Rio Lagartos guided boat tour- Ek Balam from Valladolid
Overview
Available languages
10 hours
Mobile ticket
This English/Spanish spoken guided daytour to the nature reserve of Ria Lagartos and the amazing Maya site of Ek Balam make this combination of nature and archaeology a must do during your visit in Valladolid. You won´t regret it!
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What To Expect
Parque Natural Ria Lagartos
Guided boattour for about 2 hours in this Unesco natural park. Boatrental, entrance to the park and English/Spanish speaking guide are included. You´ll see birds, different types of mangroves, most probably crocodiles. As for the Flamingos: this park is where their nesting aerea is (we´re not allowed to go to the nests), so you´ll definitely see them the whole year round. How many? There are days we see only ten or a hundred, but you´ll never see a thousand ;-).
Ek Balam
English/Spanish guided tour in this must see site. Only about 20 years ago archaeologists discovered here the facade of a Maya mausoleum that is 85% intact like it was in the year 800 AD. If you´re not interested in Ek Balam you can visit the local cenote Xcanche (entrances not included: Ek Balam 494 mxn pp foreigners, Xcanché cenote 170 mxn pp).
Options
Rio Lagartos guided boat tour- Ek Balam from Valladolid
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Bottled water
Lunch
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Entrance Ria Lagartos national park, guided boattour and boatrental
Tourleader and Certified Guide for Ek Balam
drinks with lunch - tips
Entrance Ek Balam for foreigners
Entrance Ek Balam for Mexicans
Entrance Ek Balam for children from 3 till 12 years old
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Reviews
154 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Go Flamingo tour with family
claudiavR4842EE,Apr 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband, 4 year old daughter, and I had a great day with Gilberto on the Go Flamingo tour. Gilberto was a great guide, informative and patient with us and very kind to our little one. He was super informative about both the nature leg and the ruins. I’d happily book other excursions! This is an all-ages tour but as a parent I’d probably make sure the child is mature enough to follow directions and sit on the boat.
José made it unforgettable! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
zandyc2026,Mar 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a fun and memorable experience from beginning to end! JOSÉ was an outstanding guide: attentive, punctual, and full of great energy. He speaks multiple languages really well, which made everything easy and enjoyable. He explained local life in such an engaging way, and even made the Mayan language feel fun and interesting. His knowledge of flora, fauna, archaeological sites, and local culture was incredibly complete. He truly made it an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended!
An infinitely very wonderful&wonderful excursion :)
mooonaliiisa,Feb 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful trip today 😍: Río Lagartos, Ek Balam & Cenote X’Canche, it was infinitely wonderful! We are very grateful to our guide! From the short-term booking two days in advance, to the organization with pickup everything was wonderful. The experiences were simply beautiful and unforgettable! We got to see Flamingos, one of the most wonderful experiences in life! Our guide has provided us everywhere with a lot of knowledge and we had a wonderful time! Thank you MexiGo Tours 🤗
Absolutely fantastic.
Brad W,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Gilberto, collected us again for our nezt trip, bang on time. Always cheerful, helpful and full of information he gave us yet another fantastic day, firstly on the boat trip to see the wildlife around Rio Lagartos which was incredible. I wont spoil it for you, go!! Afterwards a lovely mexican lunch and then off to Ek Balam to marvel in the awe inspiring temples and buildings with a long climb to the top to view the site. Then we were off to the Cenote for a refreshing cool off. Great day from start to finish. Thankyou Gilberto.
Extremely professional outfit with truly exceptional guides.
925sindhut,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our Ek Balam + Río Lagartos trip from Valladolid with Mexigo Tours was outstanding from start to finish. The entire experience was seamless, thoughtful, and deeply meaningful. Mexigo Tours uses very comfortable, modern, and well-maintained vehicles, which made a long day of exploring feel easy and relaxed. Their guides are truly special — full of love, passion, and genuine pride in their work. They went out of their way to share their culture, history, and the sacredness of the land in a way that felt respectful, authentic, and deeply personal. The wildlife in Río Lagartos is absolutely mind-blowing. We saw crocodiles incredibly close to our boat, and yet what impressed us most was how deeply our guides respected the animals and the natural environment. Their reverence for nature earned our admiration and awe. Ek Balam was equally powerful. I highly recommend climbing to the top of the temple for a profound appreciation of how advanced the Mayan civilization was and how deeply connected they were to the universe. This tour was educational, humbling, and unforgettable. Highly recommended.
Highly recommend!!!
Knudslingen,Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an amazing trip - can highly recommend! Our tour guide was the best! He knew a not about the wild life and the mayan culture and he was a really good story teller. The day ended with a refreshing dip at a beautiful Cenote.
Great day out, the...
James H,Nov 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great day out, the wildlife was incredible and the boat trip was fun. The lunch was surprisingly good
A highlight of our holiday
Gabriele B,Sep 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour to Rio Lagartos and Ek Balam was fantastic! Our guide was super friendly, attentive and shared a lot of interesting information. The diverse wildlife in Rio Lagartos and the impressive Mayan site of Ek Balam were absolute highlights. Clear recommendation – great experience!
A wonderful experience
SamanthaM,Aug 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00It was magical to be travelling on the water and see flamingos close up. The trip to Ek Balam was so interesting too
Late review lol but we...
Tessa S,Aug 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Late review lol but we had a great time on this excursion! My mother and I were actually the only ones who booked it that day so we had the boat all to ourselves, which was perfect since our primary goal was birding. We saw lots of target species including anhingas and flamingos. Ek Balam was also an amazing architectural site. Our guide was great but unfortunately I can't remember his name... it's been like 8 months since we went lol but I still think about how great of a trip it was from time to time, so that should tell you all you need to know! If I remember correctly, the price was a little higher than some of the other excursions to the area. I do think it was worth it in our case because we had a private tour. I don't know if I'd feel the same if it was a large tour with lots of people, but for what it ended up being, it was perfect :)
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Operated by MexiGo Tours