Bacalar is one of the magical towns of the state of Quintana Roo and although it is not part of the Riviera Maya, its beauty has made it worthy of thousands of visits a year. In fact, many people who go with the intention of only visiting Cancun and the Riviera Maya and then visit Bacalar, fall in love with it.

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How to get to Bacalar

Imagine staying in a cabin near the Bacalar Lagoon, where by day you can enjoy its crystal clear waters, tour the pirates’ canal and the places near it and at night, enjoy a beautiful sky, completely starry, while the sea breeze caresses your skin. Without a doubt you have to visit Bacalar.

So if you are wondering how to get to Bacalar from Cancun, from Playa del Carmen or from Tulum, keep reading this article because we will tell you right now.

Distance to Bacalar from Cancun airport

The distance from Cancun airport to Bacalar is 333 km and the approximate transfer time is 4 hours.

Distance from downtown Cancun to Bacalar

The distance from the center of Cancun and the city of Bacalar is 345 km and the approximate transfer time is 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Distance to Bacalar from Playa del Carmen

The distance from Playa del Carmen to Bacalar is 280 km and the approximate transfer time is 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Distance from Bacalar from Tulum

The distance from the city of Tulum to Bacalar is 215 km and the approximate transfer time is 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Distance from Bacalar from Chetumal

The distance between the city of Chetumal and Bacalar is 38.5 km and the approximate transfer time is 35 minutes.

Getting around Bacalar

Bacalar is a small town, therefore there are not a lot of transportation services such as cabs or uber and therefore, to move around this beautiful magical town you can do it walking or renting a bicycle.

Is there an Uber in Bacalar?

No, in the magical town of Bacalar there is no Uber service.

How to get to Bacalar from Cancun

Bacalar is very far from Cancun city and if you want to come to know it and spend some unforgettable days here, the transfer options are limited to private transfer, ADO bus and Colectivos.

Private Transfer

The private transfer service is the best option to get to Bacalar from downtown Cancun or from the Cancun airport. And the truth is that it is the best option, because remember that the trip lasts from 4 hours to 4 hours and 20 minutes.

If you decide to choose this service as your preferred transportation, you won’t have to worry about schedules, logistics and paying a single peso more, since private transfer agencies have standardized rates.

This means that most of them have the following prices from Cancun to Bacalar.

Private Service
Private Service Private Service
1-3 Passengers 4-6 Passengers 7-8 Passengers
Single Round trip Single Round trip Single Round trip
355 USD 655 USD 355 USD 655 USD 355 USD 655 USD

 

It should be noted that this type of vehicle has air conditioning, WIFI, cell phone chargers and ample space to travel comfortably.

cancun airpor transportation to bacalar from cancun

ADO Bus

As such there is no direct line Cancun – Bacalar or in other words, there is no ADO bus service from Cancun to Bacalar. But there is from Cancun to Chetumal.

This means that you can take the ADO shared transfer to Chetumal and once in Chetumal take a cab, a colectivo or another bus to Bacalar.

ado bus cancun to bacalar

Colectivos

There are no colectivos or shuttle shared (private transportation) services from Cancun to Bacalar, however. If you want to be adventurous and, at the same time, get to know other regions of the Riviera Maya, you can take the Playa Express service from downtown Cancun.

This transportation service costs 55.00 MXN and its destination is Playa del Carmen. Very close to the fifth avenue. Here you could get to know a little of the fifth avenue and then take an ADO bus to Chetumal or take another bus to the city of Tulum.

If you take the bus to Tulum, we advise you to enjoy 2 or 3 hours of this beautiful city and then buy a bus ticket from Tulum to Chetumal.

Once in Chetumal, you can take a cab, bus or colectivo to Bacalar.

How to get to Bacalar from Playa del Carmen

How to get to Bacalar from Playa del Carmen

If you are in the city of Playa del Carmen and you want to visit Bacalar, then you have to take an ADO bus transfer or a private transfer service to Bacalar,

ADO Bus

Bacalar is nowhere near Playa del Carmen, therefore cabs as such cannot take you, but ADO services can. It is worth mentioning that as such your destination from Playa del Carmen will not be Bacalar: it will be the city of Chetumal and from here you can take other more accessible transfer services to the beautiful city.

Private Transfer

Again, the private transfer service is the best option if you are looking to go directly from Playa del Carmen to Bacalar. As such, being a private transfer service, it will pick you up at Playa del Carmen and without further ado will take you to the accommodation of your choice in the magical town of Bacalar.

How to get to Bacalar from Tulum

If you are in the city of Tulum, getting to Bacalar will be even easier and of course, the best transfer option is through ADO.

How to get to Bacalar from Chetumal

Are you staying in Chetumal? Without a doubt, from Chetumal you only need a little less than 30 minutes to get to Bacalar, and from here you can take private transfers, cabs, buses and even colectivos.

Best of all, prices do not exceed 250.00 MXN, being the shared transfer service the cheapest, which costs approximately 50.00 MXN.

Conclusion

Actually, getting to Bacalar from Cancun, from the beach or from Tulum can be very tiring. This is due to the time and distance you have to travel, but trust us. Once you do it, you will undoubtedly love this paradise on earth in Quintana Roo.