Las Coloradas

Las Coloradas is a small salt-working port on Yucatán's north coast, about 20 kilometers east of Río Lagartos, inside the Ría Lagartos biosphere reserve. Most of its roughly 1,600 people live from the salt industry, and the evaporation ponds that surround the village have become famous for their color.

As seawater evaporates in the shallow ponds and the salt becomes very concentrated, it is colonized by tiny salt-loving organisms that, with the strong sunlight, turn the water pale pink, bright pink or even reddish. The shade changes with the season, the weather and the time of day, and it is usually strongest on bright, sunny days. White mounds of harvested salt stand beside the ponds, and flamingos, pelicans and other birds feed in the lagoons and mangroves around them.

The ponds belong to a working salt plant, so access is controlled: visits are made with local guides, sometimes in vehicles that drive along the dikes, and swimming is not allowed, since the high salt levels irritate the skin and sunscreen can contaminate the salt. Las Coloradas also has quiet beaches facing the Gulf.