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How to visit the Sian Ka’an Reserve without a guide (2020): by Car or Bus / Colectivo (Mexico)

Most tourists visit Sian Ka’an with an agency (minimum 100$/person from Tulum). But what to do when you don’t have a lot of money? Here are two methods to visit this reserve.

First ofall, you have to know that the reserve is very, very big, so depending on where you start, you will visit completely different things. The agencies also propose 2 different starting points, so make sure you are well informed before you choose.

in red: visit areas
  • If you leave from the archeological site Muyil, like most bloggers visiting Sian Ka’an independently, the access is easier, you float on the canals dug by the Maya, carried away by the current but in exchange, you will see almost no animals and snorkeling is impossible (water too full of sand). You swim in fresh water.
  • If you leave from Punta Allen, the access is more difficult but you will visit a larger area, see many more animals (and lots of dolphins if you leave early, and manatees too if you are lucky), you can snorkel. You swim in salt water. On the other hand, no floating is possible on the Maya Canal.

Note: In both cases, once you arrive on site, you must pay for a boat. Be aware that the sailors aren’t guides, and speak little English, so apart from pointing out the animals… they will not introduce you to the reserve or give you a speech about animal protection etc…

  1. Method 1: Departure from Muyil
  2. Method 2: Start from Punta Allen
  3. Muyil or Punta Allen? What to choose?
  4. What to bring?
  5. Our Punta Allen (Sian Ka’an) travel diary

Method 1: departure from the archaeological site Muyil

Method 2 : departure from Punta Allen

With this method, you can :

  • visit Sian Ka’an with a car from Tulum in one day.
  • However, if you go there by public transportation, you will have to stay at least 2 nights because the transportation is very long and the schedules aren’t at all optimal.
the state of the road from the Sian Ka’an Reserve to Punta Allen
the “tourist office” in Punta Allen to book the boats – in the middle of the main road

Several tourists have talked about the boats that are a few KM from the entrance of the reserve (the entrance of the reserve is called Arco Maya, search on Google Maps) – so no need to drive to Punta Allen by car. The information is a bit contradictory: some of the tours are a few KM from the entrance, at any time – others talk about the fishing boats that drop off tourists after the day’s visit and return empty to Punta Allen and can take you there for cheap. Unfortunately, I was not able to verify this information on the spot.

In any case, there are 3 different sources that speak about the boats present at the Watch Tower – Visitor’s Center for 700MXN (you can find it on Maps.me, type Watch Tower Visitor’s Center Sian Ka’an or search on the map of Maps.me), 8.8km from the Arco Maya (the entrance to the reserve).

Going directly into the reserve and driving a few kilometers you will find a small guesthouse on your left with a tower advertisement, go a little further and a few meters you will find a small path just on the right. You enter it with your car and at the end (a few meters) you can park and there are fishermen who do very cheap tours and they are very good… if you don’t wait a little bit and someone will arrive. It’s a place with fishermen so don’t worry … there’s a hammock, a hut half broken but it’s the …. you’ll have a pontoon you‘ll see

Some tourists took a cab to the Watch Tower (the cab complained a lot) and asked the cab to wait for them.

Muyil or Punta Allen? What to choose?

Both sites allow you to explore the Sian Ka’an Reserve. However, the reserve is so large, and the two sites are so far away from each other that no agency can offer you to visit both areas in the same day.

The long excursion proposed by the agencies: from the ruins of Muyil to the reefs – does not go as far as Punta Allen either (too far).

  • The choice depends a lot on (1) your means of transportation (2) your desires (3) the time you have (4) your wallet 😀
    • If you come by public transport, clearly Muyil is more accessible. It is possible to visit it from Tulum or Playa del Carmen in one day.
    • If you come by private car, you will do more from Punta Allen. For 900 pesos in Punta Allen, you are entitled to 3 hours of boat trip while in Muyil, for 1000 pesos, you are entitled to only 1h30 of excursion.
    • If you want to see the most animals (and lots of wild dolphins), Punta Allen is the place to go (see our video here)
  • If you go through an agency, you can visit Sian Ka’an from Muyil or Punta Allen in one day (departure/return from/to Tulum or Playa del Carmen). The prices are about the same.
    • Be careful for Muyil, if the agency just offers you the floatation but does NOT go to the reefs, you may pay a little too much for the service provided.
    • If you opt for an agency leaving from Punta Allen(like us), prefer the excursion that allows you to take the car to Boca Pa ila and continue by boat to Punta Allen and return to Boca Paila by boat too (not like our agency that did Punta Allen – Tulum by car)
  • Some people prefer Muyil to Punta Allen for the “floating” experience on the canal. But if you go to Bacalar afterwards, the same floatation experience can be done for much less at Los Rapidos in Bacalar (100pesos the entry)
dolphins near Punta Allen

What to bring?

  • Water
  • Anti-UV clothing: no sunscreen here – we are in a protected reserve
  • A hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Cash – no ATM on site
  • If you come by car: fill up before coming and take plenty of water
  • A sports camera, waterproof: we are very happy with our small camera Akaso V50X (100€, Amazon link)

If this article hasn’t convinced you to go there without a guide, you can always opt for an agency. like iTour Mexico (booking link on Viator de Tripadvisor) which offers day trips to Punta Allen, mainly by boat for 123€/person. Guide available in French, Spanish, German, English and Italian. This agency is very well rated. You take the boat 3 times: to see mangroves, crocodiles up close – then dolphins, turtles & snorkeling – then part of the return trip is also by boat (possibility to see iguanas)

Did you like this article? Read our Sian Ka’an travel diary here. Find our other travel diaries, itinerary & practical guides in Mexicohere

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