{"id":8283,"date":"2016-07-22T19:00:48","date_gmt":"2016-07-22T23:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.playadelcarmen.com\/blog\/?p=8283"},"modified":"2019-12-06T16:41:48","modified_gmt":"2019-12-06T21:41:48","slug":"sian-kaan-tour-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.playadelcarmen.com\/blog\/sian-kaan-tour-review\/","title":{"rendered":"My Honest Sian Kaan Tour Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

We recently went on the Sian Kaan tour, a spectacular journey through one of Mexico’s most pristine nature reserves.<\/p>\n

Here’s our review!<\/p>\n

\"Mayan<\/p>\n

Have you ever heard of Sian Ka’an? (pronounced SEE-on khan)<\/p>\n

The UNESCO named Sian Ka’an as a World Heritage Site in 1986, just one year after Mexico established the area as a nature park.<\/p>\n

So what’s so cool about it?<\/p>\n

Everything! The landscapes, the beauty, the fact that it’s a protected park, the Mayan ruins, the channels made over a thousand years ago…<\/p>\n

But what’s the Sian Kaan tour all about?<\/h2>\n

The Sian Kaan tour Mayan Eco-Adventure is a five-hour tour deep into the heart of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere. Along the way, you’ll visit Mayan ruins dating back to 300 B.C., take a walk through a jungle trail, climb a high observatory tower, float down freshwater mangrove channels made by the ancient Maya over 1,000 years ago, and have lunch at an awesome beach club in Tulum.<\/p>\n

What is Sian<\/span> Ka’an anyway?<\/h2>\n

\"Muyil<\/p>\n

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere is a nature reserve located to the south of Tulum. Established in 1986, one year later the UNESCO named Sian Ka’an as a World Heritage Site.<\/div>\n

What is the meaning of Sian<\/span> Ka’an?<\/h2>\n
In Yucatec Mayan, Sian Ka’an is translated as “Entrance to the Sky.” Stretching out over almost 75 miles of coastline, the Sian Ka’an Biosphere is also comprised of just under one million acres of land.<\/div>\n

What can be found in Sian<\/span> Ka’an?<\/h2>\n

In addition to some of the region’s most abundant fauna, Sian Ka’an includes sweeping wetlands, freshwater lagoons, cenotes, extensive mangrove swamps, palm savannah, petens (natural mounds), and barrier reefs.<\/p>\n

Some of the animals that call the Sian Ka’an Biosphere their home include flamingos, pumas, jaguars, tapirs, howler monkeys, manatees, crocodiles, and vultures.<\/p>\n

Sian<\/span> Kaan Tour: Mayan Eco-Adventure<\/h2>\n
\"Sian<\/div>\n
\n

Are you ready for this?<\/p>\n

The Sian Kaan excursion visits the unique Mayan ruins of Muyil, and includes a walk down a wooden path in the middle of the jungle as well as a boat ride through the wetland lagoons and a float down a mangrove channel.<\/p>\n

Pick-up from Playa del Carmen depends on the location of your hotel, but plan on leaving town around 8 a.m. Expect to be back in Playa del Carmen somewhere between 3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Mayan Ruins of Muyil<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Muyil<\/p>\n

If you’ve ever visited Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula<\/strong>, then expect to be surprised by the architecture found at the site in Muyil. Also known as Chunyaxche<\/strong> in Yucatec Maya, which basically translates as “wide trunk of Ceiba” (Ceiba is considered to be the sacred tree of life to the Maya), Muyil is one of the first inhabited cities along the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.<\/p>\n

Of the 23 known archaeological sites in Sian Ka’an, Muyil is the most famous. The site is divided into two sectors: Muyil A and Muyil B.<\/p>\n

The only area open to the general public is Muyil A, which we visited. It is said that the ancient Maya began to inhabit\u00a0Muyil in 300 B.C. The site maintained its population up until the beginning of the 16th century\u00a0when the Spanish invaded the Peninsula of Yucatan led by the infamous Francisco de Montejo<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Mayan<\/p>\n

Muyil Architecture<\/h2>\n

\"Sian<\/p>\n

Because Muyil remained inhabited over such a long period of time, the architectural style of the site is actually comprised of buildings representing many different epochs and regional influences. For instance, the image below of Structure 7H-3, is considered a West Coast style, similar to other constructions at sites of late occupation such as Tulum<\/strong> and El Rey<\/strong> in Cancun<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The following image of El Castillo<\/strong> (the Castle), however, is more representative of the type of Mayan architecture seen in the northern region of Guatemala<\/strong> known as El Peten<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The different sites of Muyil are connected through\u00a0a series of walkways which the ancient Maya called\u00a0Sacbe<\/strong>. The word is a compound and means white (Sac) road (Be).<\/p>\n

These white pathways were common among the ancient Maya and can be found in such diverse sites as Tikal<\/strong> and Coba<\/strong>. Sometimes they connected one city to another, or as in the case of Muyil, the pathways ran east-west and communicated the central part of the town with the Muyil Lagoon.<\/p>\n

If you are a person who enjoys both nature and culture, a visit to the Mayan ruins of Muyil is a nice encounter with the rich history of the Riviera Maya and its people.<\/p>\n

Canan-Ha Jungle Trail<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Sian<\/p>\n

William Shakespeare once said, “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” To have the privilege to immerse yourself into the depths of the tropical jungle of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere is an honor that we got to \u00a0share with others.<\/p>\n

Walking along a narrow wooden pathway set between the lush foliage of this living, breathing ecosystem, I immediately realized just how far we’ve come in destroying such vital and beautiful spaces like this one, which today are so few and far between.<\/p>\n

As I journeyed down the path I felt the forest teeming with vitality.<\/p>\n

Along the way, signs have been erected to inform visitors of specific things of interest, such as trees and fresh water springs (ojo de agua).<\/p>\n

About half-way down the trail stands a large tower. Not all will want to do the climb up, which is about 65 feet high and has small, steep stairs leading up to the final platform.<\/p>\n

Once you reach the top, however, you’ll be treated to a spectacular view of the surrounding marsh, lagoon, and savannah.<\/p>\n

If you’re lucky, you may even be able to observe some birds nesting in the treetops.<\/p>\n

Muyil Lagoon<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Following the visit to the Mayan ruins of Muyil and our walk down the Canan Ha jungle trail, our next stop:\u00a0floating in the Muyil Lagoon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The journey starts off in boats captained by fishermen from the local cooperative. We set course through the middle of the Muyil Lagoon in groups of about five people, entering into the narrow stretches of channels that connect Muyil to the second lagoon of Chunyaxche<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Along the way, we got to see the wetlands up close as well as the mesmerizing labyrinth of mangroves.<\/p>\n

The boat ride itself is short, only about 15 minutes. Our group, however, made an unexpected stop along the way when the captain spotted a piece of trash in the\u00a0water and returned to remove it. Being accustomed to a general crass disregard for nature by tourists and locals alike, the action of captain showed just why this lagoon is in such pristine conditions.<\/p>\n

\"Mayan<\/p>\n

Floating Down Mangrove Channels<\/h2>\n

Having passed through the Chunyaxche Lagoon<\/strong> and into another set of mangrove channels, we disembarked at a small wooden pier where we took off our life jackets and promptly put them on in the form of diapers.<\/p>\n

Yes, it sounds weird but it makes perfect sense.<\/p>\n

You see, with life jackets as a diaper you jump into the water and can basically float down this narrow freshwater channel nestled in between a maze of mangrove trees and tons of orchids.<\/p>\n

The float down these channels, which are\u00a0said to have been built more than a thousand years ago by the Maya to connect these ecosystems to the Caribbean Sea<\/strong>, takes about 40 minutes.<\/p>\n

Once we finished, we got\u00a0out of the water and took a ten-minute walk back to the pier along a winding wooden pathway in the middle of the marsh. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera for the float or the trail\u00a0through the marsh.<\/p>\n

Lunch at a Tulum Beach Club<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Tulum<\/p>\n

We ended our journey in the hotel strip of Tulum at a nice Tulum beach club called Ak’inn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The place serves a buffet lunch of fish, chicken, rice, beans, and salad. You also get one drink with your meal. Warning: the beers are tiny.<\/p>\n

After you eat, you can head down to the beach for a swim or to relax in one of the beach chairs or beds that Ak’iin provides to its guests.<\/p>\n

The spectacular Tulum beach is always wonderful eye candy, and it was a nice way to end a fun excursion deep into the heart of the Riviera Maya’s Sian Ka’an Biosphere.<\/p>\n

Things to Know About the Sian Kaan Tour<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Freshwater<\/p>\n

Here are a few things you should know about the Sian Kaan tour Mayan Eco-Adventure before going on the trip.<\/p>\n