Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is an enormous natural protected area in the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Sian Ka'an is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Ramsar wetland. It lies along the Caribbean coast, just south of Tulum.

Understand

Sian Ka'an is one of the largest protected areas in Mexico comprising more than 528,000 hectares of surface area.

History

Even in pre-Hispanic times, the Maya did not heavily occupy the swamps and marshes of Sian Ka'an, making it one of the most lightly touched natural areas in Mexico. Some excursions into the area were made in the early 20th century, largely to extract rubber, but these were abandoned by the 1930s. As Cancun has been developed heavily since the 1970s, with spreading development southward along the coast, areas to the south of Tulum remained largely ignored. Recognizing its natural value, and the looming threat of commercial development, the Mexican government declared the area a protected biosphere in 1986. One year later, UNESCO named it a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was designated a Ramsar wetland in 2003.

Landscape

The biosphere is a low-lying coastal area that comprises 400,000 hectares of tropical forest, mangrove swamp, and marshes plus more than 120 hectares of marine area, including a section of the Great Mesoamerican Reef, which protects the entire 120 km long coastal beach. The area is known for its complex hydrological system that includes the wetlands as well as underground rivers and subterranean pools known as cenotes. Inland lagoons are lined with salt marshes full of tall seagrass and criss-crossed with navigable channels. Lagoons and marshes have forested islands in them called petenes'. Most petenes are small, but larger ones can be more than a km in width.

Flora and fauna

The biosphere reserve provides habitat for an astounding variety of flora and fauna, including well over 300 identified bird species, 400 fish species, and more than 100 mammals, including several kinds of big cats such as jaguar, puma, and ocelots. One of the more interesting mammals that live in the Sian Ka'an is the Central American tapir. These large animals can be recognized by their long, curved noses. They are classified as an endangered species due to the constant threats of deforestation coupled with their slow reproductive cycle. The Maya refer to tapirs as tzemen. The tropical forests are home to several kinds of monkeys, including endangered species like the Black-handed Spider Monkey and the Yucatan Black Howler Monkey. Other mammals include peccaries, jaguarundi and coatis.

The lagoons and marshes are home to the West Indian Manatee. If you're lucky, you may see one or more in the salt marshes during a boat tour. You're more likely though to spot one of the many American crocodiles sunning himself on the banks; there's also another type of crocodile that's common here called the Mexican crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii), which is slightly smaller than the American crocodile. More than 40 species of snake are found in the reserve as well as innumerable iguanas.

On the Caribbean side of the reserve, the beaches are important nesting areas for four types of sea turtle and the off-shore reef is home to dozens of species of coral as well as more than 400 species of fish and mollusks. Scuba divers enjoy exploring the entire length of the Mesoamerican reef, from the tip of Cancun all the way south through Honduras. Although there are dozens of great dive sites in the waters of Sian Ka'an, they remain less popular than those around Cozumel, which is much more accessible to tourists.

Archaeology

Mayan archaeological sites can be found everywhere in the Yucatan Peninsula, there are thousands of them everywhere, and Sian Ka'an is no exception. 23 Maya sites have been identified within the biosphere reserve, but most are small, largely unmapped and unexplored. The only significant site of touristic value is Muyil, located close to highway MEX 307 just outside the village of Chunyaxche. The site is located 23 km south of Tulum and costs M$70 to enter.

Muyil is one of the oldest and longest inhabited Mayan sites and its structures are emblematic of Peten architecture. Artifacts found at the site have been dated back to 350 BC and it was known to have still been inhabited at the time of the Spanish conquest, with some artifacts dated from the early 1500s. It is thought that the town was a port city for the Maya, with easy access to the Caribbean sea via passages through the salt marshes, and an extensive highway system (sacbeob) connecting it inland to Coba and other Maya cities. It is known that the Maya traded with people throughout Central America.

A boardwalk goes from the ruins to the Muyil Lagoon. It costs an extra M$50 to do the boardwalk, but the views and the nature are worth it.

Climate

Hot and humid, except at night, when it's dark, hot and humid. June through November is hurricane season.

Get in

The nearest airports to Sian Ka'an are Tulum International Airport (TQO^IATA), Cancún International Airport (CUN^IATA), or Chetumal International Airport (CTM^IATA).

The nearest Tren Maya train station to Sian Ka'an is Tulum (not Tulum International Airport).

From anywhere along the Quintana Roo coast, you can take an ADO bus to Tulum. In Tulum, you can find tours going to Sian Ka'an. You can take a tour, or do it on your own.

If you choose to strike out on your own, there are two points from which you can enter Sian Ka'an: Chunyaxche and Punta Allen.

Chunyaxche is the easy way. It is a village on highway MEX 307, 23 km south of Tulum. There are combis going from Tulum to Muyil-Chunyaxche (look for the combi that says "Felipe Carrillo Puerto" on the windshield). Combis run from 07:00-00:00. The combi costs M$80 and take about an hour. Once you get to there, you can either tour the ruins at Muyil or you can take one of the tour boats. Tours from Chunyaxche typically take you through the "Mayan Canal", a wide passage from the Muyil Lagoon to the Caribbean. These typically include an opportunity to float in the canal and (depending on the tour) an opportunity to snorkel along the Great Mesoamerican Reef. Expect to pay about M$1000 for the tour, plus tips for the guide and add-ons.

Punta Allen is the hard way, but the fun and adventurous way. From Tulum, you could go via a rental car, a motorcycle, or even a sturdy mountain bike (but only if you're a die-hard biker). Just be sure you fill up with gas and fill the wallet with cash because it's unlikely anybody takes credit cards for anything (definitely not Apple or Google Pay). Follow the beach road south until you pass through the Mayan Arch, which is the formal entrance to Sian Ka'an. You will be required to pay your entry fee and obtain a bracelet. From there, it's 45 km to the small village of Punta Allen (population 468). The road is dirt and usually full of potholes, but its straight and there are no intersections, so you can't get lost. It's only 45 km as the crow flies, but the trip will likely take 3 hours. The road is rough but most rental cars can make it in the dry season, in the rainy season, there will be many places with water covering the road (and sometimes hiding deep potholes)---most travel guides recommend a 4WD truck. Once you're in Punta Allen you can hire a boat to take you into the swamps or to take you to the reefs for some snorkling or fishing.

Fees and permits

There is a fee of M$100 to enter the biosphere reserve, you will be given a colored bracelet showing you paid the fee. If you are with a tour group, the tour operator often pays the fee for you and provides you with a bracelet.

Get around

You'll need to hire a boat in either Punta Allen or Chunyaxche.

See

Do

Observe nature
Swim
Snorkel
Sunbathe

Be aware that the beaches throughout the Sian Ka'an are natural. No local government comes through to clear away plastic bottles, seaweed or driftwood. You may find spectacular stretches of pristine white powder, or you may have timed your visit to coincide with the latest arrival of a sargassum carpet.

Buy

There are four convenience stores in Punta Allen and a couple along MEX 307 near Chunyaxché, which also has an Oxxo and a hardware store. Anything else you want to buy, you'll have to get in Tulum.

Eat

Punta Allen

19.800776-87.4762131 Muelle Viejo, Punta Allen. F-Su 12:30 - 21:00, closed M-Th. Fish, shrimp and octopus dishes, cold beer and drinks. (updated Jun 2023)
19.802346-87.4770782 Xoken, Punta Allen. 09:00 - 16:00. Seafood restaurant with beachfront location and outstanding ocean views. (updated Jun 2023)
19.802841-87.4768153 Los Gaytanes, Punta Allen. Seafood restaurant with on-the-beach tables as well as a beachfront dining room. Accepts credit cards. (updated Jun 2023)

Chunyaxché

20.071122-87.6192624 Palapa del Flaco, MEX 307, KM 204. 24 hours. Popular stop between Cancun and Chetumal with all-night service. Food is typical Mexican with local seafood dishes. M$100. (updated Jun 2023)
20.083686-87.611815 Restaurante Muyil, MEX 307, Chunyaxche (250 meters from entrance to Archaeological Zone Muyil). 09:00 - 20:30. Regional Yucatan cuisine, everything is homemade including the tortillas. Cash only. M$100. (updated Jun 2023)

Drink

All restaurants serve alcohol. Bars are part of restaurants or hotels, there are no stand-alone bars.

Sleep

Punta Allen

Punta Allen is 50 km from the nearest human settlement. The town is off the grid. Do not expect cell phones to work there and be aware that electricity comes from a community generator that shuts down several hours each day, including all night, so there is nothing to hear but the sound of waves slapping on the beach or jaguars screaming in the jungle. Also, cash only almost everywhere for everything. If you must have phones, TVs and air conditioning, you should stay in Tulum.

19.798838-87.475871 Fishermen Lodge, 1 Beachside Road, ☏ +52 999 351 5328. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Friendly casual place close to the beach. More restaurant than hotel, though rooms are indeed available, as well as fishing tours, bike rentals, etc. (updated Jun 2023)
19.797839-87.4772222 Punta Allen Fishing Club (Pascales), Punta Allen Road 4, ☏ +52 984 131 2422. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Very comfortable, clean property with spacious rooms, bar and restaurant on-site. M$2000. (updated Jun 2023)
19.79901-87.4766213 Casa Viejo Chac, Punta Allen Road 4. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Clean rooms with hammocks available by request. On-site restaurant and offers fly fishing and tour guide services. (updated Jun 2023)
19.799847-87.4757414 Villas Roseliz, Punta Allen Road 4, ☏ +52 984 806 6837. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Friendly, clean, comfortable hotel. On-site restaurant. M$2500. (updated Jun 2023)
19.813188-87.4777755 Hotel Cielo y Selva, Punta Allen, ☏ +52 999 503 6240. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Bungalows and glamping tents on the beach. M$1600. (updated Oct 2023)

Chunyaxché

20.062645-87.6248996 Nido del Viento, MEX 307, ☏ +52 155 2265 9909. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Barebones rustic. (updated Jun 2023)

Stay safe

Sunblock - you will want to protect yourself from the sun, but be aware that most commercial sunblock lotions are banned throughout the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Sunblocks contain chemicals that kill coral and destroy reefs. If you are on a tour, ask the guide if you are allowed to bring "reef safe" sunblock products, which are sold in Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and most resort areas along the Quintana Roo coast.

Go next

This park travel guide to Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is a usable article. It has information about the park, for getting in, about a few attractions, and about accommodations in the park. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.