Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Six thousand square kilometres of protected mangrove and lagoon, where you float down Maya-cut canals.
Duration
7 hrs – 9 hrs
Best time
Early morning departure
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
Sian Ka'an covers over five thousand square kilometres of mangrove, lagoon, forest and reef, on the World Heritage list since 1987. The name translates roughly as 'origin of the sky' in Maya.
The Maya dug channels between the lagoons to move their canoes; they are still there, and the activity that defines the place is letting the current carry you down one or two kilometres of them, life vest round your waist. The rest is watching: crocodiles, dolphins, over three hundred bird species.
Getting there
The southern gate is at Punta Allen, at the end of a two-hour track from Tulum. Most trips leave from Tulum with transport included.
What the price covers
reserve entry fee; boat trips are charged separately, rates vary
What to bring
- Reef shoes
- Sunscreen
- Dry bag
Rules on site
Sunscreen and repellent are banned before entering the water: the reserve requires it and it is checked. The access track is in very poor condition and impassable in an ordinary car after rain.
Other places in Tulum
Tulum RuinsThe only Maya city built facing the sea, on a cliff above a turquoise beach.
- Gran CenoteA collapsed cave filled with clear fresh water, with turtles below and bats overhead.
- Playa ParaísoWhite sand right below the ruins, regularly ranked among Mexico's finest beaches.
- CobáA Maya city in the jungle, with white stone causeways running for miles.