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TIZIMIN AND RIO LAGARTOS |
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Travelling by bus from Valladolid north to Río Lagartos, you have to
change at the elegant colonial town of TIZIMÍN , 51km from Valladolid.
There's little to see, but the small Parque Zoológico de la Reina has
animals from all over the peninsula, and the pretty plaza is peaceful
enough for whiling away a few hours. The best of the modest but
overpriced hotels in the centre is María Antonia , C 50 (tel 9/863-2384;
US$15-25) and there's a good restaurant on the town's main square, the
Tres Reyes . Tizimín also has direct bus services to and from Mérida and
Cancún.
RÍO LAGARTOS , 100km north of Valladolid, stands on a lagoon in marshy
coastal flatland, inhabited by vast colonies of pink flamingos . Despite
talk of turning the area into a new tourist centre, so far it remains a
backwater fishing village. It's easy enough to visit on a day-trip from
Valladolid, but if you want to stay , try Cabañas dos Hermanos (tel
9/862-0128; US$10-15), at the back of a family home, by the beach, which
sleep two or three people and have private bathrooms and pay-as-you-view
cable TV. From the bus station, turn right and continue on to the
water's edge. Otherwise there are large comfortable rooms at Posada
Leydi (tel 9/862-0005; US$10-15), on C 14 at the other end of town and
the smartest option of the lot, Hotel Villa de Pescadores on the malecón
(tel 9/862-0020; US$25-40); all rooms have balconies overlooking the
water. A boat trip over to the seaward shore of the spit that encloses
the lagoon will bring you to a couple of beaches , but they're not up to
much, and in the end it's the flamingos alone that make a visit
worthwhile.
You're likely to be swamped by offers to take you out to see the
flamingos as soon as you get off the bus or out of your car. If not, the
best place to start is the friendly Restaurante Isla Contoy , on the
waterfront, where you can leaf through a book of photos and visitors'
comments while waiting for your boat to turn up. A boat to visit the
many feeding sites costs around US$35, with a maximum of seven people,
but the price and length of the trip are infinitely negotiable. Make
sure that your guide understands that you don't want to harass the
flamingos, as some will get too close if they think their passengers
would prefer to see some action. Recommended is the amiable Marcel
Flores (known as "Leche") who will take you further out than other
guides , perhaps as far as Las Coloradas. Ask for him at Los Negritos
restaurant on the main street as you drive into town. As well as
flamingos, you're likely to see fishing eagles, spoonbills and, if
you're lucky, one of the very few remaining crocodiles for which Río
Lagartos was named.
The most spectacular flamingo colony is at Las Coloradas , on the narrow
spit that separates the lagoon from the sea about 16km east of Río
Lagartos. There's a small village and salt factory here, but you'll need
your own transport, as the bus timetable does not give you a chance to
stay long enough to see anything.
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