How to Visit the Beautiful Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve Near Tulum

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The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, located near Tulum in the state of Quintana Roo, is Mexico’s second-largest biosphere and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The area is enormous, covering over 528,000 hectares, and is one of the largest protected areas in the Mexican Caribbean.

In the Maya language, Sian Ka’an translates to “Entrance to the Sky” or “the Gate of Heaven.”

It’s easy to imagine why they chose this name, as Sian Ka’an is a stunning natural beauty that beckons adventurous travelers and outdoor lovers alike to its vivid lagoons and sparkling shores.

If you’re visiting Cancun, Tulum, or Bacalar in Quintana Roo, a day trip to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere is a must!

There is much to see and do inside Sian Ka’an, and you’ll easily be able to have a day filled with incredible adventures.

In one day, you can visit the archaeological ruins of Muyil, do the Muyil canal float, climb a watchtower for panoramic views, and more! 

Excited to explore more of what Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve has to offer?

Although it can be overwhelming to know where to start, I’ll let you know the best tips for visiting the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in this guide!

Here’s the ultimate guide to exploring Mexico’s beautiful Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve!

Visiting the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve near Tulum

How to Get to Sian Ka’an from Tulum

Sian Ka’an is located in Muyil, about a 20-minute drive south of Tulum (or a 3-hour drive from Cancun). 

To get there, drive straight out of Tulum to the west. You’ll see the signage for Muyil and Sian Ka’an indicated. It’s almost impossible to miss! You can also pop it into your GPS before you leave Tulum. There is little to zero phone signal once you reach Muyil, so pre-download any offline maps if needed.

The Best Sian Ka’an Tours & How to Book

While it’s 100% possible to do a day trip to Sian Ka’an by yourself, quite a bit of planning goes into it.

If you’re looking for a completely hands-off approach to visiting Sian Ka’an, booking a tour is best! 

You can book either a full-day or half-day trip, depending on your preference and how much you want to see. Most of these tours will include visiting the ruins and a float trip.

Booking through GetYourGuide and Viator are two of your best options. Below, I’ll compare a few of the best Sian Ka’an tours to help you decide!

Option 1: Mayan Ruins & Sian Kaan Reserve Tour

• From $153 per person
• Hotel pickup and lunch are included
• Includes Muyil “Lazy River” float
• Visit the Muyil ruins
• Local guide
• Book here!

If you want to experience every aspect of Sian Ka’an, from the Muyil ruins to the canal float, this tour is for you!

This 6-hour adventure starts by hiking along the jungle boardwalk before you head out on the “lazy river” float of the ancient Maya canals. You’ll also explore the ruins with a local guide who’s there to help explain the history and local wildlife. 

Option 2: Half-Day Tour Discovering Sian Ka’an With Lunch

• $175 per person
• Lunch, snacks, and water provided
• Snorkeling equipment
• Local guide
• Book here!

This half-day tour of Sian Ka’an focuses more on the immense biodiversity of both animals and ecosystems. You’ll explore the wetlands and mangroves by boat with your local guide.

You’ll also watch wildlife from afar, snorkel the Mesoamerican Reef, and have lunch on the beach. The entire tour takes 6 hours! 

Option 3: Sian Ka’an Adventure Full-Day Trip to Punta Allen

• From $223 per person
• Hotel pick up and drop off included
• Lunch in Punta Allen included
• Snorkeling equipment, snacks, and water
• Local guide
• Book here!

This 10-hour tour covers the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve from top to bottom.

You’ll start off with a boat tour of the reserve’s diverse ecosystems with a local guide who knows where to spot wildlife.

You’ll then snorkel along the Mesoamerican Reef before heading to an oceanfront lunch. Although this option is a bit more pricey, it includes a trip down to the remote village of Punta Allen.

Which Area of Sian Ka’an Should You Visit? (Canals vs Beaches)

I’ve visited Sian Ka’an two to three times in the last two years and am always in awe of its sublime beauty. Several lagoons are inside the Sian Ka’an Reserve, each with a unique character.

If you want to visit Sian Ka’an without a tour, you can visit two ways:

• From the Muyil side, located directly south of Tulum’s main road.
• From the coastal side between Tulum and Punta Allen (past Tulum’s hotel zone).

In my opinion, the easiest and best way to see it is from the Muyil side.

If you do, you can explore the Muyil ruins and climb the observation tower. If you decide to visit from the coastal side, you can tour a free Visitor’s Center with a viewing tower.

While less popular, tours can be arranged on the coastal side to see the third lagoon, which is home to amazing wildlife like manatees and crocodiles.

Theoretically, you can also take a longer boat tour from the coastal side that reaches the Muyil lagoon and vice versa.

If you begin in Muyil, you can take a longer boat tour to cross the first two lagoons and reach the third, where you might see manatees! 

Ultimately, it’s up to you which side you’d prefer to explore.

Best Things to Do inside the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve

With so many incredible things to see and do in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, it can be difficult to decide. The best part? You won’t have to! It’s easy to fit all of these activities into one day trip.

Float down ancient Maya canals, climb to the top of the observation tower for panoramic views, and visit the impressive Muyil ruins. 

Sounds fun, right? Here’s everything you’ll need to know about what there is to see and do in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.

Float down the Muyil/Sian Ka’an Canals

• Float down ancient Maya canals
• Boat tour across the Sian Ka’an Lagoons
• Lunch is included in guided tours
• Visit the Muyil Ruins

✨ Book this experience on GetYourGuide

➡️ Book this experience on Viator

Floating down the Muyil “Lazy River” is one of the best experiences in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve! 

What makes this fun float trip so unique is that you’ll get to glide down ancient trading routes that were once used by the Maya to exchange provisions and goods.

According to our boat captain Jesús, the Mayas would come all the way from other cities to trade — even making the trek from Guatemala and Belize!

The experience kicks off with a boat trip across the first turquoise lagoon. Your boat captain will soon veer off, heading deeper into the mangrove forests.

Surrounded by dense vegetation and mangroves, it’s not difficult to imagine the Mayas floating down in their canoes here over 1500+ years ago.

You’ll then cross a second lagoon and arrive at the entrance to another canal at a small wooden dock. Here, you’ll be asked to wear a life jacket, stick your legs through like you’re wearing a diaper, and be prepped to start floating!

Tip: You won’t be able to wear sunscreen, so it’s best to bring a t-shirt, bandana, or hat if you’re worried about getting sunburnt. Also, don’t forget your snorkel mask and underwater action camera for taking cool shots down the river. Both times I’ve gone, I used a waterproof phone pouch with a lanyard to take quick videos and pictures.

Leave your belongings in your backpack and give your shoes to one of the boat captains, who will drop them off at your destination so you can walk back via the boardwalk after the float ride.

All that’s left to do now is jump into the water! The current is the perfect speed, hence the nickname “lazy river,” and you’ll soon be floating beneath a canopy of mangroves. If you’re quiet, you might see birds nestled in the trees.

Try to arrive early in the morning when you’ll practically have the canal all to yourself. It’s about a 30-45 minute float down the canal. Once you exit, it’s another 20 to 25-minute walk or so along a wooden boardwalk that cuts through the marshland and takes you back to the start.

Visit the Muyil Ruins

• Cost: $75 MXN

If you’ve made it all the way to Sian Ka’an, you can’t miss the opportunity to see the Muyil Ruins.

One of the oldest inhabited Maya settlements in the state of Quintana Roo, these well-preserved ruins are just off the highway.

Unlike the Tulum Ruins, which are situated in the sun and perched on a seaside cliff, Muyil is hidden away in the jungle.

Because it feels almost undiscovered, it’s a much more immersive experience!

Tip: All of the main ruin sites have plaques written in English, Spanish, and Mayan, offering brief but detailed explanations of what you’re looking at.

Visiting the Muyil Ruins is fairly straightforward if you just follow the paths. There are several “big” structures to visit, the most popular being El Castillo or The Castle.

While you’ll most likely explore the ruins from the front at first, don’t miss out on circling around the back to see the pelican-like symbols that have been lovingly restored. Don’t forget your biodegradable insect repellent! There WILL be blood-thirsty mosquitos.

Watch for wildlife

Wildlife flourishes in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Because this area is protected by the Mexican government and left wild, you can see some amazing animals. 

Manatees and crocodiles frequent the lagoons and canals that crisscross the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, and there’s a good chance you’ll see them!

If you make it over to the ocean side of Sian Ka’an, you might also see dolphins and sea turtles.

The birdlife in Sian Ka’an is rich in biodiversity. Among hundreds of other species, Osprey, roseate spoonbills, white ibis, and even toucans can be spotted here.

Walking along the raised boardwalk and around the jungle-covered Muyil ruins, you might see spider monkeys and even Central American tapirs. This area is home to other animals like ocelots and jaguars, although they’re much more elusive! 

Drive down to Punta Allen

Sian Ka’an continues down (and beyond) the last Maya town of Punta Allen. 

This remote, seaside community is itty bitty but full of traditional charm.

At the tip of the Boca Paila Peninsula, you’ll find several restaurants, a lighthouse, and gorgeous sandy beaches.

Punta Allen is located inside the far stretches of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, making it a good base if you want to explore more of the area.

I don’t recommend driving all the way to Punta Allen unless you have a 4×4 and a full gas tank — it takes around 3 hours to drive from Tulum! There are very few facilities in Punta Allen, meaning no gas stations!

Climb Sian Kaan’s observation towers

• Cost: $50 MXN

Beyond the Muyil Ruins is a path and boardwalk that leads to a climbable watchtower and, eventually, the shore of the Muyil lagoon, where you officially take the boat tour for the Muyil float trip. 

If you aren’t afraid of heights, I’d recommend climbing to the top of the tower for awesome panoramic views of the surrounding lagoons. It’s up here where you can take in all the vivid blue-green hues of the lagoons and surrounding landscape.

Is Visiting Sian Ka’an from Tulum Worth It?

Absolutely! Sian Ka’an is one of the best day trips from Tulum! 

If you’re curious about Maya history, love seeing animals in their natural habitat, or just like adventures, you’ll love spending a day at the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. 

From floating down the Muyil canals to witnessing Maya ruins up close and personal, there’s truly something for everyone.

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