.
It’s sometimes referred to as Mexico pink beach, but it’s not.
The salt content in the water at this famed pink lagoon Mexico is so high this area has been used as a natural salt mine by the Maya for centuries.
In some places near Las Coloradas, you can buy salt to eat.
MERIDA TO las coloradas pink lakes
What’s the best hotel near Las Coloradas?
The nicest and best Las Coloradas hotel is Hotel Rio Lagartos — hands down!
The nicest and best Las Coloradas hotel is Hotel Rio Lagartos — hands down!
Though Las Coloradas is in a remote part of the Yucatan, it’s popular for bird watching in Mexico, and tourists visit the Ría Lagartos UNESCO Biosphere Reserve year-round to see them.
There are a few hotels in Rio Lagartos, Mexico, but none nicer than Hotel Rio Lagartos.
A few other options include Hotel Villa de Pescadores, also located on the water, and Hotel Mercy Inn, the best cheap hotel in Rio Lagartos, which is one block from the river.
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Is the water at Las Coloradas real?
Yes — There are large concentrations of red algae, plankton and brine shrimp in the water of Las Coloradas, which give it a pink color (and high salt content).
This is also why you’ll see a lot of pink flamingos near Las Coloradas; they actually drink this water to get their pink color!
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Can you swim in Las Coloradas?
No — A few years back, the Mexican government made swimming in Las Coloradas illegal.
If you see any photos of people in the Las Coloradas pink water on Instagram or social media, those are at least seven years old or older, or the person got in illegally 👮♀️
The reason you can’t swim in Las Coloradas is because the high salt content can actually be toxic on your skin.
While there’s not always someone around to enforce people not getting in, there are also not really hospitals around, so don’t risk your health or break laws for a photo!
Where you can swim a bit is in designated parts of Rio Lagartos.
All the boat tours to Las Coloradas will take you to an area in the river where you can get out and have a Bañya Maya, or Mayan mud bath, and then rinse off in the water afterward.
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Is Las Coloradas open?
It is privately owned, and you must pay to enter, but Las Coloradas is open daily, from 9am-5pm.
What’s the best time to visit Las Coloradas?
To see the pink lakes in all their pink glory, you’ll need to visit on a very sunny day.
The pink color shows brightest at midday when the sun’s directly overhead. Note: On overcast days, the water won’t show in vibrant pink and may even look closer to brown.
🦩 Flamingo Season in Rio Lagartos
Rio Lagartos, along with Celestun, are the two best places to see flamingos in Mexico (and all of North America).
The large flock of Yucatan flamingos, which some estimate at 35,000, congregate in Rio Lagartos in their highest numbers from March to June, but you can see some year-round.
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Is Las Coloradas worth visiting?
If you checked the weather report and know it will be a bright, sunny day — then yes, the pink lakes Yucatan are worth the trek.
Also, know it is a trek of at least 2 to 3.5 hours by car from pretty much every other part of the Yucatan, so you have to be okay with sacrificing that amount of time.
If you want to opt for Merida pink lakes closer to the city, rent a car and head to X’tampu Laguna Rosada.
This is a smaller Yucatan pink lakes site near Puerto Telchac Beach and X’cambo Mayan Ruins, but you will need your own car to get there.
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How much does it cost to go to Las Coloradas?
You can only access the pink lakes of Las Coloradas by boat and with a local guide.
Boat rentals for the standard 2.5-hour Las Coloradas and Rio Lagartos tour cost about $1,500-2,000 MXN pesos ($75-100 USD) for a boat that seats about six.
Is there a Las Coloradas admission cost?
Yes — It’s about $300 MXN pesos ($15 USD) per person.
For those doing solo travel in Mexico, you will want to book this Merida to Las Coloradas Tours, which includes transportation from Mérida and cost about the same as the boat itself.
When I visited, it was on a tour, which is why I always recommend others do the same.
You might get lucky and show up at the same time a boat with an empty seat or two is going out. If so, you’d split the boat cost with the welcoming strangers who let you join their boat.
If not, you must rent the whole boat at a cost of about $1,500-2,000 MXN pesos ($75-100 USD).
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What’s the closest city to Las Coloradas?
Merida is the nearest big city, at 145 miles (233 km) away. The pink lakes of Las Coloradas are located closest to the small town of Rio Lagartos, Mexico.
Though it’s a small town, it does have one nice hotel — Hotel Rio Lagartos — if you want to stay the night.
You can also get to Las Coloradas from other popular places in the Yucatan Peninsula, including the ones listed below, and also the El Cuyo, Mexico beach town.
🚗 Valladolid to Las Coloradas
Valladolid is 77 miles (124 km) from Las Coloradas. The drive takes about two hours in normal traffic.
The Valladolid pueblo magico (magic town) is one of the most up and coming Yucatan travel destinations.
Some of the best cenotes near Merida are actually located in or right around Valladolid, Mexico. With so many things to do in Valladolid, you may want to consider visiting!
🚗 Cancun to Las Coloradas
Cancun is 167 miles (268 km) from Las Coloradas. The drive takes 3.5 hours in normal traffic.
🚗 Tulum to Las Coloradas
Tulum is 139 miles (223 km) from Las Coloradas. The drive takes three hours in normal traffic.
🚗 Riviera Maya & Playa del Carmen to Las Coloradas
The Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen are about 160 miles (258 km) from Las Coloradas. The drive takes 3.5 hours in normal traffic.
🚗 El Cuyo to Las Coloradas
El Cuyo is a small beach town on the border of Yucatan State and Quintana Roo State.
One of the best Yucatan beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, there are other things to do in El Cuyo, Mexico, like book an ATV Tour of Las Coloradas.
If you drive from El Cuyo to Las Coloradas pink lake Yucatan, it’s about two hours because there are no direct roads.
However, on this ATV tour, you can take the beach-jungle route, which is only about 45 minutes — and a fun ride!
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Final Thoughts: Merida to Las Coloradas Pink Lakes
There’s no shortage of amazing things to do in Merida! Besides what to do in Merida itself, there are also many amazing days trips from Merida, including to Las Coloradas.
Admittedly, it’s a bit of a trek to get there — but it’s worth it to see one of just 30 or so pink lakes in the world.
I went on this tour, so I didn’t have to rent a car and drive solo or spend a total of 10 hours on buses, and I enjoyed it.
As a solo traveler, the Las Coloradas tour was cheaper than going alone by rental car. However, for couples and groups, renting a car could be a fun drive to Las Coloradas.
Whichever way you choose to get there, I hope this guide helped you with planning, and I hope you enjoy the pink lakes of Las Coloradas.
Oh, and if you are renting a car in Mexico, consider a second stop at Laguna Rosada Xtampu, the other pink lakes in Yucatan, Mexico.
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