When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. Its not worth the risk, in case theres a medical emergency or another serious incident. If 2020 taught us anything, its that you need to be prepared for anything! After some more research, we realized that our final destination wasnt Muyil butChunyaxch,which is the name of the Lagoon near Muyil. We arrived here by bus so, we just crossed the road, paid for the entrance fees and we were on our own. Turn around, take it in, and realise how large the protected biosphere here is. If you dont know much about the biosphere close to Tulum then take a look at this video I made with Kay Tours Mexico to see what its all about. Please share it with others and help spread the word about this hidden gem in the Riviera Maya! After providing us with a lifejacket, he told us that we will wait for us at the end of our floating adventure, 15-20 minutes later. In the water, there are manatees, turtles, and fish. If you are doing shorter trips or a longer backpacking trip then WorldNomads or Travel Insurance Master are the best option. Make sure you know the Colectivo stations in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, or Tulum. There is a small parking lot, free of charge, in case you arrive here by car. If you are traveling from Playa del Carmen or Tulum, embark on a bus with the final destination Chetumal. There are quite a few tours you can do from Tulum that will take you to Sian Kaan. There really isnt a lot to do there, but it would be a cool experience to spend a night there for sure. However, my opinions are 100% my own and I have received no money in exchange for this post. The chemicals in average sunscreen that are designed to protect your skin can actually poison fish, coral and other delicate marine life over time. This is why its often referred to as the Tulum nature reserve, but this isnt strictly true as Sian Kaan National Park is past Tulum. Incredible Things to Do in Mexico That Arent Beaches! Two Wandering Soles Copyright 2022. You could go on a tour that will take you there by boat or, going independently, youll need to do it as at least an overnight trip because it takes a long time to get there along a poor-quality road. Many sites said it was worth booking a tour and quite hard to do on your own. Before traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula, we knew we had to visit this unique place. This colectivo will bring you to the pier, just beyond the Sian Kaan entrance and visitors center. Although Muyil is one of the best (and only) places from which to explore Sian Kaan, theres only so much you can do on your own. It really was a magical day and as far as Im concerned its worth every dime! The Best Airbnbs in Mexico for Every Type of Traveler. We were then driven to Sian Kaan in a well-maintained air-conditioned minibus by a driver and tour guide who knows the road well in case of any issues. Its a great place for spotting dolphins and sea turtles in their natural habitat. All Rights Reserved. Sian Kaan is a biosphere reserve Mexico, but what exactly is a biosphere reserve anyway? sian biosphere Driving in Yucatan Peninsula is safe and easy. I started Claires Itchy Feet to inspire women to pack their bags and travel more. For nature lovers, Sian Kaan is a Riviera Maya excursion you really shouldnt miss. It certainly makes the trip much easier and takes all the hassle out of organising things yourself and having to wait for public transport. Follow State Highway 15 past Tulum. The guides grew up in the nearby villages and are able to share their innate knowledge of the unique ecosystem. There are also lots of colectivos driving past that will give you a lift. When it comes to visiting Sian Kaan, its unlikely youll be able to see all of these. Sharing travel tips, road trip itineraries, kayaking & ski destinations.

From there, youll hop in a boat to Punta Allen. Since they are over a 2-hour drive apart, it may be best to break up your visit into two separate days. Its on the special ecosystem that nature has sculpted on the coast of Mexico. I wonder if the Mayans planned to build such a fun tourist experience. The maximum number of people you can have on the boat is 6, So unless you have 5 friends with whom you can split the cost, by the time you add it all up its cheaper to just book an organized tour. Community Tours Sian Kaan (aka Pixan Kaan) is a cooperative of local guides and boat captains who run tours in the biosphere reserve. The service is 5* and the guides are extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife you will see there. So far, they have all been related to the Mayan civilisation or the Spanish colonial period. I pretty much do all of my Riviera Maya tours with Living Dreams Mexico, why? We only had to walk 5 minutes, on a lovely path, until we reached the main road. Driving to Sian Kaan is considered going off-road, so you will be breaking your contract going there. Most of Sian Kaan is protected land and not inhabited, so if you want to stay there you will need to visit Punta Allen which is a small town within the Biosphere. And, with such a diverse environment, youll find a lot of different plants and animals. The Palenque ruins in the jungle are not to be missed! It was hot and we were happy! CELESTUN, SELF-GUIDED DAY TRIP FROM MERIDA, A Complete Guide To Visiting Petra On Your Own, Useful Things To Know Before Traveling To Jordan, The Best Self-Drive Safari At Addo Elephant Park, South Africa, Your email address will not be published. And whats great about these canals, you can actually float them. Go on a boat ride, float a Mayan canal and after that, leave the Biosphere. Road Nr. With no plans to stop anytime soon Im always looking for my next adventure be it attempting to surf or climbing a volcano Ill try (almost) anything once! About halfway through youll find an observation tower with a sign that says climb at your own risk. In short, a biosphere reserve is a label given to an ecosystem of unusual scientific and natural interest by UNESCO. There are two main areas of the massive reserve that are best for exploring: Muyil and Punta Allen. I like to think they would have wanted future generations to protect and admire it. The drive to Muyil will take about 20 minutes from central Tulum, or 1.5 hours from Playa del Carmen, and wont be nearly as rough as the coastal road to Punta Allen (its actually on a perfectly paved stretch of highway). Safety Wing goes the extra mile and covers quarantine outside your home for up to 10 days, they also have a really handy map on their website showing requirements and restrictions for each country. Its relaxing and its fun. My favourite tour to see the Mayan sites of Mexico. By the end of our floating trip, suddenly, it began to rain.

The easiest way to get to Muyil from Tulum is to get the Mayab bus from the main ADO station in Tulum. We get a boat together and head off in the hands of a local ranger. We walked along the trails, admired the ruins and took some photos. We knew he was in a big dilemma as we were the only tourists on this bus and we asked him if this was his problem. Sian Kaan entrance fee of 50-pesos (2.50US$, 2.30) per person. Everyone told us to book a tour. I realise that this is one of the reasons that the boat tours at Sian Kaan include this floating experience. Merida is quickly becoming one of Mexicos coolest cities. However, if you really want to go to Punta Allen and are on a backpackers budget then this might be your only option. We asked an ADO driver for help and he had no idea where we could find this place. There is a small parking lot for the ruins which you can easily locate on Google Maps. Heres why. So I did what any good adventure travel blogger would do, I did a lot of research on Sian Kaan biosphere tours, but mostly so I could figure out how to get there without doing an organized tour of Sian Kaan. It could be a watercolour painting, a perfect composition of colours and lights that is simple in its arrangement but much more compelling than the sum of its parts. Dont rent a car until you have read this post, some of the biggest scammers in Playa del Carmen are the car rental companies! As we cross from one lagoon to another, we go through a canal that was cut by the Ancient Mayans. Now comes the highlight of this trip: floating down an ancient Mayan canal, through mangroves, in crystal clear water. The bus will stop in Muyil about a 2 minute walk past the entrance to the Muyil ruins. Punta Allen is the small fishing village on the coastal side at the south end of the biosphere reserve. Lover of new destinations. The roads are in good condition and you will always find a proper parking place. He kindly asked us to leave our belongings inside the boat and invited us to float down the canal. For either access point, you will have to pay an entrance fee to the park, which according to our wristbands was only 90 pesos (though our tour company charged us an extra 200 pesos). The best thing to do is take a boat ride. Im pretty sure we have all had travel plans messed up because of COVID and not all insurers covered this. Itll take you roughly 15 minutes once youve passed through Tulum town. I recommend you should use World Nomads for your trip. There will be plenty of pull-offs along the way where you can stop and enjoy a pristine beach all to yourself. Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve is a vast region, lying across 5,280 km2 and home to thousands of flora and fauna species. This is the largest protected area in all of Mexico and is home to a diverse population of speciesincluding some rare and endangered species like the black-handed spider monkey and the West Indian manatee. Once again, no one around, and we felt a little bit lost. There are also some notable Mayan ruins here that arent technically part of Sian Kaan, but worth a visit, especially since they provide a secret entrance to the reserve (more on that below). After that, we just followed the path until we reached the Chuanyxche lagoons. So what is there to do in Punta Allen? If youre planning a self-guided day trip to Sian Kaan from Muyil, read the entire article! I know there has been some recent crime in the area and also have heard transportation costs have increased substantially. There are a few different options I would recommend here: But doing a trip from Tulum to Muyil at Sian Kaan is also relatively easy to do by yourself and youll save a fair amount of money. The rate probably wont be fixed (for a foreigner) but expect to pay about $30 (US$1.55). Thank you! Blessed with Mayan ruins, freshwater lagoons, dense jungle, mangroves forests, and many Mayan canals reaching the Caribbean Sea, this place is a must for every traveler to this part of the world. You may also want to consider taking a tour of Mexico, rather than organising everything on your own. We walked around a little bit and found the first lagoon. This coastal heritage site combines history with stunning views, Escape the resorts of Tulum and visit this stunning natural reserve, This is why the small colourful town of Campeche is a World Heritage Site, Ride up the a river alongside Guatemala to see these Mayan ruins. This is the first one Ive been to that is about the nature. especially right now in 2021 transport by collective to here is much more restricted than ever. We crossed the first lagoon at high speed, quite exciting in my opinion.

The first is to go to Punta Allen, which is on the coast and offers the opportunity to see the marine elements of the biosphere. But there is a good chance they knew that Sian Kaan was a special spot. On the backside of this ruin is where youll find the path leading to the boardwalk into the Bio Reserve. Sian Kaan boat tours only go from Punta Allen, so you must go here and speak to the boat captains directly to organize your boat tour. The most common way of transport in Mexico is the Colectivo. After snorkeling, we were taken by boat to Punta Allen for lunch before returning to our transport. Why? Check out ourUltimate Mexico Travel Guidefor all the important travel information, or read some of our favorite articles below. Historians believe it was occupied for more than a thousand years and was located on an important trading route. Now for the tricky part, how to get to Sian Kaan. Muyil entrance fee:45-pesos (2.30US$, 2) per person. Just keep driving into Muyil past the Archeological zone parking and the Oxxo, and take the second left (first left after the Oxxo). Tip: Dont forget to bring bug spray on your trip, especially if you are walking through the jungle near Muyil. A boardwalk, about 500 meters long, led us to an observation deck. We had to walk on a beautiful boardwalk for a while until we reached the boat. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Your email address will not be published. I also use Travel Insurance Master for some short vacation type trips as they are cheaper than World Nomads a lot of the time. COPYRIGHT 2022. Theyre not the kind of ruins that are worth going out of your way to see, but I think its definitely worth popping in while youre here. By Bus: The buses run between Tulum and Muyil about every 20-30 minutes daily, and there is no need to book a ticket ahead of time.

But it also puts me at a good position to look more closely at the scenery. By Rental Car: This is the only way to visit Sian Kaan on your own for a single-day trip. But surprise: we couldnt buy the tickets online. Walk through the jungle for about 5 minutes until you reach the official entrance to the park and the start of the boardwalk.

So the Mayans may not have intended to create a tourist attraction. If you are not swimming in the lagoons or plan to only visit the ocean, it is important that you wear only 100% biodegradable natural sunscreen. The boatman was expecting us, looking not so happy, since weve spent too much time on the canal. At the docks, we could change into dry clothes and left the Sian Kaan Biosphere. It may seem a bit daunting, but the views from the top are unparalleled! Off the coast, theres a large marine section that is also part of Sian Kaan, including a barrier reef. We couldnt miss this place so we climbed up to see the views. The Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve is teeming with wildlife, and makes for an unforgettable day trip adventure. Some birds jump between trees and bushes. The area became a Biosphere Reserve in 1986, and one year later, Sian Kaan was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each of these access points will provide entirely different experiences. Heres everything you need to know on how to visit Sian Kaan without a tour. The first thing youll notice at Muyil are the Mayan ruins by the roadside. Plus way more comfortable. By Colectivo & Boat: There is another option to get from Tulum to Punta Allen on public transportation (and avoid the treacherous road). Exploring the world as often as possible. Getting from Punta Allen to Sian Kaan is the heaviest way. If you are planning a trip right now then you NEED to think seriously about insurance. How to visit the Panama Canal Now I have this as an option, as I know some crazy people might think it is a good idea to rent a car and drive to Sian Kaan. After some research, we realized it was easy to organize a self-guided day trip to Sian Kaan and Muyil, not to mention affordable. The rental prices are low compared to other places in the world, and the traffic is good. Firstly its not really a bus, its actually a colectivo from Tulum to Punta Allen in Sian Kaan. For people wanting to visit Sian Kaan from Tulum, there are only really two options. In that way, they have created something that fits their desired legacy even if they could never have pictured this! Sian Kaan translates as: Gate of Heaven or Origin of the Sun or A Place where Heaven begins. Required fields are marked *. This page may contain affiliate links. But I can also see a lot more birds now, circling overhead or resting in the flora on either side of the canal. The Colectivo will leave you just in front of the Muyil Archaeological Site. Without the noise of the boats engine and at a meandering pace, you can see so much more of the nature here in the protected area. He was extremely grateful and happy! You can access the Sian Kaan Biosphere from both Muyil and Punta Allen (the marina part) but the experiences are quite different. But know this, its the best place in the Riviera Maya to see wildlife where it should be, in the wild. By Colectivo: If you are up for spending a few nights in Sian Kaan, there is an option to take a colectivo (shared minibus taxi) from Tulum down to Punta Allen.

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