Tulum, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve Ancient Maya Canals Tour

Community Tours Sian Ka'an

Close to Tulum in the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve, float down a canal made by the ancient Mayans, discover the lagoons, you can also see manatees, crocodiles and birds in their natural habitat.

A few minutes from Tulum, the UNESCO world heritage site, awaits you to discover an ancient canal that passes through four different ecosystems. Enjoy the scenery, cool off in the freshwater canal, then by boat to the Boca Paila estuary before ending this wonderful day with lunch at our restaurant.
Activities start early at approx. 6: 50am (our reservation partners will give you the schedule when you confirm your reservation) we will pick you up at your hotel to transfer you to our offices in Tulum and continue to Muyil where the activities start, the operative staff will receive you, and transfer you to where you will board a boat with 5 more companions, a captain and an expert guide in nature (it is important to clarify that the groups for this experience are limited to a maximum of 12 people) together they will cross an aquatic route within the sian kaan reserve that the Mayas used with their canoes thousands of years ago that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Muyil community, during this experience you will visit three main lagoons the lagoons of Muyil, chunyaxche and capelchen all connected by water channels, two of them of fresh water and one of brackish water (due to the proximity of the caribbean sea and the collision of the waters of the channels), you will observe multiple aquatic birds, inside the reserve in the middle of the canals and lagoons there is a Mayan temple practically in the middle of the reserve known as Ixlapak this temple besides being used by the Mayas as an astral observatory was also a customs base of this Mayan trade route in its time, an incredible story that our guides will tell you, at this point there is also a dock known precisely as the Ixlapak dock where you will dive into the channel to connect with nature in the floating activity for approximately 45 minutes in a distance of 950mts between orchids, bromeliads, mangroves practically in a paradise, You will finish at the dock “Chan Muelle” to take the boat again, the adventure continues by visiting the last lagoon of Capelchen and have the chance to observe manatees and crocodiles in their natural habitat, to finish the journey you will visit the coast of Boca Paila beach to observe the difference between the water of the lagoon system and the water of Boca Paila beach, after that you will return to the community of Muyil.