Río Lagartos is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Yucatán
Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate mun ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. The town lies 42 kilometres north of
Tizimín.
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'') ...
, 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, or features of geological or o ...
. 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 like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
. 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 is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
designated the area as
Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.
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