Bacalar solopgang i kajak

TL;DR: Bacalar Sunrise cancelled my tour at 3AM and didn't offer a solution. I received a WhatsApp message from Ishmael around 3AM stating that the guide had a stomach ache and asking if I could reschedule. I didn’t see the message until 5AM, when I was getting ready to leave for the tour. I immediately responded, explaining that this was the only day I had available, but I received no reply. Following the original plan, I arrived at the meeting point at 5:20AM, hoping the issue would have been resolved. No one was there. After reaching out again, Ismael finally responded to let me know they did not have another guide available and would not be honoring my booking. This was very disappointing and unprofessional. I had rearranged my schedule and cancelled other plans the night before to rest for the early tour. I had spoken with other tour operators the day before but chose Bacalar Sunrise based on their strong online reputation. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect that reputation. I’m sharing this to help future travelers make an informed decision. This was the worst service experience I had during my two-week trip to Mexico, and I would caution others not to book with this company. - Summary: Bacalar Sunrise cancelled my tour at 3 AM and offered no solution. I received a WhatsApp message from Ishmael around 3 AM, stating that the guide had stomach pain and asking if I could reschedule. I didn't see the message until 5 AM, when I was getting ready to go on tour. I responded immediately, explaining that this was the only day I had available, but I got no answer. Following the original plan, I arrived at the meeting point at 5:20 AM, hoping that the problem had already been resolved. There was no one there. After re-contacting, Ishmael finally responded to inform me that they had no other guide available and would not honor my booking. This was very disappointing and unprofessional. I had rearranged my schedule and canceled other plans the night before to rest before the tour early. The day before, I had spoken to other tour operators, but I chose Bacalar Sunrise for its strong online reputation. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect that reputation. I share this to help future travelers make an informed decision. This was the most frustrating Service Experience I had during my two weeks in Mexico, and I advise others not to book with this Enterprise.

It was just wonderful to kayak through the mangroves and on the Laguna while the sun was coming up, the quietness, the warmth, the beautiful water: all superb. We had a wonderful guide, Daniel, who was sharing so much information about the area, it was great. The brak with fresh fruits on the water was the ultimate tropical experience. Thanks Daniel!

Where to begin… I am someone who can always find the positives but this was the worst tour I have ever experienced - so gutted having read a number of very positive reviews. This was not a tour, as no information on the area or nature was given. We were asked to arrive at 5:15am but our guide didn’t arrive until 5:50am so we were outside in pitch black waiting. There was no welcome or explanation of what to expect or any kind of safety briefing or instruction on using the boats. We booked this tour to learn about the history and nature of the area but despite what the listing said our guide barely spoke English so the morning consisted of following him and occasionally stopping while he pointed and said “bird”. We didn’t even realise we had been through the Canal De Los Piratas until we googled it afterwards as our guide didn’t tell us. When we asked him about the canal he gestured that it was further down the lagoon and said “pirates… 600” which I can only assume meant there were pirates there 600 years ago. No other information was given. The other couple on our “tour” were paddle boarding but in the wind the current was strong and they often struggled to keep up but our guide had no concern for them and kept zooming off ahead to text someone thinking we wouldn’t notice. At one point he was so far ahead we all lost sight of him and it was 10 minutes before we caught up with him when he finally stopped. We arrived back to the marina with the guide 20 minutes before the other couple who were left to fend for themselves. If one of them had an accident no help would have been available. No snorkelling equipment was provided. Instead were given 10 minutes for a quick swim while our guide went off to play frisbee in the water with some blokes. The guide did take a few photos of us on his phone but a GoPro was never going to happen. The promised snacks and water were not provided and we only received breakfast which was a handful of chopped fruit once we arrived back to the marina. There was no toast, juice or energy bar as advertised. To top it all off we had dreadful weather which can’t be helped, but we didn’t even get the beautiful sunrise to make the trip worth it. Honestly, save the money and disappointment and opt for another provider or just hire a kayak locally by yourself!

Ricardo was very friendly. We were the first on the pirate channel. It was cool to be alone on the lagoon before sunrise with the stars and then the beautiful pastel colors of sunrise. We saw the mangrove and the bottom of the lagoon in stromatolites. It was quiet and soothing. We were able to swim in crystal clear water. On the downside, although we received some photos and fruits, there was no drone or water and other power as mentioned in the announcement. As everywhere in Mexico, expect to pay an extra tip (propina) at the end...

Trip was cancelled and still waiting for a refund! We booked online to go the next day, all seemed ok, got the booking confirmation with details of the meeting point, time (05:30am) and what to take with us. We organised a taxi to drop us off, however when we woke up we had a WhatsApp message that had been sent at 11:30pm saying to meet at a totally different place at 05:50am instead. When we got to the meeting point there was noone there, but the guide turned up a couple of minutes later. He told us that it was too dangerous to go out due to wind and rain (it was dry and no wind at all at this point!) and if we went out we might get into difficulty so we shouldn’t do it. He told us we could have a refund, but not to say to the agency that he said it was cancelled, which we thought was strange. I emailed the agency the same day to explain and ask for the refund. They replied and said we could do the sunset tour that day instead, but as we were leaving Bacalar that day we couldn’t, which they said was no problem and they would request the refund. Since then I’ve had no refund and have sent 3 more emails to chase up the refund but no reply and this was 2 weeks ago. I think as there were only 2 of us booked on they couldn’t be bothered doing it for only 2 people so made up an excuse about the weather. If they cancel the tour they should give a refund. Very disappointing and a waste of time. Do not use these scammers!

My friends and I had a great time on the water with Ritchie. He is very knowledgeable about the area and personable. The sunrise was absolutely beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our swim and tour through the various parts of the lagoon. I definitely recommend the tour. Side note, we later enjoyed a private boat tour with Ritchie of other parts of the lagoon and the rapids in the evening - equally magical!

Terrible agency. We booked a sunrise experience through their official website for May 1st. They never informed us that the tour was not possible, but they still took our money. We have requested a refund several times, but after more than six weeks, we have received no response from this agency. Don't let yourselves be fooled. Strongly discouraged.

Tour was fun, but never received the promised and taken photos. Messages were sent several times, promises were made but never fulfilled. There is now no response anymore.

Unfortunately, our tour in the morning was canceled due to circumstances. This was neatly resolved and as an alternative we could go for the same tour the same day, but with the sunset. Our guide deserves a true 10+. He speaks perfect English, knows a lot about the area and the lake and is a really nice guy. (And don't forget his best buddy, the dog)

A unique moment, timeless! From the beginning to the end. Departure under a starry night (we were able to see a shooting star 😍), splendid sunrise and breakfast on arrival (gourmet plate of fruit and toast)! We also appreciated the little touch with the bottle of water and a cereal bar in our water bag. As well as the big plus, the photos and videos taken by Moïse our guide. Negative reviews come from eternally dissatisfied people 😉