This New Train Is Making It Easier to Explore Remote Corners of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula-How to Visit

"Dawn was breaking over the lagoon when I looked down and saw one of the oldest life forms on earth. It wasn't much to look at. Lumpy, white, and sitting just below the surface of the water, it resembled an overgrown cauliflower. But its appearance notwithstanding, this was one of the most remarkable objects I had ever encountered. "It's called a stromatolite," my burly and ebullient guide, Edwin Ruiz, explained as he nursed his flask of morning coffee."

"Nicknamed "the lagoon of seven colors," in the sunlight it occupies that blue-green part of the spectrum in which turquoise shades into teal, cerulean into cyan. The stromatolites, which are formed by colonies of microbes that metabolize carbon and nitrogen in the water, help keep the lagoon pristine. That morning, it was so clear that paddling through it felt like floating across a sheet of Saran wrap."

At dawn on Lake Bacalar, a white, lumpy stromatolite—an ancient microbial structure—sat just below the water's surface and likely measured about 12,000 years old. Stromatolites date back roughly 3.5 billion years and are formed by microbial colonies that metabolize carbon and nitrogen, helping to maintain the lagoon's clarity. Lake Bacalar's turquoise-to-cyan hues earned the nickname "the lagoon of seven colors." The lake is a quieter alternative to busier coastal destinations and attracted travelers on guided kayaking tours. A large-scale infrastructure project, the Tren Maya railway, promises to increase access and could bring significant change to the region.

Read at Travel + Leisure