SIAN KA'AN WILDERNESS ADVENTURE ITINERARY

07:00 AM Pickup in the lobby of your Cancun hotel.

08:00 AM Pickup in the lobby of your Playa del Carmen hotel.

07:00 AM Pickup in the lobby of your Riviera Maya hotel.

09:30 AM Arrival to Sian Ka'an reserve, where an experienced biologist will give a brief explanation about the biosphere reserve. Board the boats and the adventure begins. The boats travel through the wetlands of Muyil to Xlapak an archeological site located in the reserve. In Xlapak area you can swim in a fresh water channel running through the mangroves and the savanna. Your guide will identify the different types of vegetation and birds. Soft drinks and snacks are provided.

12:00 PM Back to Muyil and you will hike on an old Mayan trail through the jungle with an explanation of the plants and animals in the area. Finally the hike will terminate at a Maya archeological site.

01:30 PM Travel to Cenote "Escondido" (The Hidden Cenote) where snorkeling and swimming are a must.

03:00 PM Lunch in Ana y Jose Restaurant in Tulum (or a similar restaurant.) The meal includes a main dish (chicken, beef or fish, or vegetarian), and soft drinks.

04:30 PM Depart and return to Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun.

06:00 PM Arrival to Cancun.

Visit the most important Biosphere Reserve in Mexico: "Sian Ka'an" Cross the unspoiled wetlands by boat and see how the ecosystems change. You will encounter some of the more interesting animals and plants of the Maya Jungle.
Then enjoy a refreshing swim in a cenote and snorkeling in an underground river.

Sian Ka'an WILDERNESS ADVENTURE

THE ECO-TOUR INCLUDES

Club Wagon or Suburban transportation with AC).
Professional bilingual guide (biologist,) boat expedition, meal ( 3:00 PM.)
A boat trip.
A visit to an archeological site.
A snorkel and swim in an underground river.

Things to bring:

swimsuit under a light cotton clothing
cap or hat
sun block
sunglasses
towel
camera

This Expedition Operates on Tuesday and Thursday only.

Price:
Sian Ka'an WILDERNESS ADVENTURE - Adult $129.00 USD
Sian Ka'an WILDERNESS ADVENTURE - Children $91.00 USD ( age 4-7 years)

Sian Ka’an Facts

Largest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean (approximately 1.3 million acres)
Established January 20th 1986 as part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Unique for its geography and wetlands
23 known archeological sites (with relics dating up to 2,300 years old)
103 known mammal species
336 known bird species
Nesting ground for many species of wading birds
Annual rainfall between 44 and 48 inches
Important nesting site for two endangered sea turtle species
Believed to be inhabited in the Pre-Classic and Classic Periods in the chieftanships of Cohuah and Uaymil
Currently home to over 2,000 inhabitants

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve was established on the 20th of January 1986 by presidential decree (under President Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado) and became part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program that same year. In 1987 the reserve was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As part of the MAB program, Sian Ka’an faces the greatest challenge of conservation: to find a way to integrate human activities without compromising other forms of life contained within its boundaries.

Sian Ka’an is approximately 1.3 million acres in size and spans 120 kilometers from north to south (comprising almost one third of the Caribbean coast of Mexico). In 1994 an area of over 200,000 acres to the south of the Reserve was named a Protected area of Flora and Fauna of Uaymil, increasing the continuous area of protected land.

The reserve contains three large core zones where human activity is limited by permission to scientific research. These areas, known as the Zonas Nucleares of Muyil, Cayo Culebras, and Uaymil, cover a total area of almost 700,000 acres. Low-impact human activities and sustainable development occur in the area of the reserve known as the buffer zone. The human population is estimated at 2,000 inhabitants, the majority of which are located in the coastal regions, especially in the fishing villages of Punta Allen and Punta Herrero. Approximately one percent of the land within the reserve is privately owned.

There are five entrances to the reserve, located at Pulticub, Santa Teresa, Chumpón, Chunyaxché and Chac Mool. Guards employed by the governmental SEMARNAP organization are stationed at every entrance to enforce the Reserve regulations.

"Sian Ka’an" is translated from Mayan as "where the sky is born" or "gift from the sky". The reserve is thought to have been inhabited in the pre-Classic and Classic periods as part of the chieftanships of Cohuah and Uaymil. There are twenty-three known archeological sites inside the reserve. Discoveries of human remains, ceramic pieces, and other artifacts have been dated up to 2,300 years old. The northernmost section of Sian Ka’an contains what is thought to be an ancient trade route through lagoons and mangrove channels between the cities of Tulum and Muyil. Parts of what is now the Reserve were once areas of chicle production and trade through the middle of the twentieth century, and the fishing industry is still one of the most important economic activities of the Reserve’s population. Common species include spiny lobster (Palinurus espinosa) tarpon, grouper, permit, nurse shark, hammerhead, black tipped shark, and snapper. Tourism is a another source of income for fishermen in Sian Ka’an, hired to run boat trips to see the reefs and lagoon systems. Approximately 36,000 tourists entered the reserve in the year 2000, and those numbers are expected to increase significantly for the year 2001. There is a charge of $ 4 USD as a fee entrance to the Reserve per person per day.

Habitats found in Sian Ka’an

Coral Reef
The boundaries of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve include 110km of the second largest barrier reef in the world, which extends onward past Belize and Honduras. The reef is home to many important and several endangered species. Uncontrolled development along the Caribbean coast of Mexico has placed the reef in grave danger, as it is easily damaged and not so easily restored.

Beaches
The beaches of Sian Ka’an constitute a very important habitat and nesting grounds for many species of wildlife, as well as serving as an important transition between land and ocean. Most notably during the months of May through August, the beach is a nesting ground for 4 endangered sea turtle species that have lost important nesting sites along many parts of the Caribbean coast.

Dunes
The coastal dune is an important protector of inland habitats, especially during storms. Coastal vegetation includes Coccoloba uvifera, Tournefortia gnaphalodes, Suriana maritima, Sesuvium portalacastrum, Ambrosia hispida, Ipomoea and many other species. (For a more complete list, refer to flora link).

Wetlands
Mangroves, savannas, swamps and marshes are all included within the classification of “wetland”. Water plays a vital role in the existence of each of these habitats, whether it be fresh, salty, or brackish. Wetlands line the coast of Sian Ka’an, playing an important protective role as a type of buffer between the ocean and the land that can absorb the impact of storms. Wetland areas contain immense biological diversity and are home to a number of endangered species. Evident in all inundated wetlands is a conglomeration of algae known as periphyton that is believed to play an important role in the dissolution of calciferous soils, as well as being an invaluable source of food for many species of fish, mollusks, and insects.

Mangroves
Four species of mangrove line the coastal areas of Sian Ka’an. The mangrove communities are critical for the survival of many species of fish, birds, insects, reptiles, and other plants. Many species of mangrove filter contaminated water and trap loosened sediment, making them protectors of the coral reef and other littoral habitats. The mangrove species found within Sian Ka’an are Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove), Avicennia germinans (black mangrove), Laguncularia racemosa (white mangrove), and Conocarpus erectus (buttonwood mangrove).

Savannas
Coastal savannas are large areas of low-lying land with sparse, oxygen-poor soil that is inundated throughout much of the year. As few tree species have adapted to these conditions, savannas are dominated by species of grass, reeds, and rushes that rarely exceed three meters in height. Inland savannas contain shrubs and occasional trees in addition to grass, are drier and have a lower salinity. These environments are in danger of natural fires during the dry season.

Cenotes or Sink holes
Fresh water contained in the Yucatan’s underground aquifer carves away at the limestone above, weakening it and eventually causing it to give way. The result of this phenomenon is a unique habitat known as a cenote or sink hole. Many cenotes remain connected with the aquifer and with other cenotes through underground passageways. Occasionally, however, cenotes are found to be completely isolated from other bodies of water and may contain fish and other wildlife that have evolved over time into completely distinct species.

Hummocks
Petenes, or hummocks, are isolated areas of forest from several meters to several kilometers in diameter that are surrounded by swamps or inundated savanna land. These formations are found only in Cuba, the Florida Everglades, and the Yucatan Peninsula. There is often a cenote at the center of the hummock, which is surrounded by concentric circles of vegetation, from hardwood trees to grasses and rushes. Common species include cedar, mahogany, and zapote in the center ring, which are surrounded by various palm trees and the poisonwood tree, and eventually mangrove, rushes, and grasses. Many species of fauna live in hummocks, from insects to reptiles, mammals, and birds.

Tasistales
A tasistal is a concentrated strip found within savanna land that contains the tasiste palm (Acoellorraphe wrightii), the grass Cladium jamaicensis, and occasionally other plant species such as poisonwood (Metopium brownei), buttonwood mangrove (Conocarpus erectus), and cocoplum (Chrysalobanus icaco). The tasiste palm is extremely fire-resistant, and will survive natural fires that often strike savanna.

Fresh water lagoons
The fresh water lagoons of Sian Ka’an are supplied with fresh water from the subterranean aquifer by small springs or cenotes. Found mostly inland, the fresh water filters toward the ocean in channels or through the surrounding wetlands. The lagoons are home to a number of species of fish and vegetation not found in the coastal areas.

Brackish water lagoons
Ocean water and fresh water from inland and the aquifer meet and mingle in the brackish water lagoons along the coast of Sian Ka’an. These lagoons are lined with salt tolerant mangrove and grass species which provide a home to fish and mollusk species that make the area an attractive nesting ground for wading birds and residence of two crocodile species, Crocodylus moreletii and C. acutus.

Low tropical forest
Many of the mammal species found within Sian Ka’an reside within the low tropical forest land which is located in the westerly portions of the reserve. The forests contain many hardwood species, including chechem, chicozapote, mahogany, tsalam, and other valued hardwoods. The environmental importance of these areas is increased by the international demand for hardwood that is pressuring many countries in the neotropics.