Map of the Yucatan-Sian Ka'an(click on image to see larger)
Our base is located in the Yucatan peninsula of Southeast Mexico, approximately 150 miles south of Cancun. The lobster fishing village we live in, Punta Allen, is at the core of the Sian Ka'an World Biosphere Reserve. Situated along the Caribbean coast, south of the Mayan ruins of Tulum and north of neighboring Belize, the Sian Ka'an is bordered on the east by the second largest barrier reef in the world and on the west by savannah and low jungle. This 1.3 million acre Reserve contains a diverse set of tropical habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass, mangrove forest, algal flats, and fresh, brackish, and salt water marshes. There are two large bays, with numerous cays, tidal creeks, and several fresh water streams or underwater springs in or at the edge of the Bays. The Sian Ka'an, Maya for "the birth of light "- or, "where the sky is born" was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1986. It encompasses several tropical eco-systems, which are thus protected from excessive development while still supporting an indigenous Mayan population. The concept of a Biosphere is to allow sustainable living: harvest - and enjoyment - without exploiting the resources, thus preserving the integrity of the area to sustain future generations.
Punta Allen and Ascension Bay(click on image to see larger)
The village of Punta Allen consists of about 80 families. Located at the end of a long peninsula/island heading South from Tulum, it is accessed by a 50 kilometer dirt road, with occasional ranchos along the way. There is just one satellite phone, no mail service or public transportation and limited electricity. The two large, uninhabited bays - Bahia de la Ascension and Bahia del Espiritu Santo, just south and west of Punta Allen - are perfect for kayaking: a combination of shallow flats and innumerable canals, rivers, and islands to explore. For the moment, all our campsite locations are in Ascension Bay. HomePage What We Offer Plan a Trip A TypicalTrip Who We Are Contact Us AVENTURAS TROPICALES de Sian Ka'an Email: yucatan@boreal.org
AVENTURAS TROPICALES de Sian Ka'an Email: yucatan@boreal.org