Maria Cruz Díaz Antunes-Barradas
Rio Lagartos Natural Reserve
Seated at the end of the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula, where the Caribbean is mixed with the Gulf of Mexico is a truly lovely place. It is not far from the tourist hustle and bustle of Cancun and the Riviera Maya, but when I was there four years ago, the natural essence remained and I hope it stays that way. This reserve consists of a lagoon, surrounded by mangroves, with a wealth of waterfowl. The first thing we did was visit an authentic Mexican village filled with brightly colored houses. In the spring the water was clear, a turquoise, emerald. The fishermen fed his fish remains to the gulls and pelicans surrounding the boat and it was possible to go by boat to an island to see the flamingos, but we did not have time for the venture.
We visited the reserve's headquarters to orient ourselves a bit, and I was surprised to see iguanas walking quietly through the grass, or laying in the sun. The guard advised us to take a bridge to cross the river and reach the mangroves and to head to the beach after. On the railing of the bridge a pelican seemed to be posing for photographers. We saw two species of mangrove trees typical of tropical saltwater areas that are extremely important in the defense against coastal storms and hurricanes. From there we arrived at the beach, an absolutely beautiful oasis surrounded by palm trees, with turquoise-colored water. Seaside pelicans and cormorants rested and we even noticed a couple of frigates soaring through the air. They are large, black seabirds, but the male has a red bag next to the crop that can be inflated to attract the female. We found an authentic beachside snack bar we enjoyed lunch of fresh grilled fish, pancakes and several bottles of Mexican beer. On the way back, we stopped at a pond where we saw herons and roseate spoonbills.
Read more
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/17/a3/17a37ef764b67b7687c6e9f58ebcdf0c.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/38/4c/384cfbb1e15139927c19fa0269d8998e.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
![](https://images.mnstatic.com/4a/f7/4af75ae0cf197b84907d08f7ea128eb6.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)
+10