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Travelers to Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean love visiting the southern town of Bacalar. However, the distance and limited transportation options to the popular destination have held back travelers’ ability to make the trek to enjoy the town.
In the past, tourists had the option of a bus ride or an expensive rental car, taxi, or rideshare to get to Bacalar.
However, starting this year there are a number of new and improved options available to visit this amazing southern Mexican Caribbean destination.
A Long Haul Trip
Located a nearly four-and-a-half-hour drive south of Cancun, the quaint town of Bacalar is a bucket list destination that’s a real challenge for travelers to reach. That is until now.
There are three options coming in 2024 that will make this magical place much more accessible to travelers from all over the Mexican Caribbean.
Maya Train
Many travelers will opt to select the new Maya Train service to zip along the tracks from Cancun, Tulum, or even Merida to the town of Bacalar.
While the actual length of time of travel, or even the fare, has been established for the soon-to-be inaugurated route, it is expected to be popular with travelers to the area.
Whisking along at speeds nearing 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour), it should make the 215-mile route (345 kilometers) in about a bit more than two hours.
More details on the start of this route and the ticket prices should be available soon for Bacalar travelers.
Tulum Airport
Tourists can cut the amount of time needed to get to Bacalar by opting to fly to the new Tulum International Airport instead of the Cancun International Airport.
Located about 126 miles north of Bacalar, choosing the new airport, which opens to nonstop international arrivals from the United States in March, cuts the distance to Bacalar from Cancun by nearly 100 miles.
Speeding along the rails using the Train Maya route from Tulum drops the time down to less than two hours, based on an average speed of about 100 miles per hour.
New Bus Station
While bus travel is not a new option for travelers from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, or Tulum to visit Bacalar, the bus operator ADO announced recently that it plans to invest in a new state-of-the-art bus station for travelers to the town in 2024.
According to ADO’s Southern Region General Commercial Manager Juan Manuel Díaz, construction on the new bus terminal in Bacalar is expected to start in February or March based on strong demand from tourists and locals.
The new bus station will be located directly on the federal highway and will feature convenience stores and air-conditioned areas for travelers.
Competition from the Maya Train is leading to an accelerated construction schedule for the new terminal.
Currently, buses take more than five hours to get from Cancun to Bacalar due to the number of stops along the way.
It is unknown if a shorter time express bus route from Cancun and Tulum will be considered in the future due to the strong demand and the services available at the new bus terminal.
What Travelers Need to Know
The good news is there will soon be a number of new and enhanced options available for travelers looking to enjoy all the southern Mexican Caribbean town of Balacar has to offer.
Once considered a challenging place to get to due to the limited options for transportation, the gorgeous town of Bacalar will not only be more convenient to visit with a number of different options but also more affordable due to the increased level of competition for tourists.
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