DARPAN TRAVEL
A perfect day trip, this one is not too heavy on the budget and gives you a glimpse into the beautiful flora and fauna of interior Mexico
RIO LAGARTOS:
A Slice of
Mexico
What is the meaning of Rio Lagartos? The Mayans originally called this place Hol Koben, and mainly used it as a spot to take rest before heading out to nearby ports. Merchants and travelers went to the nearby community ports for commerce in salt which even today is extracted. It was the Spanish who thought the water body to be a river and crocodiles to be alligators. So, they named the town, Rio Lagartos when they first sighted the humongous creatures in the water.
BY MRINALINI SUNDAR
M
exico is an amazing vacation destination. We can never get enough of the beautiful beaches, culturally rich cities, larger than life nightlife, helpful people, delicious Mexican food, cenotes, and vitamin D. Mexico is the true destination that describes sun, sand, sea! The other advantage of traveling to Mexico, especially during the pandemic is that the place has been open to international travellers even when Covid-19 was taking over the world. Mexico is perfect for anyone who is looking to do touristy things or is just exploring the lesser-known parts of the continent. If you are looking for beach vacations, Mexico has enough and more too often with spectacular places such as Cancun, Tulum, and Playa Del Carmen. Traveling to any of these places would mean basking in the sun the entire day, lots of sunscreens, splashing crystal clear seawater, sandcastles, night parties, and food that will blow your mind. When we set out planning our first trip to Mexico, I wanted to make sure it is a perfect mix of touristy endeavours and exploring the well-kept secrets. So after
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Reflecting The South-Asian Lifestyle
DARPAN
enjoying ourselves by the beach at Playa Del Carmen, we decided to take a one-day trip to Rio Lagartos, a silent, quaint fishing hamlet located in Mexico’s Yucatán state. The name Rio Lagartos first popped up when we were searching for the Instagrammable pink salt lakes at Las Coloradas.
How to get there? It takes about three hours and ten minutes to drive from Playa Del Carmen to Rio Lagartos. We hired a car and had the car to ourselves the entire day.
TM
The biggest attractions So what does one do at Rio Lagartos? We got in touch with Rio Lagartos Adventures, which organizes flamingo and nature tours, beach lover’s tours, night safaris, and crocodile safaris on their well-maintained, safe and comfortable boats. Looking to learn more about the biosphere, the nature tour is meant for you. This guided tour (yes, they speak English) takes you deep into the mangrove channels, an isolated beach on the Gulf of Mexico, and lets you spend a lot of time exploring the wildlife and plants of the Ria Lagartos Bio Reserve. For those interested, you can also stop at the mud baths and the beach if you wish to spend more time viewing wildlife.
