Las Coloradas

• Highlights
• Perfect day
• Map & getting there
• Where to stay
• When to go
• Mistakes to avoid
• Quick answers

Pink by accident

The pink colour comes from salt-tolerant microorganisms, mainly the alga Dunaliella salina. In very salty water, it produces a red-orange pigment, beta-carotene, which turns the water pink.

The ponds are laid out in stages. Seawater enters the farthest ponds first and gets saltier as it is pumped towards the refinery. The ponds closest to the plant are the pinkest.

Tiny brine shrimp (Artemia) feed on the algae, and flamingos feed on the shrimp. The area is part of the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, and the salt works are privately run, so access may be restricted.

What to see

• The pink ponds: the most intense pink is in the ponds nearest the salt plant, best in strong midday sun.
• The flamingos: flocks feed in the lagoons nearby, where the water is less salty.
• Río Lagartos: a fishing town where boat trips go into the lagoon to see flamingos.
• The coast: a narrow road with the turquoise Gulf of Mexico on one side and the ponds on the other.
• Valladolid: a colonial town some tours add to the trip.

Swimming is not allowed: the salt level is so high that it can burn your skin or irritate your eyes. A local guide is required to enter, and access that used to be free now goes through guided tours run by the local community.

A day trip from Cancún

It is a long day. Most tours leave early, reach the ponds around midday, and add a flamingo boat ride or a cenote swim.

1. Early morningLeave Cancún or the Riviera Maya. The drive takes several hours.
2. Late morningArrive at the ponds. The colour is strongest from about 11 am to 2 pm.
3. MiddayTake your photos, then have lunch in a fishing village.
4. AfternoonTake a boat to see flamingos at Río Lagartos.
5. EveningDrive back.

Where it is and how to get there

Las Coloradas is on the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, in Mexico.

• On a tour Group day trips from Cancún and the Riviera Maya cost roughly $158 to $199 a person in the listings we saw. Most last 7 to 14 hours and some include lunch, a boat ride or a cenote swim.
• By car Cancún is a drive of about 3.5 to 4 hours. Stop in Río Lagartos, where you can book a local guided tour, the easiest way into the ponds.
• Fees Fees are often paid on top of the tour price. One listing gives a conservation tax of MX$500 per person, another a Río Lagartos tax of $27. Check what is included.
• When to go One guide says 11 am to 2 pm is ideal for the colour, and another recommends 10 am to 3 pm. The dry season, March to August, has more sun.

Good to know: it is a very hot, flat, shadeless place. Bring a hat, sun cream and water, and check the conditions before you go.

Where to stay

When to go

• All year The colour depends on the sun, the salt level and the pond, so it changes from visit to visit. Strong midday sun gives the best colour.
• Flamingos Flocks use the lagoons, and numbers vary through the year.

Our tips for Las Coloradas

• Go at midday. The pink is strongest in strong sun.
• Use a local guide. A guide is required to enter.
• Bring water and a hat. There is no shade.
• Take cash. For fees and small purchases.
• Add the flamingo boat. It is the best part for many people.

Don't make these mistakes

• Visiting on a cloudy day. The colour looks dull.
• Assuming you can swim. The salt can burn your skin and eyes, and a guide is required.
• Not checking what the tour includes. Fees are often extra.
• Leaving late. It is a long drive back.
• Forgetting sun protection. There is almost no shade.

Quick answers

A note on prices: fees, opening hours and timetables change, and we update them every year. The details in this guide were checked in autumn 2026 and may be different by the time you travel, so please confirm them on the official website before you book.