Located approximately 425 kilometers (265 miles) from Merida, the little pueblo of Bacalar, population 10,500, is nestled along the shoreline of the magnificent Laguna Bacalar. It is small, quiet, and unassuming. We found one pizza parlor that doesn’t have a phone number and doesn’t deliver! That really describes the lifestyle of the population. Declared to be “Pueblo Magico” in 2007 by the Governor of Quintana Roo, this quiet little village goes about its daily business without fanfare.
Interestingly enough though, directly across from the main square there is a hidden treasure just waiting for you to discover! There is a magnificent old fort with a museum that I just couldn’t resist.
Fort San Felipe was built in the 1700’s under the orders of Don Antonio Figueroa y Silva, Field Marshall of the Yucatan, when the current state of Quintana Roo was part and parcel of the Yucatan and did not yet exist. The purpose of the fort was to protect the Bacalar population from frequent attacks by pirates and to defend the entire region from harassment from the traders in Campeche wood. (The swashbuckling Johnny Depp, in full regale, would be right at home here!)
The views from the old fort are nothing less than spectacular, and the reinforced walls and moats surrounding the fort have stood the test of time. Below are some photographs that need little to no explanation. Enjoy!
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Can I go and live there? it is soooo pretty.
ReplyDeleteregards,
Theresa