Meet the Sian Ka’an Reserve

Meet the Sian Kaan Reserve

Maybe you haven’t heard about the Sian Ka’an Reserve, a magical destination in Quintana Roo, because being a natural reserve its access could be limited according to different conditions such as the weather, however, you should know it.

The Sian Ka’an Reserve is the largest ecological reserve in Mexico, consisting of a territory of approximately 650 thousand hectares that includes dunes, beaches, cenotes, coral reefs and a tropical jungle where more than 300 species of birds, more than 1000 plants and 100 animals live.

Sian Kaan Reserve

Meet the Sian Ka’an Reserve

In Mayan language Sian Ka’an means “where the sky is born” or “door to heaven” and was declared Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1987.

For its conservation, the reserve was divided into three different areas:

  • Core Zone: Human activities are restricted and only special access permits are granted to researchers.
  • Buffer zone: This is the area around the core and is open to visitors and activities.
  • Transition zone: Areas with a greater degree of human intervention and passage.

Sian Ka’an is a small population of about 2,000 or more, living in the coastal area, mostly in the fishing villages of Punta Allen and Puerto Herrero.

Sian Kaan Punta Allen

In the reserve’s coastal area there are wide white sand beaches, bays and mangroves. Each of these is home to different types of fauna. It has an ecosystem called peten, which are masses of trees that reach a height of thirty meters that grow among the herbs of the swamps. In terms of fauna, there are two species of turtles.

In terms of archeology, there are 23 known settlements in the reserve. The most ancient were from the 5th century A.D. The largest is Muyil, which was an important point on the Mayan commercial route. It has a spectacular lagoon of the same name and a lookout point from which you can photograph the lagoon and the Caribbean Sea.

Isla Mujeres the paradise of the Caribbean Mexico

Tourist Attractions Sian Ka’an

In fact, the ecological reserve is an attraction, but below we will make a recommendation of which places of interest to visit, we hope you will enjoy them.

Great Mayan Reef

If you enjoy doing activities submerged in water, this is the right place for you. The Great Mayan Reef is part of the reef system that begins in Belize. In this area you will be able to observe different types of marine species such as lobsters, sponges, pink snails, starfish and urchins.

Gran Arrecife Maya Sian Kaan

Chunyaxché Channel

This is a water access to the Sian Ka’an reserve; in the boat tour, in the winding channels that run through mangroves, you can admire hundreds of birds, Mayan ruins surrounded by water, swampy lands, coastal lagoons, high pastures and petenes.

Canal de Chunyaxché Sian Kaan

How to get to Sian Ka’an

Leaving from Cancun you must take federal highway 307 towards the south until you reach Tulum and from there on you will find several signs towards the reserve.

From Cancun’s bus station there are several trucks leaving for the Sian Ka’an Reserve.

Although there are several routes to get to this natural place, we recommend you to plan ahead the route you will use, buying one of the transportation packages we have for you. Try to ask for advice on how to interact with nature from those in charge of the reserve, as there are several aspects to take care of.

But if you want to save yourself all this trouble and just worry about enjoying your trip, visit our website where you can book or ask for prices for the private transfer from Cancun to Sian Ka’an.

Enjoy your trip and tell us what you thought of the reservation!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.