Rio Lagartos boat tour with flamingos, crocodiles and meal

The flamingos here live in salt lagoons you reach by boat through mangrove channels.

A three-hour boat tour of Rio Lagartos Natural Reserve with a certified guide, departing from the town hotel dock. You'll navigate mangrove waterways to spot crocodiles, birds and flamingos at Las Coloradas, wade into a traditional Mayan clay bath, then return for breakfast or lunch at the Salitre restaurant inside the hotel. Snacks and drinks come during the boat ride. Lifevests and towels are provided.

The experience

Rio Lagartos is a working fishing village on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, and the reserve that surrounds it is one of the largest flamingo colonies in the Western Hemisphere. The tour starts at the Rio Lagartos hotel in town, where your certified guide meets you and walks you to the dock. Once on the boat, you head into the reserve through mangrove channels lined with dense vegetation. The guide points out crocodiles, wading birds and other regional species as you move through the water. On clear days, dolphins appear. The boat continues along the reserve's coast until it reaches Las Coloradas, the shallow salt lagoons where thousands of flamingos gather in their natural habitat.

Midway through the tour, you stop to wade into the water and cover yourself with the clay found there: a traditional Mayan self-exfoliation practice that leaves skin soft. After you rinse off, the boat returns to the hotel dock. The guide escorts you to the Salitre restaurant, also inside the hotel, where the kitchen has prepared either breakfast (eggs cooked to order, fruit, hot cakes, bread, coffee or tea) or lunch (your choice of fish fillet, Alfredo pasta with chicken, or nachos with chicken). You can use the hotel's bathrooms and showers to freshen up after the boat ride. Snacks and drinks are served during the tour itself, and towels are waiting when you return.

What’s included

• Certified guide in English or Spanish.
• boat ride through the reserve with snacks and drinks.
• lifevest.
• towels.
• traditional Mayan clay bath.
• breakfast or lunch at the Salitre restaurant with your choice of entree.
• use of hotel bathrooms and showers.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (14 to 80 years) · Child (1 to 13 years)

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Operated by Tours by Hotel Rio Lagartos

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and Spanish, so you'll follow the commentary comfortably in whichever language suits you. Infants are welcome if held by an adult, and the tour suits all fitness levels since you're on the boat for most of it and the clay bath stop is optional.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 13 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What animals will I actually see on the Rio Lagartos boat tour?

Crocodiles and wading birds are reliably present throughout the reserve. Flamingos gather in large numbers at Las Coloradas, the salt lagoons the tour reaches in the second half. Dolphins appear on some departures but are not guaranteed.

How long does the Rio Lagartos tour take from start to finish?

The full experience is three hours, which includes the boat ride through the reserve, the stop to wade in the clay, and the meal at the restaurant afterward.

Is the Mayan clay bath something I have to do, or can I skip it?

The guide takes you to the clay bath area and you're welcome to wade in and cover yourself with it, but participation is your choice. Towels are provided when you return to the boat.

What's included in the breakfast or lunch at the end?

Breakfast includes eggs cooked to your preference, fresh fruit, hot cakes, bread, and coffee or tea. For lunch, you choose between fish fillet, Alfredo pasta with chicken, or nachos with chicken. Snacks and drinks are also served during the boat ride itself.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation to Rio Lagartos?

The tour departs from the Rio Lagartos hotel dock in town. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need to reach the meeting point.