Laguna de Términos

The Laguna de Términos is the great shallow lagoon that Isla Aguada looks onto: about 70 kilometers long and 40 wide, closed off from the Gulf of Mexico by Isla del Carmen, with Isla Aguada at one of its two mouths. Its name dates from 1518, when the Spanish expedition of Juan de Grijalva reached it and thought it marked the end of what they believed was the island of Yucatán.

Rivers such as the Palizada, the Chumpán and the Candelaria pour fresh water into it, and where that water meets the sea huge mangrove forests grow along the shores. They shelter fish, shrimp and crabs, nesting birds and reptiles, and act as a barrier against storms. Since 1994 the lagoon and its surroundings have been a federal Flora and Fauna Protection Area of about 705,000 hectares, one of the largest protected areas in Mexico, and since 2004 a Ramsar wetland.

For visitors, the lagoon means dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins live in these waters year round and often swim right up to the boats near Isla Aguada. Boat trips from the town's fishing dock usually combine dolphin watching with a stop at Isla de Pájaros, an islet full of seabirds, and a swim from a small sandy island.