03.04.2022 | Mexico, Travel

Explore the remote National Park Sian Ka’an

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Since 1987 the Reserva de la Biósfera is under protection of the Unesco. You will find tropical jungle, palm trees, endless wild beaches, mangrove sump and a 110km long coral reef here. If you are lucky you can spot sea cows, jaguar, turtles and crocodiles. It’s a small headland, framed by the ocean on one side and the Laguna Campechén on the other. It’s simply one of the remaining paradises of the Maya Peninsula.

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HOW TO GET TO SIAN KA’AN NATIONAL PARK?

From the north of Tulum you have to drive 60km on the Camino Boca Paila trail until you reach the end of the headland Punta Allen. We did the trip with the smallest rental car, a Nissan March, however a 2×4 might be more comfortable. The gravel road through the National Park is extremely bumpy, it’s exhausting and you have to be careful to not touch down with one side of your car. After you passed the main street with the hotel zone in Tulum, you will reach a little entrance building to the National Park. There you have to register and pay for your tickets. If you don’t want to rent a car there are several tour companies offering one day or two day trips to Sian Ka’an from Tulum centre. We also saw several people exploring the National Park with a scooter.

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A BEAUTIFUL CAR RIDE UNTER PALM TREES

Well, for us Sian Ka’an is one of the remaining hidden paradises really close to busy Tulum. Plan your drive early, so that you can make several stops along the long bumpy road to enjoy the incredible nature here. Look at the ocean to one side and the lagune to the other side. Look at this beautiful sand road covered by all these palm trees. We spend a few hours here just to look at the birds and to fly the drone. From the bridge you will have an incredible view!

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WHERE TO STAY ?

We cannot recommend enough to stay 2 nights at Cielo y Celva, located at Punta Allen the end of the headland. They have comfortable glamping tents directly at the beach, hammocks, a swing, nice palm trees to sit on and the staff is so friendly!! It’s the perfect place to relax and feel close to nature. Don’t miss the sunrises and sunsets, they are incredible here! The camp also has a restaurant, a bar, a (really) small pool and offer several day tours and half day tours.

1. The comfortable tents (or beach huts)

All tents are big enough to be able to stand tall in it. All tents have two big beds, a fan, a table – all in all they feel very comfortable. If you don’t like to stay in a tent they also offer small huts, but in our opinion the tents looked much fancier. You will get some small lights for the darkness and they have nice rooms with showers and toilets. The tents are located far away from each other, which means you have your own palm garden around your tent. From your tent it’s like 10 meters to the ocean.

2. The outdoor area, hammocks and swings

Cielo y Selva created a beautiful outdoor area along the whole beach. They installed several hammocks, a dining area at the beach and a swing. I could have spent days there, just enjoying the ocean, listening to the wind and the waves.

3. Meals, drinks and WiFi

Cielo y Selva also has a restaurant and a bar and the food is really good here! You can also get your breakfast or dinner at the dining area at the beach. At the restaurant building they have an “okay” WiFi. If you like to eat somewhere else, drive to the close village either with your car or a rental bike.

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WHAT TO DO AT THE NATIONAL PARK ?

To be honest we spend the 2 nights just enjoying the camp, however there are incredible tours you can book at Cielo y Selva. We highly recommend to stay 2 nights, since you will probably need half a day for the drive to get there. 2 nights are the perfect time, however we could have stayed 3 nights as well.

1. Enjoying the sun at the remote beach

There is no better place to work on your tan than here. Most likely you will have most of the beach for yourself, since there are only a few tents. We felt really comfortable here. You can order drinks from the bar while chilling in the sun.

2. Get in the water – jump in the waves

When we’ve visited Punta Allen it was pretty windy, however we had a lot of sunshine. Therefore the ocean was a little wavy, but not too much. It’s a sand beach, no stones in the water and the water was very clear and blue. Also the ocean has the perfect temperature so that you don’t freeze but still feel a nice refreshment.

3. Sunrises and Sunsets at the beach

Don’t miss the sunrises and sunsets, they are incredible here! Therefore we highly recommend to stay 2 nights, since you can just experience more of the beautiful light here!

4. Explore the rest of Sian Ka’an National Park

Although we only stayed 2 nights at the camp enjoying the beach, there is a lot to do:

1. Rent a bicycle and drive to the close little village.
   
2. Rent a kayak or stand up paddle board.
   
3. Book a sunrise boat tour for 6am on the ocean.
   
4. Book a sunset boat tour for 5:45pm on the laguna.
   
5. Book a 3 hour boat tour around the Sian Ka’an National Park
   Snorkel at the reef, visit the Mayan Canal. Search for dolphins, turtles, seacows and birds. (It’s not allowed to swim with the animals in the National Park)

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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST ?

We payed 180 MXN for two people and a car at the National Park entrance building. The prices for the tents depends on the season, however they are pretty affordable! Keep in mind they are often fully booked around Christmas. Give them a call, sometimes they have a room available last minute, although there is nothing available on the website. We booked only one night at first, since the next one was fully booked, but got a second night in the same tent when we asked at the reception.

Anzeige / ad: Most of the hotels, restaurants and companies we mentioned above didn’t sponsor us. All our recommendations are always based on our own opinion.