How To Get From Bacalar, Mexico To Flores, Guatemala During COVID
Country Hopping During COVID
Budget travel can be challenging at times, but crossing through different countries during COVID 19 adds new layers of stress, deep research, and rules to follow.
Pre-pandemic, many backpackers would go from Bacalar, Mexico to Flores, Guatemala and beyond by cutting through Belize. But during the pandemic the route has changed. If you’ve stumbled across this blogpost in a desperate attempt to learn how to get from Bacalar or Chetumal, Mexico to Flores, Guatemala all while bypassing Belize due to the heavy COVID restrictions, you’ve come to the right place. After hours of internet searching, making travel plans just go to back and cancel them, and texting multiple companies we finally figured out how to get to Guatemala without entering Belize.
Traveling through Mexico? Check out my guides to Mérida, Valladolid, and Cozumel!
But Why Bypass Belize During COVID?
First of all, Belize has stricter entry rules than its neighbors. To enter Belize right now you must have 3 nights already booked at a “Gold Standard” hotel, as well as the usual COVID test, proof of travel health insurance, and more. If you’re traveling after February of 2022, be sure to check online to see if the requirements have changed. Due to our travels being on a strict budget, going through Belize was not worth it for us. We would have to dish out more money for a fancier place to stay in Belize, for multiple days, when all we wanted to do was to pass through in a more direct route to our destination.
Before we were familiar with all of the regulations, we were looking for bus/shuttle services to take us through Belize and directly to Flores in Guatemala. But alas, none would! One company responded that they no longer drive that route because it is a “pain in the ass”. A pain indeed.
Here’s What To Do
So here’s what you’ll need to do if you’re in Mexico and wanting to go to Guatemala via the easiest and cheapest route: Take a bus from wherever you are to Palenque. From Palenque, there are multiple bus/shuttle services that will take you where you need to go. We took the AU bus from Bacalar, Mexico to Palenque, Mexico. The route is not direct and does not make sense when considering the added distance. You really have to go out of your way to bypass Belize, but this seems to be the best way.
What To Know About The Buses & Shuttles
After that we caught a Adrena Tours shuttle to Flores, Guatemala. We spent 8 hours on our first overnight bus and then 7 hours on the shuttle. A word of caution: The overnight buses are usually super cold and don’t have toilets on the buses! Be sure to bring a blanket and use the restroom when the driver pulls into bus terminals to pick up more folks along your route.
Booking Your Bus Or Shuttle
For your first leg of the trip you’ll most likely take an ADO or AU bus, and you can book that here through BusBud. For the second leg of the trip you’ll have to do a little bit of research and see which shuttle company you would like to go with. We paid around $30 USD per person for our AU bus, and then $50 USD per person for the shuttle. As mentioned above, we booked our shuttle through Adrena Tours with a man called Gato (“cat” in Spanish) who shared his personal number with me to share on my blog. His number is +502-455-059-52 and you can text or call him through WhatsApp. I felt very safe and secure under his care! I also checked out some other companies and his prices were a bit better. Not only did he help us book shuttles from place to place, but he can also arrange activities, guided tours, and more for wherever you are staying!
What It’s Like & What You’ll Need
Although the schedules may change over time, as of now it seems like the buses from Bacalar and Chetumal pick you up from the ADO station around 10:55 PM and you make it to Palenque (after frequent stops throughout the night) around 7:20 AM the next day. If you’re freaked out that the bus is leaving Bacalar so late at night, don’t worry because there is an ADO bus station that you can wait inside of, but you’ll most likely be surrounded by other travelers waiting to catch the bus as well.
Pass The Time At This Cute Cafe
After arriving in Palenque, you will have a bit of time to grab some breakfast before your shuttle picks you up around 9:00 AM. We went right across the street from the terminal, through the main traffic circle, and found some incredible streets that were draped with jungle vines, trees, and wildlife abound. We sat at a cafe, woke up, ate some plants, grabbed some coffee, and stretched out for a bit. After that our shuttle ride to the border was pretty calm, despite some stressful stories that I had read online before time from other travel bloggers.
Crossing The Boarder
We switched shuttles once at the border between Mexico and Guatemala and our second driver helped us make it across the border calmly and easily. A word of advice before crossing the border: Read about the “departure tax” here and how you can avoid paying it. The border patrol agents didn’t even ask us about this, but it seems like other folks have had a really tough time navigating the departure tax scam.
COVID Test Requirements
To get into Guatemala as of February, 2022, you’ll need to show your proof of COVID vaccination, a printed document showing a negative COVID test done in a lab (no home tests!) that was taken within 72 hours of crossing, passport (of course), and hand over the document that you were given when you entered Mexico in the first place. If you’re beginning this journey in Bacalar head over to Labotorio Clinico “Pasteur” to get your COVID test.
We paid about $30 per person per rapid test and got our results back within an hour. You can either have them sent to your email or can come back to pick them up in person. You can contact the clinic to schedule your test via WhatsApp at +52-983-111-1313. They seemed to have the best prices and quickest results in the area! Be sure to bring your passport to your testing appointment. Their address is Calle 28A entre Avenida 19 y 21, Fraccion 1 lote 16 Manzana 45, Laboratorio de Analisis Clinicos Pasteur Bacalar.
You’ve Made It!
Once you’ve made it to Guatemala, give yourself a big pat on the back because it is quite the journey! And for those wondering: yes, the 16+ plus hours of traveling was worth it to make it to Flores where we began our adventures in a new country. The island is small, cozy, colorful, and very unique. You can check out my guide to all things vegan food in Flores, Guatemala here. If you’re looking for a place to stay that won’t break the bank, be sure to check out HostelWorld or this Airbnb that we stayed in that is right on the water.
