Things to do in Quintana Roo

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
4.5
About
Sian Ka'an (Mayan for "Where the sky is born") is a 1.3 million-acre biosphere reserve.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Top ways to experience Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
1 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
  • Donald D
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best birding at Sian Ka an bio reserve
    The best birding in Mexico. But don't take the $150 tour from Playa del Carmen. Do it on your own for $20 by taking the ADO bus from Playa del Carmen heading for Chetumal and get dropped off at Muyil archeological site which is only 15 km south of Tulum. Enter at the parking lot that leads to the boat landing about 10 minutes walk south from the Muyil entrance to avoid paying the entrance fee. Then its only 50 pesos to access the Sian kaan trail. Stay as long as you like. The trail is short and easy. Lots of bird species esp. in the morning. Return to Tulum 40 pesos or half hour from the main road. Frequent colectivos, mini vans. At Tulum take another colectivo to Playa del Carmen for 50 pesos. The earliest ADO bus from Playa del Carmen, 70 pesos is at 730 am. Pay when boarding the Mayab bus.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 13 April 2023
  • Amy R
    Seattle, Washington2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful wildlife - Terrible park management
    We had a wonderful tour company and guide, saw dolphins, a crocodile, a sea turtle, enjoyed snorkeling, a delicious lunch in Punta Allen, and the magical island of birds. BUT our fee partly goes to pay admission to the biosphere. What are they doing with this money? No restrooms at park entrance, just the dilapidated remains of some, trash strewn for miles, and a terrible pothole-filled road. The park itself needs to step up. It should do better for wildlife, guide companies and tourists.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 22 April 2023
  • DB
    Cambridge, Ohio38 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Great Place to Explore
    No matter which side of the Reserve you choose to access the experience, it will be worth it. You can go with a tour company, or do it yourself. The road to Punta Allen is rough, and a 4 wheel drive may be needed some days, but, well worth it. You can go at your own pace, make as many stops as you wish along the way. Enjoy a meal at Punta Allen and if f you want, it is possible to arrange tours with the locals. Same can be said if you choose to visit the Muyil Ruins then go on to where the boats can be found and arrange to explore via boat and/or enjoy a float down the canal. It is so very diverse in flora, fauna and culture, I never get tired of seeing it.
    Visited September 2022
    Travelled with friends
    Written 5 May 2023
  • TandTSwitzerland
    Zurich, Switzerland1,138 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful nature
    Very far away from the tourist traps in Tulum and the riviera Maya, this biosphere / reserve is very peaceful and also very pretty. You can go there by boat for many hours and discover always very interesting wildlife. I saw dolphins, crocodiles and may birds. Be aware the boats going there are quite simple. And also go there early as it can get a bit busy in the afternoon. Definitely worth the trip for a nice day in the nature, far away from the party crowd.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 3 November 2023
  • Lacey L
    Boulder, Colorado2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Birds, manatees, alligators, puppies and much more
    Everything about this experience was simply amazing! Our tour guide, Eduardo, picked us up from the hotel right on time so we could get to the nature preserve early enough to see the spectacular birds, manatees and the alligators. Then we floated down the lazy river and saw so many cool fish and enjoyed the much needed cool off the water provided. Afterwards, we got lunch at a restaurant with an unbelievable beach view (and a few puppies too)! The experience was unforgettable, and so was Eduardo. I doubt we would have had such an amazing time without his knowledge and expertise. If you're an animal and nature lover, this trip is seriously for you.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 December 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,338 reviews
Excellent
1,738
Very good
307
Average
121
Poor
83
Terrible
89

Happy Hobbit
Basingstoke, UK406 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Really good wildlife encounters - dolphins, crocodiles, turtles, lots of birds, etc - BUT a LONG way from the nearest town (Tulum) along APPALLING roads.
Written 26 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fiddlers333
Ealing, UK30 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
I had v high expectations of this tour, which sadly weren't met. There is so much potential in this precious space but unfortunately the boat driver and guide didn't seem to have much respect for the wildlife. We sped through the canals causing herons to fly from their nests. Surely a wildlife tour is about being quiet, moving slowly and generally not disturbing wildlife! Also, the wash from the speeding boat is probably causing erosion to the banks. Several points are misleading - the tour is not a whole day, the season affects massively what you are likely to see and the floating part involves physically being in the channels for 40 mins sitting in your life jacket as a float. I was fine with this but my daughter was petrified as we'd recently seen a crocodile upstream. For a very expensive tour in a very special place this was disappointing.
Written 14 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Patti & Bob
Chicago, IL31 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
We went to Sian Ka'an yesterday. We were fortunate to see several dolphins, turtles and lots of birds, but the trip to and from the park took away all the good things we experienced.

We just want people to know that getting to the park from Tulum requires an 1.5 hour ride on the worst road you've every been on. The dirt road is so full of potholes, the drivers can only go about 10 miles and hour and have to constantly swerve all over the road to find the least bumpy part. That left all of us with sore butts from the bumps and sore necks and upper backs form the whiplash side to side. The small bus/van even had a bucket inside in case people got sick. Then, we got on a boat for another hour. The boat traveled at high speed and due to high winds, it was as choppy and bumpy as the bus ride. And, due to the winds and chop, we were unable to do the snorkeling portion of the trip.

The agency we went with did a good job. The driver did his best and so did the boat driver. It was simply a bad combination of rough drive there and then winds, which they can't control obviously.

The other bus going with us had young children on it and we were so worried for that family. There is no way they had a good time.

All in all, I would not do this again and I would warn anyone that if it's a windy day, you are not going to like the boat ride. It's just too far to go and the payoff really isn't there.
Written 13 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mary N
3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
The Sian Kaan preserve has the potential to be amazing. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous and the rough road to get there keeps the large crowds of tourists away
The problem is the TRASH. Every beach you pass on the entire 3 hour drive is absolutely FULL of trash.
The Mexican government appears to be doing absolutely nothing to help the problem. Food/drinks and hotels are now as expensive as in the US so where is all the money going? It's certainly not being used to keep the beaches clean
Written 9 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PaulaAngelo
Monterosso al Mare, Italy24 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Solo
I paid 68$usd to drive an hour (each way) along the worst road that was full of giant, and I mean giant pot-holes. The road should've been closed to tourist traffic until they fix this.
The hour I drove should've taken 15 minutes if the road had been normal.
There was nothing to see except one opening to the beach, which would've been lovely except it was completely littered with plastic and glass, making walking impossible.
To say this is a reserve is shameful. Maybe there was more ahead but I was afraid of getting stuck in a pot-hole so I turned back.
Written 22 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

slewis
Dallas, TX3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
Beautiful. Connecting with untouched nature is soul touching.
However, my bag was stolen by a local when I went to watch the sunset minutes away.
Written 22 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lacey L
Boulder, CO2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Everything about this experience was simply amazing! Our tour guide, Eduardo, picked us up from the hotel right on time so we could get to the nature preserve early enough to see the spectacular birds, manatees and the alligators. Then we floated down the lazy river and saw so many cool fish and enjoyed the much needed cool off the water provided. Afterwards, we got lunch at a restaurant with an unbelievable beach view (and a few puppies too)! The experience was unforgettable, and so was Eduardo. I doubt we would have had such an amazing time without his knowledge and expertise. If you're an animal and nature lover, this trip is seriously for you.
Written 1 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Natalie C
4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Believe the reviews commenting on the state of the road. If you’re in a “normal rental” eg not a 4x4, AVOID! It’ll ruin your car. You pay 150pesos pp to enter and START the undriveable 45km journey. Problem is; the fastest you can drive is 10kph to prevent ruining the rental. We drove for 40minutes down the dirt road and gave up and turned around. For those slow and painful 40mins there was absolutely nothing, just rubbish. We even found the only little crack in the bush to a beach, got out, but it was FULL of rubbish- plastic everywhere, so we got back in the car. So disappointing and such a waste of time!

Only do it if you have a whole day to dedicate 3hours each way, or if you’re staying there
Written 25 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TandTSwitzerland
Zurich, Switzerland1,138 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Very far away from the tourist traps in Tulum and the riviera Maya, this biosphere / reserve is very peaceful and also very pretty. You can go there by boat for many hours and discover always very interesting wildlife. I saw dolphins, crocodiles and may birds. Be aware the boats going there are quite simple. And also go there early as it can get a bit busy in the afternoon. Definitely worth the trip for a nice day in the nature, far away from the party crowd.
Written 3 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leigh M
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
Terrible drive to and from the reserve [5.5 hours in the van due to bad roads] For about 2 hours of viewing nature on a speed boat. There has to be a better way to get to the reserve.
Written 15 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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SIAN KA'AN BIOSPHERE RESERVE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

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