Another of Mexico's world wonders

Mexico, as a country is a beautiful place to Live and to explore, then again Cancun and the Mayan Riviera possess almost half of the beauty from the whole country.

Today I want to share with you a protected area that is listed as part of the UNESCO world heritage sites since 1987, yes the Sian Kaán Biosphere reserve, which means ¨Origin of the Sky¨, in the ancient Mayan language, a small trip, because is just 2 hours south of Cancun and the Solaris Resorts.

Why is it so magical, well here you get a mixture of several things, you have a diversity of flora and fauna, ancient sites, lagoons, sinkholes and the Caribbean sea all coming together in this splendid site.

This is the biggest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean, with almost 75 miles of covered ground, that hosts beach, dunes, sinkholes, coral reefs, tropical rainforest, and more than 300 bird species, over 1000 plant ones and 100 different animals.

They have different areas in the Biosphere, some with limited to no access by human beings to protect its integrity.

The Core has no access at all to visitors, and research experts must be approved with special permits that sometimes take months.

The outside zone of it, that it can be accessible, but with certain restraints, just not to affect the balance of the ecosystem.

The transition zone is where most of the activities take place, from scuba to hiking to camping.

As Tulum has been getting more and more popular over the past few years, Sian Kaan also has, as its really close to this town, Sian Kaan has its own population, mostly living in the coastal part, as they are fishermen.

Hike

Hike thru the jungle, while you explore the fabulous jungle at its finest, keep an eye for all the different animal and bird species you might see, the wildlife here is impressive, but also scary as you might see howler monkeys, spider monkeys and iguanas, but the forest is also home of a pack of Jaguars and pumas, you won't even seen them as they are usually in the core zone, protected from human contact.

Avoid feeding any of the animals you encounter, they don't have the same food on their daily diet, and you might make them sick, also always pick up after yourself to continue preserving this area.

Mayan culture

Take a journey into the various Mayan ruins that are in the zone, nothing big as Tulum or Chichen Itza, but nevertheless remarkable, you can visit the less -know Muyil temple, and get an incredible view, this archeological site has 3 main structures, the entrance plaza, the castle and another small one called temple 8.

Behind the main building, there's a path with a wooden sign, that has the name of Canan ha trail, that leads you into the lagoon and the dock, its a 15 min hike, and halfway you can find a sightseeing outpost, where you can see the Lagoon and a glimpse of the Caribbean sea.

Once you're in the dock, several fishermen rent their bots to take you on a trip true the different freshwater inlets, starting in the big lagoon, they will tour you through the different water canals, where you can admire the mangrove and the vegetation there, a breathtaking experience.

You even get to experience a 20 min float ride down one of the clear water shimmering canal, don't worry, there's no crocodiles in this zone, and the tour guide is always nearby in the boat, you can fully relax, just bring a shirt that you can get wet, as the heat and sun of the day, is going to get the best of you, try not to wear any sunscreen, unless is biodegradable.

TIP, if you visit the place around June, you can see the orchids blossom in the mangrove.

You can see several birds all over the wetlands, the species that you can find are flamingos, storks, pelicans and toucans, a paradise for the bird lovers as their interact in the natural habitat that works as a estuarie.

Take a dive in the Cenote Azul, and refresh yourself in its crystalline water, that in this part of the peninsula is connected underground by several rivers.

Punta Allen

Theres is another side of the coin to experience Sian Ka'an Biosphere, and this is the seaside, driving from tulum to Punta allen, you need to take a Dirt road, so it's better if you do it on a 4x4 vehicle, the ride will provide you with beautiful scenery on your left side.

The ecosystem here is different, yes you'll see birds, and a great natural paradise, with pristine beaches and stunning blue water. Once you arrive to the small village that Punta Allen is, you can enjoy a day of relaxation, and even some delicious food, that is freshly cook from the catch of the day.

Several fisherman have their boats nearby that can be rented to do a tour, just beware, they charge you for the whole boat, is either 1 person or 6, so when traveling on a group is much accessible and an experience you won't want to miss.

Snorkel in the natural reef, as most parts of the Caribbean, the great mesoamerican reef crosses tru this piece of land, and it's an ideal place to snorkel and get to see the beautiful sealife like dolphins turtles and 100s of colorful fish, and if you're lucky a manatee.

From the boat ride, you can also admire a couple of saltwater lagoons, that connect in the zone.

Camping

Camp near the beach, yes there are camping grounds, for tourist to sleep there, very well protected and near the beach in an area protected, and not have animals nearby at night.

Please remember be an environmental conscious traveler,this is a protected area with wild beauty, and we're allowed to visit daily, if we follow the rules of the place; there is also a fee of no more than $3 usd to help fund the conservation projects and research of the place, in no means that is for cleaning after you, so take your trash, keep away from the animals, don't feed them.

The Solaris hotels in Cancun, allow you to visit nearby places, like this the are protected, or part of the best Wonders of the world, we are pleased to welcome you into our house and enjoy all this fabulous places that the Mayan riviera has to offer.

Stay tuned for our next blog about Bacalar and the seven color lagoon, coming soon.