Rio Lagartos is about 215 kilometres northeast of Mérida by road, roughly a three-hour drive via Tizimín. There is no direct bus from Mérida; the usual approach is to take a bus to Tizimín and then a local bus or taxi the remaining 50 kilometres to Rio Lagartos.
From Tizimín, shared vans (combis) leave regularly for Rio Lagartos during daylight hours. The drive from Tizimín takes about 45 minutes. Chichén Itzá is about two hours southwest; Valladolid, the nearest significant town with good accommodation options, is about 90 minutes south.