A Bacalar Proposal at Amainah

How to Plan a Bacalar Proposal, Mexico

Bacalar is one of the most stunning locations in the Mexican Caribbean and a truly special spot for a proposal. It’s known as the “Lake of Seven Colors” because of the stunning shades of blue water in the clear, freshwater lake. The boutique hotels and laid back vibes of Bacalar are romantic and relaxed, and, only a couple of hours drive from Tulum international Airport, Bacalar offers a secluded alternative to the bustling hotel zones of Cancun, Playa and Tulum.

Amainah Bacalar Adults Only Boutique Hotel

Jason contacted me to photograph his proposal to his girlfriend Genesis – he was already booked into Amainah Bacalar, an exclusive, 5-star, adults-only boutique hotel right on the shore of the lagoon. The design of the hotel is beautiful-brutalist-in-Tulum chic: concrete and geometry meets nature and a peaceful and beautiful location for a proposal in the Mexican Caribbean.

Jason definitely gets full credit for excellent thorough and thoughtful planning. During our first call he found the Amainah live webcam and was checking locations choosing the dock for his proposal.

A Sunset Yacht Cruise for a Magical Engagement Session

In speaking to the hotel, Jason discovered that it was possible to arrange private boat and sailboat charters directly from Amainah’s private dock. So after getting down on one knee and getting the resounding YES he got to reveal a second surprise – there is a yacht coming to pick us up for a sunset cruise, and the most magical engagement session.

Bacalar Proposal Planning Tips

Talk to your hotel – One of the biggest challenges in the Mexican Caribbean for independent photographers like myself is organising access. Many hotels, especially in the Cancun area charge vendor fees of 250-1000usd, so, from our first call I recommended that Jason speak to the hotel directly to navigate my accessing the resort. The boutique hotels in Bacalar are much more accommodating than the big all inclusives. They even removed the big black loungers on the dock for the proposal, and access was resolved easily by paying a day pass to the Amainah beach club (500 mxn at the time of writing.)

Be aware of Bacalar’s restrictions – we had to plan the proposal for a Tuesday because Wednesdays are ‘rest days’ for the lagoon, to protect the fragile ecosystem. That means motorized boat tours, kayaks, paddleboards, and sailing are prohibited on Wednesdays in Bacalar.

Choose the best time of day to propose – The general rule for photography is that the best light for photos is in the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset. And yes – this is true, EXCEPT if you want to showcase bright blue water – in which case that’s going to look most beautiful when the sun is high in the sky during the day. Jason proposed around 3.30pm the breeze from the lagoon helps a lot for the heat and I used strong flash on-camera to fill and avoid racoon eyes. Since he’s planned a 3 hour yacht tour that mean we also had time to get the beautiful sunset light as well as that beautiful blue.

Understand where the sun sets in Bacalar – You’re going to see so many epic ‘sunset’ photographs of Bacalar – you might be surprised to discover that many are actually sunrise. Like the most of the Mexican Caribbean, the town of Bacalar and most of the hotels are East facing so you do not see the sun set over the water, and the buildings and trees on the shore will cast shadows as the sun goes down. If you want that magical golden light in the sky and touching your skin a great solution would be to jump on a yacht, sailing to the center of the lagoon and away from the shade is a stunning solution.