SIAN KA’AN BIOSPHERE RESERVE
The jungle and wetlands of Sian Ka’an (Mayan for “where the sky is born”) contrast strikingly with the resorts of the Mayan Riviera. Extending south from Tulum around Ascension Bay and encompassing lagoons, reefs, lakes, mangroves, and forests, the area is virtually uninhabited and contains a dazzling variety of animal and plant life.
Map of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
NEED TO KNOW
Entry to the reserve is $5 per person, but to see the best of the wildlife it is worth joining an eco-friendly tour
Sian Ka’an Tours, Tulum: (984) 871 2202; tours cost from around $90 and above per person (prices vary with tours); www.siankaantours.org
- The operator listed above sometimes offers specialist tours, such as snorkeling, bird-watching, or looking for crocodiles at night.
- Tours tend to include refreshments (drinks and sandwiches usually), but if you are traveling independently, eat or buy food at Punta Allen.
- Be sure to wear sensible footwear with sturdy soles when visiting the reserve.
1. Muyil Site
The ancient Mayan city of Muyil lies just outside the reserve. An ancient city possibly allied to Cobá, it has an unusual great pyramid with a multiroomed building at its top. Beside the site, a path leads to Lake Chunyaxché.
Pyramid at the Muyil Site
2. Boca Paila
Set on a glorious lagoon, the Boca Paila Fishing Lodge is a favorite among serious fishermen. This is also where Sian Ka’an tours switch from vans to boats.
3. Punta Allen
It is said that this sleepy lobster-fishing village, with its sandy streets, big beach, and handful of places to eat and stay, was founded by Blackbeard, whose ship was called The Allen.
4. Lake Chunyaxché
Sian Ka’an has many lakes that, like all those in the Yucatán, are fed by underground streams. The channels from the lagoon into the lake have points where the sea and lake waters meet, bringing together a teeming mix of plant life and fish.
5. Animals
Sian Ka’an is home to every kind of wild cat found in Mexico and Central America, including ocelots and pumas, as well as anteaters, manatees, and tapirs. However, you’re most likely to see raccoons, spider monkeys, bush pigs, iguanas, and gray foxes.
A gray fox in the Reserve
6. Lake Islands
There are at least 27 Mayan sites within the reserve, many of them small temples sited on islands in the lakes. It is thought that these isolated lake island temples were probably places of pilgrimage, visited in order to perform special rituals.
7. Ascension Bay Bonefishing Flats
These shallows are among the best flyfishing areas in the world, above all for bonefish. Lodges along the road, and Punta Allen’s guesthouses, offer trips to them.
8. Mangroves and Forest
A mix of salt and fresh water at Sian Ka’an provides the ideal conditions for mangroves. Further inland are large expanses of rain forest and grasslands.
Rain forest inside the Reserve
9. Native and Migratory Birds
Nearly 350 bird species have been logged as native to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, and around a million migratory birds visit each year from North America. Among those easiest for visitors to see are ibises, egrets, orioles, storks, American herons, and flamingos.
A flamingo in flight
10. Ben-Ha Cenote
By the warden’s lodge at the reserve’s entrance, a path leads to a clear, cool cenote, where you can swim among reeds and forest trees.
CHECHEN AND CHAKAH
The toxicity of the small chechen tree can make people numb and dizzy by its aroma alone. But if local Maya ever rub against the tree’s leaves, they know they have only to look around for a nearby chakah bush to find the natural antidote to the chechen’s poison.
