Río Lagartos is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in the
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Yucatán
Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida.
...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. The town lies 42 kilometres north of
Tizimín
Tizimín is a city located in the Tizimín Municipality in the States of Mexico, Mexican state of Yucatán (state), Yucatán, It is located in the Coastal Zone of the same state.
It has an average height of 20 meters and is located at a distance ...
.
Mérida is approximately 230 kilometres further west.
Río Lagartos is located at a
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...
, the Ria Lagartos, which is part of a
natural reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologi ...
. This makes it an ideal place for
birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...
. This lagoon is part of the Petenes mangroves ecoregion, and the Ria Lagartos has been designated as an internationally recognized Important Bird Area (IBA). In 2004,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
designated the area as
Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve () (established 2004) is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the state of Yucatán, Mexico. The reserve is located at the eastern end of the coastal strip of the Yucatán Peninsula, with the Gulf of Mexico at its norther ...
.
The creek where
Francisco Hernandez's 1517 expedition tried to obtain water, was named El Estero de los Lagartos, because of the "many large alligators".
[Diaz, B., 1963, The Conquest of New Spain, London: Penguin Books, ]
References
* World Wildlife Fund. eds. Mark McGinley, C.Michael Hogan & C.Cleveland. 2010
''Petenes mangroves''. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC
Photo gallery
Image:Riolagartos1.JPG, View over Río Lagartos
Image:Riolagartos2.JPG, Port of Río Lagartos
Image:Riolagartos3.JPG, Flamingoes at the lagoon
External links
Río Lagartos Photo Essay
Populated places in Yucatán
Tourism in Mexico
{{Yucatán-geo-stub