Tulum is one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations. But there’s more to be found here than resort life and Instagram spots. When you go past Tulum’s hotel zone, you drive into a world of natural wonder: the UNESCO-listed Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an.
The Mayan name of Sian Ka’an translates to something in the likes of ‘where the sky is born’, ‘place where heaven begins’ or ‘gate of heaven’. It’s clear the Mayas – who inhabited the place for over a millennium – believed this area to be of an otherworldly beauty.
This is no surprise, as this is an area of great biodiversity. In Sian Ka’an you will find mangroves and marshes, tropical forests and coral reefs. Bring all of that together and you get a mesmerizing landscape, that is brimming with life. Some rare land animals call Sian Ka’an home, like jaguars and pumas, but chances are slim you will encounter these fascinating species during your visit.
When taking a day trip to Sian Ka’an, you mostly come to admire the wild variety of birds and marine animals that live here. Dolphins, turtles and manatees are among the biggest draw cards of the reserve, of which only a fraction is open to the public. The rest is the playground of scientists only.
In 1986 the Mexican government named Sian Ka’an a Biosphere Reserve, to protect the fragile fauna and flora that live here from human development. A year later, UNESCO declared Sian Ka’an a world heritage site. There is no larger protected natural area in the entire Caribbean than this Reserve. All of this put together, makes it easy to see why Sian Ka’an should be on your list of places to visit.
Book a tour of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
The easiest way to visit Sian Ka’an is on a tour. We visited the Biosphere Reserve with Pixan Ka’an, an organisation that works with local tour guides. It was one of the few activities on our Mexico road trip we booked beforehand. However, many tour operators based in Tulum offer trips to Sian Ka’an, so I don’t think it is absolutely necessary to make a reservation before your holiday. You might want to do some research on tour operators though, as not every organisation will offer the same quality and respect for the natural environment.
When you book through Pixan Ka’an, you can choose between a full day tour of Sian Ka’an, that will take you to Punta Allen and focuses on the (marine) wildlife that can be found here. I’ll give more details about this tour throughout the rest of this blogpost, as this was the option we chose. If you don’t have a full day to spare, another option is the half day tour that takes you to the archaeological site of Muyil, the freshwater lagoons of Sian Ka’an, and the ancient Maya canals where you can float through. Despite the fact that this tour is shorter than the first one mentioned, it costs slightly more with Pixan Ka’an.
Full day tour of Sian Ka’an
There is a classic and deluxe version of the full day tour of Sian Ka’an. The classic tour costs 124 US dollars, while the deluxe version is 159 US dollars. Other than that, there’s only one slight difference between both tours, but more about that later.
First you of course need to get to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Pixan Ka’an’s day tour includes a pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation, so you don’t need to worry about transportation. If you’re staying in Downtown Tulum, the driver will pick you up around 7.30 in the morning and you’ll be back around 5 in the afternoon. As Sian Ka’an lies at the end of Tulum’s hotel zone, you’ll be picked up later and be back slightly sooner when staying here.
Depending on whether you chose the classic or deluxe option, you’ll spend more or less time in the van. With the deluxe option, you’ll only spend 25 more minutes driving once you enter the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve and then board your boat. The admittedly bumpy ride – or Mayan massage, as our guide called it – takes one hour and twenty minutes if you opt for the classic version.
The first ‘real’ activity of the Sian Ka’an day trip is spotting crocodiles. If you’re on the deluxe tour, you’ll admire them from up close from the boat, as your boat navigates through their habitat. If you take the classic tour, your van driver will make a stop on the Boca Paila Bridge, from where you can see the crocodiles in the water below. Apart from the price, this is the only difference between both tours. As I get seasick easily, sitting on a boat longer didn’t feel very luxurious to me and didn’t seem worth the extra cost.
The Sian Ka’an boat tour
Once on the small boat, that carries six passengers, a captain and a navigator, our first mission was to find the sea life that the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is famous for. Our captain put his motor on full speed and off we were, admiring the incredibly blue waters and green mangroves and jungles of Sian Ka’an.
After navigating for a while, we spotted a large sea turtle. Our captain slowly sailed next to the beautiful animal and we could see it coming up for air several times. This was absolutely lovely, although it wasn’t as magical as swimming with the turtles in Akumal.
Thus far, there were no signs of dolphins – the biggest draw of Sian Ka’an – or manatees. For now this one sea turtle was all we saw on our marine safari …
Snorkelling at the second biggest reef
In front of Mexico’s Caribbean Coast lies part of the Mesoamerican Reef. This is the second largest coral reef in the world, and your day trip to Sian Ka’an includes a thirty-minute snorkel session along it.
Most tour operators will provide life jackets, fins and snorkel gear. If you have your own swimming goggles and tube, I’d recommend that you bring them with you. We decided to leave our own gear at the hotel, so we wouldn’t have to carry it around all day. That was a bad decision. I had to go back to the boat once, because something broke while I was in the water and even after they replaced it, the gear just wasn’t as fine as mine. All in all, I’m sure the snorkelling part of this day trip in Sian Ka’an will be more pleasant if you bring your own gear.
While snorkelling we saw some beautiful coloured fish and lots of coral, although it didn’t look as bright as we expected. The swimming at open sea can be tiring, too. If you go on this tour with children, the guide that will be in the water with you might swim around with a buoy they can hold on to or they might give one to you personally, so you can assist your children.
Natural pools and wildlife
While the snorkelling at Sian Ka’an was a nice addition, it definitely wasn’t one of the highlights of my trip. The next stop was, however. The boat took us to a natural pool in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. These shallow, warm and crystal clear waters were absolutely stunning and one of the most beautiful places I ever swam at (pictures don’t do it justice).
Our time here was quite short, though, as our captains suddenly got the message that dolphins were sighted in the area. We quickly climbed back on board and off we were! After a short, speedy boat ride we spotted a mother dolphin and her calf. Our captain managed to navigate in their vicinity for quite some time, so we could get a great view of them. To me, this was the ultimate highlight of our Sian Ka’an day trip!
Eating at Punta Allen
After all those adventures on the water, one might be hungry. Next up is a lunch at Punta Allen. This is a small town that lies on a narrow peninsula in the middle of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Once the boat docks at the seafront restaurant where you will eat, you’ll feel as if you set foot on a remote island in paradise.
The meal we had here was absolutely delicious. We were allowed to go back for seconds, if we wanted too. Just don’t expect to be alone at this heavenly location, as almost all the tour groups seem to eat at the same restaurant.
Once everyone had tanked enough energy, our guide took us on a walk through Punta Allen. He told us some more about the way the people in this small community live and we caught a glimpse of the authentic village life in Mexico.
Back to Tulum
The walk through Punta Allen ends at the small, wooden dock, where the boat was waiting for the return trip. On our way back, the captains tried to find manatees, but we unfortunately had no luck.
We did make a stop at Birds Islands, where we could spot several species of flying creatures. Including one that was supposedly quite rare. After that, we said goodbye to our boatsmen and hopped back in our van, for another round of Mayan massages.
We made one more stop before leaving the stunning nature of Sian Ka’an: the Boca Paila Bridge, where we were supposed to spot crocodiles at the start of our day trip. While we didn’t see any in the morning, our second attempt proved worthwhile. From the bridge – that has no railing, by the way – we could see one of those giant reptiles sunbathing in the river metres below. What a way to end our day in Sian Ka’an!
Where to stay when visiting Sian Ka’an?
While Pixan Ka’an offers a shuttle service from Akumal, Playa del Carmen and even Cancun if you pay extra, the best place to stay when going on a day trip to Sian Ka’an is without a doubt Tulum. It’s the town closest to the Biosphere Reserve, so travel times to the area will be shorter.
We stayed in downtown Tulum, as accommodation prices in this part of town are way lower than in the hotel zone by the beach. It’s a choice we didn’t regret as our hotel Casa Almendro was indescribably lovely. If you’re looking for accommodation in downtown Tulum that is excellent value for money and has perfect hygiene, this is where you want to go.
Is a tour to Sian Ka’an worth it?
So, is making a day trip to Sian Ka’an worth it? The answer isn’t as easy as a simple yes or no. While we absolutely saw some breathtaking wildlife and scenery and had some amazing experiences, there were also a few downsides to the tour, in my opinion.
At times, I felt as if the tour of Sian Ka’an was a bit rushed. This might be because our specific tour group set off a bit late, resulting in us having to win some time at every activity … or it might just really be a jam-packed day where you go from one activity to the next quite fast.
In addition, this tour is quite pricy. Especially in comparison to similar activities in other parts of Southern Mexico. I did feel quite well about the respect for the animals’ on this tour, though. When we tracked the turtle and dolphins, our boat always kept its distance, sailing next to them and often times a little behind them, so the animals weren’t blocked by the boats. There were also always few boats in the vicinity of the animal and it seemed as if only two of them could really get in the best position to spot the animals. Other boats had to wait for the others to leave.
In conclusion, the Sian Ka’an day trip to Punta Allen is really nice and definitely a must if you only stay in the Tulum area while in Mexico. If you’re on a road trip where you visit similar locations and if you’re on a budget, you might want to consider if you take this pricy tour or just go for a cheaper alternative elsewhere. Keep in mind though that every natural area in Mexico seems to have its own unique features and experiences, so you shouldn’t expect to do or see all the same things as on the Sian Ka’an tour elsewhere. It really is up to you to decide whether you want to take a day trip to Sian Ka’an or not.
Looking for more unique wildlife encounters in Mexico? Try swimming with sea turtles in Akumal.
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