Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Sian Ka'an Adventure Full Day Trip to Punta Allen

• Kayak Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve Sunset Tour

• Half-Day Tour Discovering Sian Ka'an with Lunch

• Private Tour of Muyil Archaeological Site & Sian Ka'an Lazy River

Admission to Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve costs 225 Mexican pesos. In addition, many travelers choose to visit the remote destination as part of a guided tour, which takes care of transportation via often-bumpy dirt roads. Guided tours start at US$119, featuring activities such as bird-watching, paddling, and other nature-focused excursions.

Yes, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is worth visiting. This UNESCO–listed site is known for its lush mangrove forests, fascinating coral reefs, and marine wildlife from sea turtles to manatees and dolphins. Since the reserve is huge—and far less visited than more accessible parts of the coast—it's a great place to experience a protected environment with tremendous biodiversity.

Per one customer who booked the Exclusive Full Day Nature Expedition in Sian Ka'an, "The tour was brilliant! The nature reserve is well-preserved with lots of birds and green vegetation everywhere. We saw wild dolphins, manatees and even rays when we were snorkeling. Our guide was fantastic and kept us entertained all day with very interesting information. This is a must-see trip for all nature lovers."

The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve covers 1.3 million acres (526,000 hectares). It is a protected area of rich biodiversity and diverse ecosystems spanning tropical forests, wetlands, mangroves, lagoons, a marine section with a barrier reef, and 23 archeological sites. It is located on the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, south of Tulum.

Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 due to its incredibly rich biodiversity, its complex ecosystems, its unique and largely undisturbed interface of land and sea, and rare features, such as cenotes and islands of trees. It is the largest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean.

A boat tour is one of the most popular ways to explore the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, which offers the chance to spot some of the area’s rich wildlife. Other activities include snorkeling the coral reef, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, birdwatching, fly fishing in the saltwater lagoons, and exploring Mayan ruins.

A guided tour is the easiest way to visit the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Many tours from Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cancun and other areas of the Riviera Maya will include transportation. Visitors can also reach the reserve independently with a 4WD, or take a local boat from Laguna Muyil.

Wildlife in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve includes pumas, jaguars, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, ocelots, tapirs, manatees, dolphins, turtles, more than 400 types of fish, and more than 300 bird species. The reserve has tropical forests, wetlands, mangroves, savannahs, lagoons, beaches, dunes, and coral reefs.

The small fishing village of Punta Allen is located within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve and has a few basic hotels and restaurants, although electricity only runs during certain times of the day. Plenty of accommodation and dining options can be found in Tulum, around 7 miles (11 kilometers) north of the reserve.

There are tons of things to do when you're done visiting Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in Riviera Maya and the Yucatan:

• Quintana Roo

• Chichen Itza

• Isla Mujeres

• Xcaret

• Akumal

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Riviera Maya and the Yucatan.