The Town was depopulated due to the indigenous rebellions against the Spaniards, a situation that worsened in 1642 when Bacalar was attacked by English pirates. Pirate attacks increased after the conquest due to the conflicts between England, France and Holland against Spain, all fighting for possession of colonies in America. This affected the way of life in Bacalar since its development was frequently impeded by these incursions that were disastrous for the town’s life and economy.

War of the Castes

After Independence, Bacalar was the most important settlement in the eastern region of the Yucatan Peninsula. Relations between creoles, mestizos and Maya were excellent and based on mutual respect. The area was noteworthy for its buildings made with masonry, such as its maritime customs house, school, fort, church and large warehouses where you could find all kinds of merchandise.

 In 1847 the War of the Castes broke out. The indigenous rebels demanded that the Bacalar authorities supply them with provisions in exchange for not killing the inhabitants, but the troops abandoned the Town, fleeing towards Belize, which enabled the Maya to take control of the city and establish stores of arms, munitions and gunpowder supplied by the English, who supported the rebellion in exchange for permits to exploit the forest resources of the area.

Thirteen years after the indigenous rebellion began, Bacalar was the scene of a most bloody event, when Yucatecan troops commanded by colonel Cetina, recovered the settlement. The Maya forces allied to the Spanish attacked the inhabitants and killed most of them, many of whom had taken refuge in the church and the fort.

THE BACALAR LAGOON OR LAGOON OF SEVEN COLOURS

 This is an enormous extension of shallow waters, with soft, white sand. It has small waves with barely perceptible blue tones where the composition of its crystals generates a simply fascinating spectacle. This lagoon is part of a lagoon system approximately 55 kilometres long which runs into Chetumal bay through the Río Hondo and the Chaac estuary.

Some hotels and private residences have been constructed around it and they are usually full at weekends and during holiday periods. Within this enormous stretch of water there are shallow areas with springs that are excellent for safe scuba diving activities.

CENOTE AZUL

This is an incomparable body of deep water. Due to its size it is considered to be the largest on the surface in Mexico. 200 m wide and 90 m deep, it is located 30 Km to the north east of Chetumal. It connects with the Bacalar Lagoon through underground caverns and was given its name due to the turquoise colour of its water.

The word Cenote comes from the Maya tzonot, “abyss”. This name is used for all deep water deposits throughout the peninsula. Sometimes at the bottom of the cenotes you can find strong currents that form part of a complicated network of underground rivers.

 But in the Cenote Azul you can swim and scuba dive, while taking the usual safety measures, as well as peacefully practice rowing and canoeing, with the necessary equipment. The ancient Maya made different uses of the cenotes: while some were used as a water supply others only served ceremonial purposes; here they honoured Chaac, God of water and rain, as well as considering them to be the gateway to the infraworld.

THE SAN FELIPE FORT

This fort was constructed by Don Juan Podio in 1729, on the orders of the governor Don Antonio de Figueroa y Silva. It was erected on the banks of the lagoon in order to contain the English pirates, who would periodically destroy the town, impeding the development of the Spanish settlement.

The purpose of this military construction was to guarantee the safety of the inhabitants of Bacalar. It also played an important role during the War of the Castes; Bacalar was defended from the attacks of the rebelling Maya from this fort, although it finally fell into their hands on February 21st, 1858. The original bridge had a drawbridge and a moat that had pointed stakes for its defence instead of water.

Nowadays the moat is a beautiful garden with Mayan and Spanish designs in which you can observe machetes, rifles, cannon balls and rattle snake tails, which have a profound meaning in Mayan religion. Both the moat’s garden and the mural on exhibition in the Siege Museum are the works of Master Elio Carmichael from Chetumal; Juan A. Xacur was in charge of the museum’s design.

 The museum, although small, narrates in general terms the historical development of the area using documents, maps and drawings that show visitors how boats arrived to the lagoon: and, above all, the construction of the fort itself and the successive establishments of Bacalar.

BACALAR TOWN

Founded in 1544, and given the name of Villa de Salamanca, the town was always coveted by corsairs and pirates who constantly attacked Yucatan’s eastern coast. Bacalar was occupied on different occasions by pirates. Its community festivals are in honour of San Joaquín on July 22nd and the fair from August 8th to 16th is in honour of its Patron Saint.

 Main Square It is located in the upper part of the town, to one side of San Felipe Fort, and the central park has a bandstand and carefully manicured gardens; this square is the meeting point for all the inhabitants and the official venue for the Bacalar fair.