Even though it was 6:00 am, we were excited to get out of our comfy bed at Hotel Boutique Casa Quetzal for our planned day! After a great experience on a cycle trip around Valladolid with MexiGo Tours, we decided to book another adventure with them.
We headed to the fishing village of Rio Lagartos with four other travelers and our lively guide, Gilberto. The village sits next to a massive 60,000-hectare nature reserve and lagoon, home to flamingos, crocodiles, over 300 species of birds, and many fish. Even though we had seen flamingos and crocodiles during our safari in the Masai Mara in Kenya, we were still eager to see more wildlife in their natural habitat.
In no time, as we wound through the brackish canals, the jungle came alive with the sounds of birds and rustling mangroves. We spotted egrets, ospreys, herons, pelicans, a puffer fish, a couple of crocodiles, and more. After about 45 minutes of cruising, we arrived onshore and saw flamingos wandering, eating, and flying. They had a much brighter color than the ones in Kenya, almost glowing in the afternoon sun.
After watching the birds for a while, Gilberto suggested we try a natural spa treatment by covering ourselves in mud clay. Nick and I eagerly agreed, though the other four tourists opted to stay in the boat. The mud was thicker than the mud bath we had in the Dead Sea in Jordan. We let the hot mud bake on our bodies for about 15 minutes before rinsing it off with fresh water, leaving our skin smooth and soft. Supposedly, it’s supposed to make us look 10 years younger, but that’s up for debate.
We then made our way back to shore and enjoyed a delicious fish lunch. Our final stop of the day was the ancient Maya archaeological site of Ek’ Balam. It was our first time visiting a Maya site, and we were really looking forward to it.
Compared to Chichen Itza, Ek’ Balam is less visited but did not disappoint. We wandered around, imagining life over 2000 years ago. We hiked up the 106 uneven, stone steps to the top of the Acropolis and enjoyed the breathtaking views of the thick jungle and ancient buildings below.
We had a fantastic 10-hour day and highly recommend a trip to Rio Lagartos and Ek’ Balam, two must-see spots in the Yucatan Peninsula.
