The Mayan Road Less Traveled

Getting there, getting around:
Most major U.S. airlines fly to Cancun, about 200 miles north of the Bacalar region. If you choose to rent a car to drive to Laguna Bacalar, allow at least four hours and don't make the trip at night. The highway is generally in good condition, but it is not lit and can be full of hidden obstacles. South of Tulum, gas is available only in Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Chetumal. The major U.S. car rental agencies and several local firms have offices at the Cancun airport.

You can fly from Cancun to Chetumal, about a half-hour's drive south of Bacalar, for about $135 round-trip on AeroCaribe (run by Mexicana, 800-531-7921) or for a bit less on local carriers (check with a travel agent or Rancho Encantado for current schedules). The long-distance buses running between Cancun and Chetumal, including Autotransportes del Caribe, stop in Bacalar. Rancho Encantado staff can bring up to 8 guests from Cancun airport for $200 per trip. Taxis make the drive for around $150.

Another option is to fly to Belize City, three hours by car from Bacalar, although you cannot take rental cars from Belize into Mexico. Rancho Encantado can arrange transportation from Belize City airport.

Where to stay:
Rancho Encantado's cottages rent for $135 per night for two people in high season (December through April). Rates include buffet breakfasts and three-course dinners, but tours, drinks, taxes, and tips are extra. The Rancho welcomes families, although there are no specific children's activities, nor are there TVs or radios. For reservations, contact P.O. Box 1256, Taos, NM 87571. Phone 800-505-MAYA or 505-776-5878, fax 505-776-2102, e-mail mpstarr@laplaza.org.

Less picturesque, but still right on the lake, is the 30-room Hotel Laguna at Costera de Bacalar 143, 77010 Bacalar, Quintana Roo. Phone 983-2-3517. Chetumal has several hotels, including a Holiday Inn near the Museum of Mayan Culture at Av. Hiros 171, Box 1, 77000 Chetumal, Quintana Roo. Phone 983-2-1100 or 800-465-4329 in the U.S., fax 983-2-1676.

Where to eat:
The dining room at Rancho Encantado is open to the public by reservation (Phone 983-8-0427). The set-menu dinners alternate between traditional Mexican dishes—tortilla soup, mole poblano—and more eclectic fare. We particularly liked the vegetarian lasagna; brilliant emerald noodles were layered with chopped greens and peppers, dusted with cheese, and served with an avocado-tomato salsa.

In the village of Bacalar, we lunched on tacos, eggs, and quesadillas at Bacalar II, a handful of outdoor tables next to the highway. Also in Bacalar are a couple of modest groceries where we picked up bananas, bread, or crackers for snacks. The larger food stores in Chetumal are better choices for purchasing picnic supplies.

Touring the Mayan sites:
The Museum of Mayan Culture is on Av. Hiros in Chetumal, Phone 983-2-6838. Admission is about $2.15, $1.15 for children.

Rancho Encantado runs guided day-trips to Dzibanchi, Kinichna, Kohunlich, Becan, Chicanna, Xpujil, Rio Bec, and Hormiguero among others. They also offer excursions to Lamanai in Belize. Trip prices range from $35 to $115 per person. If you have a rental car, you can explore some sites on your own, although a few are accessible only with a special government permit. Several Chetumal travel agencies can also arrange tours. Contact the local tourist office for information.

Other activities:
Rancho Encantado guests can explore the lake in complimentary kayaks or windsurfers. Laguna Bacalar has public swimming areas and boat rental spots, and you can also swim in nearby Laguna Milagros and in the 200-foot-deep sinkhole known as Cenote Azul. Although there is a beach at Calderitas on Chetumal Bay, the more spectacular Caribbean shores are a two-hour drive away on the peninsula from Majahual to Xcalak.

For more information
Contact the Mexican Government Tourist Office at 405 Park Avenue, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10022, phone 800-446-3952. In Chetumal, contact Secretarma de Turismo del Estado de Quintana Roo, Carretera a Calderitas No. 622, 77010 Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Phone and fax 983-2-5073 and 2-8682.

Frommer's Cancun, Cozumel, and the Yucatan (1997), by Marita Adair, is a practical up-to-date guide to travel in the region. Useful as background reading are An Archeological Guide to Mexico's Yucatan, by Joyce Kelly (University of Oklahoma, 1993) and National Geographic's October 1989 feature on "La Ruta Maya."

The country code for calling Mexico is 52. Prices are calculated at 7 pesos to the dollar.