Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico Las Coloradas Bridge

Las Coloradas Bridge

This small, yet notable, cable-stayed bridge was built to support tourism to a series of internet-famous pink lakes.

Las Coloradas, Mexico

Added By
linkogecko
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Las Coloradas Bridge   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
People often use the Bridge for shade.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Las Coloradas   Walter Rodriguez / CC BY 2.0
The pink brine lakes of Las Coloradas are the main reason for the Bridge’s construction.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The Bridge, seen from a boat on the Lagartos River.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
The eponymous River seen from the town of Río Lagartos.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Inaugurated in 2013, the Las Coloradas Bridge was built out of prefabricated parts in order to connect the small town of Las Coloradas to the larger Río Lagartos. Las Coloradas (whose name means The Colored or Red Ones) is a relatively new town, settled mostly by employees of the Sal Sol salt works. These salt works are based around the eponymous Coloradas Lakes which, due to their high salinity, support a population of algae that turns the water into a variety of colors such as yellow, dark blue, and most famously, bright pink.

Río Lagartos on the other hand is an older town, the main settlement located in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, which was established in 1999. While the town's name can be translated as Lizards River, the Biosphere uses the word "ria," which is the same in English and does not refer to a river, but rather to a former river valley that has been flooded, usually by brackish or saltwater. Because of its unique ecosystem, the Ría Lagartos Reserve has long drawn people to Northern Yucatán, although it may be in the process of becoming out-visited by the lakes of Las Coloradas.

While Río Lagartos has long been connected to the rest of the state by road, Las Coloradas could formerly only be reached by boat on the ria. Las Coloradas's boom therefore would likely not have been possible without this bridge opening in 2013. With a length of 147 feet (45 meters), it crosses the Lagartos Ria while suspended high enough to allow boats to pass under it, as well as offering a shady platform from which locals can fish and spend time.

Assembled out of prefabricated parts, the bridge represents efforts extending from the Mexican state of Veracruz (where the 46-meter-tall pillars were made) to Europe (place of origin of the cables that stay the structure).

Related Tags

Salt Lakes Infrastructure Bridges
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Yucatan Family Adventure: Meteors, Pyramids & Maya Legends

Explore Maya temples and learn about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

linkogecko

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

October 27, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://worldlandforms.com/landforms/ria/
  • https://www.gob.mx/conanp/documentos/reserva-de-la-biosfera-ria-lagartos
  • https://blog.laminasyaceros.com/blog/puente-de-las-coloradas-yucat%C3%A1n
Las Coloradas Bridge
Las Coloradas
Mexico
21.593409, -88.056137

Nearby Places

Ex-Convento Franciscano de Kikil

Kikil, Mexico

miles away

Three Kings Catacombs

Tizimín, Mexico

miles away

"Angels" of Ek' Balam

Ekbalam, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 596
Stories 61

Nearby Places

Ex-Convento Franciscano de Kikil

Kikil, Mexico

miles away

Three Kings Catacombs

Tizimín, Mexico

miles away

"Angels" of Ek' Balam

Ekbalam, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 596
Stories 61

Related Places

  • The north boardwalk trailhead

    Weatherford, Texas

    The Boardwalk at Lake Weatherford

    The longest floating boardwalk in the United States.

  • View of the exposed bridge looking north, 2008.

    Tallassee, Tennessee

    Abrams Creek Underwater Bridge

    Abandoned for 60 years, this submerged bridge was completely forgotten until the lake was drained.

  • The arch is visible below the surface

    Lleida, Spain

    Pont de Montiberri

    A river hides a charming medieval bridge.

  • Pelješac Bridge

    Duboka, Croatia

    Pelješac Bridge

    Construction of this bridge was once described as an "act of violence" against a neighboring country.

  • Passu Suspension Bridge

    Passu, Pakistan

    Passu Suspension Bridge

    Unrefined, uneven, and unstable—this is the real McCoy of Pakistani suspension bridges.

  • An aerial view of the pink waters of Lake Atanasovsko.

    Nessebar, Bulgaria

    Lake Atanasovsko

    One of the world’s only pink lakes where it's possible to take a dip.

  • The Vulcan bridge

    Vulcan, West Virginia

    Vulcan Bridge

    This rural bridge gave the government of West Virginia a red scare.

  • The Holborn Viaduct as seen from Farringdon Street.

    London, England

    Holborn Viaduct

    London’s first road overpass is so old that it was originally built for horse-drawn carriages.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.