Ek Balam, Rio Lagartos & Las Coloradas
Prices
1 person : USD 570
2 person : USD 700
3 person : USD 825
4 person : USD 900
About Tour
Visit the only Mayan archaeological site near Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Ek Balam, where you can still climb a pyramid and see the jungle from above, before heading to the Yucatan peninsula's north coast to take a guided wildlife tour in a boat, and then marvel at the pink waters of Las Coloradas, before heading back to your hotel. At Ek Balam, you can enter Mayan rooms, climb a pyramid, and stand open-mouthed at the detail captured in 8th century stucco sculptures. You can choose between a classic VW Beetle, and a more modern vehicle for the day. Your guide, as a former professional photographer will capture photos throughout your day, and share these with you at the end of the day for no additional cost, and send you a summary video of up to 90 seconds by the following day.
Ages 0-95
Duration : Approx 12+ hours (depends on pick-up location)
Start Time : 07:00 (depends on pick-up location)
Live Guide: English, Spanish, French, German
What’s included
Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation
Private transportation
All tolls and entry fees (no surprises)
Guided tour of Ek Balam
Guided boat tour from Rio Lagartos with licensed guide
Entry and guided tour of Las Coloradas.
All photos from the day by a former professional photographer and a summary video of your day
Bottled water
What’s not included
The tour does not include lunch. The guide will make a recommendation of a restaurant after understanding your preferred tastes and budget.
What to expect
Pick-up can be at any address in Cancun, Puerto Morelos or Playa del Carmen. If staying in a hotel with a security gate, please advise Señor Travel Bug in advance of your room number which will be required to gain access and pick you up.
The first stop, after a 2:15 hour drive is at Ek Balam, a city in its prime in the 8th and 9th centuries. This is an excellent complementary site to Chichen Itza. Ek Balam has far fewer visitors and is therefore the only site where you can still climb a pyramid, and go into a couple of rooms within the temples and palace. It also has different style of art, with sculptures made from stucco rather than carved not stone, making it quite unique in this area. The tour typically lasts about 60-90 minutes.
After a further 1:15 hour drive, board a private boat with a licensed guide from the local community to tour the inland waterways and see its wildlife for approximately two hours. Depending on the season, expect to see flamingoes, osprey, crocodiles, roseate spoonbills, eagles, pelicans,herons and much more. Perhaps catch your first glimpse of the pink waters of Las Coloradas, and then climb out of the boat to cake yourself in cleansing mud (and take the obligatory photo!), and finally bathe in a cenote back in Rio Lagartos and feel the difference in the smoothness of your skin.
Visit a sea salt farm whose waters appear various shades of pink, depending on the recent rainfall and concentration of salt in the water. Some areas are maintained a fairly vibrant pink artificially but you will learn from the local guide about ’natural’ salt farming on any visit. The drive back to your hotel will be approximately 3 hours.
The tour will deliver you back to your pick-up point (or any other destination in Cancun, Puerto Morelos or Playa del Carmen if preferred)