The Biosphere Reserve Ria Lagartos, yucatán

Located on the eastern edge of the coastline of the state of Yucatan, Mexico, on the north borders the Gulf of Mexico, south to the towns of Tizimín, Rio Lagartos and San Felipe, on the east by the State of Quintana Roo and west by the municipality of San Felipe. The Alligator River Ecological Reserve is located 2hrs from Merida, Yucatan and 2:30 pm. Cancun, Quintana Roo by car. You can get on the road to Valladolid and then take the exit to the city of Tizimín passing through the new archeological site of Ek Balam.

Rio Lagartos is a sanctuary for breeding and nesting Pink Flamingo American who along with 320 other bird espeices make the reserve their home. When combined area of wetlands and sub-tropical forest, also develop the Lizard and the Crocodile river, as well as different species of turtles as well as armadillos, raccoons, spider monkeys, ocelots, deer, leopard and jaguar.



The Biosphere Reserve Ria Lagartos, is one of the mangrove areas and hillocks largest and most important of the Yucatan Peninsula. In the region there are few human settlements, which favors the concentration of animal species.


The reserve has a total area of 60,347.82 hectares, divided into 6 core areas and buffer zones. The Reserve is a complex of terrestrial, freshwater and marine, has a great diversity of plant communities, among which there are 10 vegetation types: evergreen forest, tropical deciduous forest, thorny deciduous forest, lowland floodplain, mangrove, coastal dune scrub, flooded grassland and vegetation of seagrass (seagrass). Also we find typical formations of the coastal areas of the Yucatan Peninsula called checkpoints, which have been described as islands of clusters of trees, where the species composition is richer than the surrounding vegetation and has heights between 18 and 25 m.


rio lagartos