Important Information – Road Conditions in the Nature Reserve

    The road leading into the nature reserve is approximately 32 km long and, due to frequent rainfalls, it has many potholes. We drive slowly and carefully and always do our best to avoid the worst parts. However, the condition of the road means that this tour is not suitable for everyone. The total driving time within the reserve is about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

    ⚠️ We strongly advise against booking this tour if you:

    • suffer from serious back problems

    • have recently had surgery

    • are pregnant

    • are prone to motion sickness or vomiting on bus rides

    Your comfort and safety are very important to us. 


    • kids 12 years up and adults                                 180 USD 
    • kids 0 to 3 years                                                          50 USD 
    • kids 4 to 11 years                                                     160 USD
    • Day trip according to the above program
    • Personal care by Santi Tour guides
    • Pick up from your hotel or meeting point
    • Ride with a certified driver in a comfortable, fully insured, and air-conditioned minivan
    • Free Wi-Fi  (whenever network is available on the routes)
    • Tour guide in English
    • Fresh breakfast sandwich "Santini" in the bus (no coffee or tea included)
    • Cool drinks (soft drinks, water, premium-beer, Tequila shot)
    • tourist fees and eco tax
    • Approx. 3-hour boat trip through mangroves to find various species of birds (Pelicans, Cormorants, Herons, Eagles, and Frigate birds)
    • Search for turtles and free-living dolphins
    • Snorkeling on the coral reef (if water conditions and waves allow)
    • Bathing and relaxing in a beautiful Caribbean bay ("natural swimming pool")
    • Tequila shot in the water
    • Equipment in Sian Ka'an (snorkel, masks, fins, life jackets)
    • Local lunch including drinks 
    • Return to your hotel lobby or meeting point
    • all photos / videos of this tour are free of charge as a gift from us!
    • minimum participants: 8 people
    • maximum participants: 11 people
    • duration: approximately 10 hours
    • difficulty: medium
    • age recommendation: 5 to 75 years

     

    • information about country and people
    • nature & animals
    • mexican food
    • swimming & relaxing
    • snorkeling

     

    • Sian Ka'an has been UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 and in Maya language it means "where heaven was born or gift of heaven". And this is exactly what this little tropical paradise looks like. We drive on an unpaved road through the natural reserve until we reach our boat
    • The whole area covers approximate 5280 km2 and it is the home of various mammals, more than 300 bird species and large numbers of vertebrates that are partially threatened with extinction. There are over 850 plant species, including Mangroves and Marshes. Sian Ka'an is home of 4 different species of Sea Turtles, the Bottle Nose Dolphins, Pumas, Spider Monkeys, Jaguars, and the largest number of saltwater Crocodiles in Mexico
    • We first drive south in the direction of Tulum, after that, we drive the whole coastline in the direction of Punta Allen. By our arrival in Punta Allen, two of our professional and well trained motor boat captains will be waiting for us and at that point we can prepare ourselves (swimsuit, etc.). After that, all of us as a group will walk together through the small streets of the town to where our boat is, the approximate time of the boat tour is about 4 hours, we drive through mangroves to a bird island. There you will learn details about Frigates, Pelicans, Spoonbills, Cormorants, Herons, etc.
    • We look for dolphins and sea turtles, as soon as we find them we stop the boat so we can stay a while and be able to enjoy them. Keep your cameras ready! After that, we snorkel by the second largest coral reef in the world. Corals and many tropical and exotic fishes, and sometimes Starfish, Crayfish, Manta Rays, Parrot fish, Stingray, and with a little bit of luck Manatees. The snorkel time is about 25 to 35 min depending on your experience
    • After snorkeling, we drive to an amazing bay and relax in a crystal-clear water of the Caribbean. We will spend about 30 to 40 minutes, take beautiful pictures as a couple, family or group in the turquoise waters of Sian Ka´an, and enjoy the sun with a beer or soft drink in our hand
    • At the little fishing village Punta Allen, we will have lunch together, sand under our feet, the view of the bay, and sitting under coconut palm trees. Nobody wants to get up so fast here! You now have a free moment to take pictures
    • we will do a small photoshoot in the water (or by the beach) if you like and you will get all pictures from us for free

     

    • Personal expenses (e.g. for souvenirs, restroom, etc.) Please have small change in MXN or USD
    • Coffee or tea at the coffee stop
    • Tips in general (tour guide, driver, waitress, etc.)

     

    • photo packages cost lots of money in Mexico - you can spend easily 100 to 200 USD and what you get are around 20 pictures of the whole group
    • with SANTI TOUR you will get a big picture (and sometimes also video) package with sometimes 100 to 600 photos - depending on the tour and our guest. In the tours Holbox EXCLUSIVE and BACALAR EXCLUSIVE we implement little photo shoot with you
    • Please note, we are no professional photographers, and we do our best to get beautiful pictures. Normally tour guides never take photos
    • We normally take our photos with cellphones, as we are not allowed to use cameras in lots of places like temples and ruins. As tour guides it is officially forbidden to take pictures
    • attention: please do also take your own pictures and do not rely on us with all pictures - you will have you own ideas of photos, and it also can be a damage on a cellphone or pictures. Please never forget, our photo package is additional and free - a gift from SANTI TOURS to you
    • some days after tour we upload all our material with a link in our WhatsApp group. You got time to download all photos and videos, also at home. The link and the group will be deleted after 4 weeks. Later it's not possible to get back any photos
    • The payment of our tours can be done in CASH on the day of the tour. We accept US Dollars, Mexican Pesos, or Euro (at the current daily exchange rate).
    • No PayPal or bank transfer possible
    • we accept credit card payments via link ON THE DAY BEFORE THE TOUR - please let us know, if you want to pay via credit card (5% fees plus currency fees by third party)
    • We ask for your understanding, just for the fairness of the other guests, we cannot drive to any banks or ATMs to exchange or withdraw money

     

      Pick up and transfer: 

    • Pick up at lobbies of all hotels from Iberostar Paraiso in the north until Playa del Carmen to Hotel Zone Tulum. Please, let us know before booking about the location or name of your hotel.
    • Hotels in Cancun, Puerto Morelos, and hotels north of Iberostar Paraiso: Pick up at the meeting point in Playa del Carmen.
    • The transfer to Playa del Carmen (with the Colectivo share minivans) can be done by any person staying at any hotel from Cancun for about 2 to 3 USD. Very easy, safe, and inexpensive. The white Colectivo minivans begins to transit around 5AM in different directions and pass by every 5 to 10 minutes towards Playa del Carmen.

    Driving time:

    • From Playa del Carmen to Punta Allen expect a driving time of about 3 hours (depending on traffic and without hotel pick-ups). Please note this with your tour planning

    Attention: 

    • In the Mayan Riviera are several dolphinariums (seawater pools) in which the animals are cruelly locked in. Under the most inhumane conditions, they are held and are often severely mentally and physically ill. For the stunts with tourists they are given antibiotics and sedatives. We do not support swimming with dolphins. Instead, we promote experiencing animals in the wild in their natural habitat. We hope you will understand and support us!
    • You can bring your own equipment (snorkel, mask, fins). Due to Covid-19 we are not allowed anymore to provide this equipment. For a small price you can get a snorkel from us and take it home as a souvenir
    • We kindly ask you to protect our reefs, cenotes and animals by avoiding sunscreen. They have a big impact of the damage of nature, even if it's biodegradable. Please use special Lycra shirts with UV protection instead
    • We will be on a boat, so depending on the weather conditions you may get splashed! We can not avoid this, so take care of your personal belongings. We will not be liable for any water damage to clothing, bags, or cameras / cell phones
    • Our tour is also suitable for children, please bring suitable swimming aids
    • Without guarantee, we watch Dolphins, Turtles, and Crocodiles in the wild. If not found, there are no refunds. Remember, they are wild
    • Life jackets are mandatory for boats and snorkeling
    • This tour is not suitable for pregnant women and also for people with back problems
    • Depending on the annual and breeding season, the variety of bird species can vary
    • This tour is a full-day tour, we start between 5 am to 6 am and the appr. return to Playa del Carmen is around 6 pm (depending on traffic, weather, etc.). However, we can not guarantee this

     

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