Getting from Merida to Las Coloradas offers the opportunity for a pretty spectacular day trip that takes in some of Yucatán’s hidden gems. In this article, you will learn why you should visit Las Coloradas, what it is, what you’ll see and how best to visit. I’ll share two fabulous day trip routes from Mérida.

I lived in Mérida, on the Yucatan Peninsula for many years and have been to Las Coloradas, the famous pink beach, a few times. I’ve also explored the rest of the area extensively, which is why I’m perfectly positioned to help you create the perfect day trip itinerary from Mérida.

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From Mérida to Las Coloradas – A Day Trip Itinerary

🍳 Drive to Motul for breakfast ➡️ Las Coloradas ➡️ Tizimin ➡️ Mérida

🍳🍳 Motul for breakfast ➡️ Las Coloradas ➡️ Río Lagartos or San Felipe for lunch ➡️ Mérida

➡️ Let’s talk safety in Yucatán for a second. Yucatán is Mexico’s safest state, making it a perfect spot for a vacation. If you’re interested in reading more about whether Yucatan is safe and how to look after yourself while in Yucatan, you know I’ve got you covered!

Las Coloradas – Yucatán’s Famous Pink Beach

The popularity of Las Coloradas, Yucatan’s Pink Salt Lakes, continues to grow thanks to social media. You may have seen photos of people swimming in this strange pink water and figured you’d quite like to see it for yourself. That’s awesome! It’s definitely worth your time to go and see Las Coloradas but please be aware that it is no longer permitted to swim here or to even touch the water or the salt crystals.

What Exactly is Las Coloradas?

Let’s start at the very beginning and talk about this mythical pink beach that’s located in the north of Yucatán in the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.

🦩 Las Coloradas is the name of the small fishing village that sits right next to colourful pink lakes owned and worked by a salt production company. The village is home to around 1,000 people, 70 percent of whom work in the salt industry. Generally though, when people talk about Las Coloradas they mean the pink lakes that belong to the salt production company. 

🦩 For years, the salt company, Industria Salinera de Yucatán, Mexico’s second biggest salt producer was just quietly doing its own salty thang. Sure the odd local or visitor would show up and take photos of their pretty pink water but no one thought much more of it. As time passed, Yucatán became a more popular tourist destination (and people like me put photos of the pink lakes on the front of their guidebooks). While neither the salt company nor many of the locals had any burning desire to turn their pink waters and surrounding biosphere into a major tourist attraction, they have accepted their reality and have created tours and a visitors centre to meet demand. 

If you’re interested in trying the salt produced by these pink lakes and the factory nearby, look out for the label SAL SOL.

🦩 It is, of course, interesting to know that the Maya people have produced salt here for more than 2000 years. From Las Coloradas, salt was transported around the peninsula to towns like Chichen Itza as well as further afield to Tikal in Guatemala. Just off the coast here is Isla los Cerritos, a small island from whence the people of Chichén Itzá controlled seagoing trade including salt.

🦩If you’ve ever been to Xcambo, a Maya archaeological site near Progreso then you may know that the ancient Maya also produced salt there. In fact, the salt production there has continued at Xtampú and you can visit their much smaller salt production lakes easily from Mérida too.

So Really, a Pink Beach?

Well, no. It’s a man-man lake but that doesn’t mean it isn’t gorgeous. The water is salty seawater and it’s pink but please keep in mind that the shade of pink can vary dramatically and at certain times under certain conditions, it’ll barely look pink at all. Check on the conditions before you set out to see the pink beach. 

📌 The water contains a microorganism called artemia salina (also known as brine shrimp) that makes the water pink when (and only when) they have enough sunlight. I read recently that these little dudes have barely changed in 200 million years, which is fascinating, obviously. 

📌 While the brine shrimp never change, Las Coloradas has, greatly in the last few years. Today it’s no longer possible to touch the water and it’s certainly not permitted to get in the water. Remember, this is private property so follow the rules if you wish to visit. Drones are also not permitted any longer.  

How to Visit Las Coloradas Parque Turístico

Thanks to Instagram and the increase in visitors to Mérida and Yucatán in general, the number of visitors to Las Coloradas has risen enough that it’s no longer a case of show up and wander around as it used to be. Today there is an official visitors’ centre, you are obliged to hire a guide and follow one of three tours:

✅ Walking Tour – 45-minute walk beside the water with a guide (costs extra if you need an English-speaking guide) who explains the process of salt production.

✅ Safari Bus Tour – 90-minute tour around the lakes and the salt factory grounds on a safari bus

✅ Bike Tour – 30 – 60-minute bike ride around the salt lakes with a guide

On each tour there is, of course, time for photos and the opportunity to climb up the new lookout (mirador) platform for views out over the pink salt lakes.

📌 If you have your own car (or have rented one), the easiest option is to take one of these three tours. You could just show up and peer over the fence and then go home but that’s a long way to drive to then not see the pink lakes properly.

📌 If you’d rather take a tour from Mérida or Cancun, then of course this is also perfectly possible.

I hear rumours of a zipline being installed so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Best Time To Visit Las Coloradas

🔆 March – May for best pink waters (spring break should be fine)

🧂 April – September to see collection of salt

🦩 April – September flamingo season

It is recommended to visit on a sunny day between 11am – 3pm. Luckily we have a lot of these in Yucatán! The depth of the water also matters as does what’s happening in the salt gathering process. Really, the best thing to do is to enquire a day or so in advance if the water is likely to be pink when you visit. You can check social media to see what’s going on using a hashtag such as #lascoloradas or #mexicopinkbeach. 

Where is Las Coloradas?

Las Coloradas is on the Gulf Coast of Yucatán not far from the state of Quintana Roo. It’s easy enough to get to the incredible pink beach of Yucatan for a day trip from any of the main tourist cities on the Yucatan peninsula if you have your own car, a rental car or opt to take a guided tour.

🚌 Public transportation is possible but it’s not easy and won’t leave you with the freedom to explore as you wish especially if you’re going to manage a full day trip.

🚗 From Mérida to Las Coloradas – take the Mérida – Motul road, following signs to Tizimin. If you drive without stopping it will take just under 3hrs. 

🚗 From Cancun to Las Coloradas 3hr20 via Valladolid

🚗 From Playa del Carmen to Las Coloradas 3hr10 via Valladolid

🚗 From Valladolid to Las Coloradas 1hr50

What Else is There to Do at Las Coloradas?

🦩 See the pink flamingos, take a mud bath and visit the beach. This section of the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen in my life and very few people ever make it here. You will be able to find a local guide to show you these spots once you arrive.

🦜 Remember, this attraction is located within a protected biosphere: there are a surprising number of bird species in the area. On the beach, you may find horseshoe crabs and turtles and if you head into the mangrove (from San Felipe or Rio Lagartos) you can see crocodiles.

🛶 From the nearby towns of Rio Lagartos and San Felipe you may be able to pick up a tour that offers a boat ride through the biosphere mangroves all the way to Las Coloradas. We did this in 2021 and found it to be a really fun experience. We were able to get out of the boat and onto viewing platforms to see both flamingos and the pink lakes but we didn’t get as close as you do on the official tour offered by the salt producers. 

Day Trip Itineraries From Mérida to Las Coloradas

🍳 Start by driving to Motul for breakfast ➡️ Las Coloradas ➡️ Tizimin ➡️ Mérida

Motul for Breakfast

🚗 Motul, one of Yucatán’s Pueblos Magicos is a forty-minute drive from Mérida. Start early and stop here for huevos motuleños, one of Mexico’s most famous breakfasts. This is a delicious egg-based dish that originates here in the small town of Motul.

🍳 Fried eggs are served on top of fried tortilla with refried beans, cheese and a tomato, pea and ham salsa. It’s often served with sweet fried plantain and I assure you that it is delicious.

📌 Head upstairs in the market on the main plaza to join locals enjoying this delicious breakfast dish.

📌 Stick your head inside the museum opposite to learn about the two most famous of all Motuleños, Felipe Carillo Puerto and his sister, Elvia Carillo Puerto. He was a former governor of Yucatán and a defender of indigenous rights. She was one of Mexico’s earliest feminists and was the first woman to serve on the Yucatecan government.

Las Coloradas Between 11 am – 3 pm

🚗 Motul – Las Coloradas is a 2hr20 drive so don’t spend too long over your huevos motuleños!

🦩 Once you arrive in Las Coloradas, choose your tour (these take up to 90 minutes). Decide if you want to add on a quick stop to see the flamingos and local beach.

Tizimin – See the Catacombs

🚗 Drive to Tizimin (1 hour) to experience the weird catacombs under private houses or go for a swim in the cenote nearby – cenote Kikil. Grab a bite at Casa Makech.

🚗 Drive back to Mérida (2 hours)

🍳🍳 Motul for breakfast ➡️ Las Coloradas ➡️ Río Lagartos or San Felipe for lunch ➡️ Mérida

The first two stops are the same as the itinerary above but after leaving Las Coloradas, instead of driving to Tizimin, drive to either Río Lagaros or San Felipe for lunch and a quick stroll along a malecon.

🚗 Río Lagartos – (30 minutes). The malecon is a great spot for a stroll. Find the Río Lagartos letters, stop and enjoy the swings out over the water and the gentle buzz of fishing village life. I really like Ria Maya Tours and Restaurant as a good lunch spot here.

🚗 San Felipe – (35 minutes from Las Coloradas) is the smaller of the two options. I’m a huge fan of the fishing village of San Felipe. I highly recommend Restaurante Vaselina for a delicious lunch before exploring this tiny town that is famous for its wooden houses. If you have time take a short boat trip over to the beach or around Isla Los Cerritos.

If, after all this you’re not sure you have time to get to the pink beach of Las Coloradas from Mérida, never fear because just down the road, by Telchac Puerto and the Mayan ruin of Xcambo is the incredible Laguna Rosada, a smaller but also gorgeous pink salt lake.

Other Great Day Trips From Mérida

📌 Go to one of the many cenotes around Mérida for a swim

📌 Chichén Itzá and a refreshing cenote swim

📌 Explore the gorgeous beaches close to Mérida

📌 Visit a Mayan ruin and marvel at their beauty

📌 Visit Izamal, the famous yellow city

📌 Explore Campeche, a city full of museums and history

📌 Check out Valladolid

❓ Are you wondering whether to visit Mérida or Valladolid on your trip around Yucatán?

However you travel and explore, don’t forget to take out travel insurance before you go.