Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

Flamingo Sanctuary

 

There exists a land where the phoenix rises up from its ashes into a blazing fire. It is a place on the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, where the currents of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico merge into a turbulent stream of turquoise and green hues which works its way inland to form the most sacred of estuaries and lagoons: Ría Lagartos.

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Kinbé Hotel, Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Here, since time immemorial the Caribbean Flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber, has found a feeding, reproduction and nesting sanctuary. An unordinary landscape, the Biosphere Reserve of Ría Lagartos holds a cornucopia of unique ecosystems, some flourishing during the dry months and others reaching their splendor in the rainy months of spring and fall. 

Here, one can see cacti growing on sandy dunes by the sea; heavenly palm trees; alabaster mountains of salt near the banks of the river which contrast beautifully witch the peculiar red color of the water; a lush and verdant jungle with natural fresh water wells surrounded by bare land; and mangrove forests on the edges of the waterways.

Only a three-hour car ride from Cancún, the journey to this fascinating ecological reserve is worthwhile. The old highway towards Mérida passes through a number of small villages where the traditions of the Mayan culture are still very much alive in the midst of a modernizing country and the blend of pre-Hispanic and Spanish folklore very notable: just like their ancestors, people live in small, wooden, thatched-roof house that are lined up along the road, under the shade of bougainvillea and fruit trees. 

Mestiza women usually braid brightly colored ribbons into their hair and wear handembroidered cotton dresses called hipiles, as well as jewels made of gold filigree.

The farther away from the glamour of Cancún one gets, the more the landscape becomes desolate. It is marked by monotonous plains of green fields with occasional tropical palm and ceiba trees majestically rising above the rest of the vegetation.

Upon arrival to the Biosphere Reserve of Ría Lagartos, flocks of pink flamingos and egrets are seen casually feeding in the lagoons on each side of the road. When they travel, they always fly in groups that appear, up in the sky, as blazing clouds of vibrant colors varying from deep red coral to hop pink. Thanks to the carotene contained in crustaceans and algae in the estuaries of Ría Lagartos, the pink flamingos of the Yucatan Peninsula are able to reach the incomparable and shocking color that they are famous for.

Like most gregarious species, flamingos are monogamous in nature. They reach sexual maturity between the ages of two and three, and have a long life span. They nest once a year in May-only one or two eggs are incubated-and from the beginning of June, one can see grayish chicks in the waterways of El Cuyo and Las Coloradas, two of the nearby villages. Year after year, in the springtime, flamingos return to this area to reproduce; nevertheless, due to habitat destruction and the decreasing number of birds, nesting has become a miraculous act.

Today, the pink flamingo is included on the endangered species list. In order to preserve threatened wildlife, several areas along the Gulf Coast have been established as natural reserves.

Ría Lagartos is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse areas on the peninsula. The people that live here are incredibly friendly, the foods is delicious and fresh-the specialty dish is made of tiny conch shells-and during the festive months of June and July, great fun can be had. Inexpensive cabañas can be rented in most of the villages.

 Fishermen and guides are usually available to take anyone interested on a boat ride through the estuaries and lagoons, which is often the best way to admire the flamingos and the beautiful landscape. Here, one can actually feel that nature is in fact perfect.

Maria de la Luz Hotel
Valladolid, Yucatan

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