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A PERFECT DAY FOR: NATURE LOVERS
Morning
The 1.3-million-acre UNESCO World Heritage site of Sian Ka’an
Biosphere Reserve will be your playground for the day. Sian Ka’an
is home to an incredible diversity of ecosystems: wetlands, native
tropical forest, mangrove lagoons, and the second-largest barrier
reef in the world. As a biosphere reserve, it’s protected through
sustainable tourism. (Visitors may only access certain areas.) You
can take a public colectivo minibus to get there, but your money
supports Maya guides and park keepers if you go with Community
Tours Sian Ka’an. Enjoy a serenade of birdsong as you hike past
tangled vines around the steep-walled pyramids of Muyil, one of
the oldest Mayan sites. Marvel at enormous ceiba trees, held
sacred by the Maya as the tree of life, connecting earth with the
underworld and sky.
Afternoon
From Muyil, a forest boardwalk leads to a dock where small boats
ferry visitors across two lagoons and through a 1,000-year-old
Mayan canal. Keep your eyes peeled for agile dolphins. At the
entrance to a gently flowing river, dive into the clear water and
float past mangroves using your life jacket as a seat. See pelicans,
ibises, and — if you’re lucky — maybe even small (harmless)
freshwater crocodiles. Take a longer boat tour, and you could
catch a glimpse of reclusive manatees, too. Whatever creatures
you see, you’ll be in awe of the untouched wilderness that
surrounds you.
Dinner
Does the idea of lightly seared ahi tuna with soy-and-butter sauce
tickle your taste buds? In Playa, Oh Lala! is a lovely intimate spot for
dinner. Not too fancy. Just locally sourced, international food done
really well. Oh Lala! gets top ratings on TripAdvisor (and with good
reason) and only has nine tables, so email
to reserve in advance.
Evening
Summer visitors to the Riviera Maya can witness — and even take
part in conserving — a remarkable phenomenon of nature. Between
May and September, female green and loggerhead turtles complete
epic migrations (sometimes hundreds of miles) and come ashore
at night to lay their eggs on the same beaches where they were
born years earlier. Your resort may offer tours, or you can book with
Flora, Fauna y Cultura de México at X’cacel Beach. Through this
organization, you can also volunteer to help study, collect data on,
and protect the nests and endangered creatures.
The underground caverns at Kantun-Chi ecopark
are home to striking stalactites and stalagmites.
36 INTERVAL WORLD Spring 2016