The pink ponds
Pink water beside white sand.
Walter Rodriguez from Helsinki, Finland — CC BY 2.0 · Isabel A01706197 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wasquewhat — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ricardo Pool — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Comisión Mexicana de Filmaciones from México D. F., México — CC BY-SA 2.0
Las Coloradas is a small fishing village on the north coast of Yucatán, known for the pink salt ponds of a working salt plant. The ponds have become one of the most photographed sights on the peninsula, with pink water running beside white sand under a blue sky. The ponds are an industrial site before they are a tourist one, with salt taken from seawater by evaporation. Their colour is usually put down to tiny organisms living in the very salty water, and it shifts with the light, the salt level and the time of year. You walk on earth banks between the ponds, with white hills of salt and coastal birds in view. The short route covers the main spots, and there are longer tours by bicycle or with a guide. The village itself has a quiet beach, fishing boats and an old wooden pier. The colour is usually strongest around midday with the sun high, and it can fade on cloudy days. The village is 17.1 km in a straight line east of Río Lagartos and 104.5 km north of Valladolid. Swimming in the ponds and flying drones are forbidden, and the water can irritate skin. Shade is scarce, so bring sunscreen and water. Officials say no toll is required on the coast road toward El Cuyo.
Pink water beside white sand.
White heaps from the working plant.
Fishing boats and an old wooden pier.
Las Coloradas, Río Lagartos municipality, Yucatán state
No, swimming is forbidden and the water can irritate skin.
It varies with the light and the salt level, and is usually strongest with the sun high.