The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve was established on the 20th of January 1986 by presidential decree (under President Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado) and became part of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program that same year. In 1987 the reserve was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As part of the MAB program, Sian Ka’an faces the greatest challenge of conservation: to find a way to integrate human activities without compromising other forms of life contained within its boundaries.

Sian Ka’an is approximately 1.3 million acres in size and spans 120 kilometers from north to south (comprising almost one third of the Caribbean coast of Mexico). In 1994 an area of over 200,000 acres to the south of the Reserve was named a Protected area of Flora and Fauna of Uaymil, increasing the continuous area of protected land.

The reserve contains three large core zones where human activity is limited by permission to scientific research. These areas, known as the Zonas Nucleares of Muyil, Cayo Culebras, and Uaymil, cover a total area of almost 700,000 acres. Low-impact human activities and sustainable development occur in the area of the reserve known as the buffer zone. The human population is estimated at 2,000 inhabitants, the majority of which are located in the coastal regions, especially in the fishing villages of Punta Allen and Punta Herrero. Approximately one percent of the land within the reserve is privately owned.

There are five entrances to the reserve, located at Pulticub, Santa Teresa, ChumpChunyaxchnd Chac Mool. Guards employed by the governmental SEMARNAP organization are stationed at every entrance to enforce the Reserve regulations. "Sian Ka’an" is translated from Mayan as "where the sky is born" or "gift from the sky". The reserve is thought to have been inhabited in the pre-Classic and Classic periods as part of the chieftanships of Cohuah and Uaymil. There are twenty-three known archeological sites inside the reserve. Discoveries of human remains, ceramic pieces, and other artifacts have been dated up to 2,300 years old. The northernmost section of Sian Ka’an contains what is thought to be an ancient trade route through lagoons and mangrove channels between the cities of Tulum and Muyil. Parts of what is now the Reserve were once areas of chicle production and trade through the middle of the twentieth century, and the fishing industry is still one of the most important economic activities of the Reserve’s population. Common species include spiny lobster (Palinurus espinosa) tarpon, grouper, permit, nurse shark, hammerhead, black tipped shark, and snapper. Tourism is a another source of income for fishermen in Sian Ka’an, hired to run boat trips to see the reefs and lagoon systems. Approximately 36,000 tourists entered the reserve in the year 2000, and those numbers are expected to increase significantly for the year 2001. There is a charge of $ 4 USD as a fee entrance to the Reserve per person per day.

Ecological Importance

With nine vegetation types, Sian Ka’an is estimated to have over 1,200 species of vascular plants. Its wetlands are home to manatees and two species of endangered crocodiles, while the beaches are prime breeding areas for green, loggerhead, hawksbill, and leatherback sea turtles. The tropical forests provide habitat for several endangered and threatened species including jaguar, puma, ocelot, tapir, howler monkey, spider monkey, and king vulture. More than 330 species of birds are found here, including a large number of migratory songbirds.

The reserve’s boundaries extend to the Caribbean and encompass 68 miles of the Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world. Sian Ka’an’s mangrove and reef systems are some of the most productive in the world. Because of these unique values, Sian Ka’an was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve

The Sian Ka'an is a natural barrier that brought the huge hotel developments that span from Cancun to Tulum to a halt. The Reserve can be reached from both Tulum from the north, from Filipe Carillo Puerto and from the Tampalam Road that leads from the Mahahaul-Cafetal highway from the south (this is the road you will take from Mayan Beach Garden.) The Biosphere reserve is 528,147 hectares (1.3 million acres).

The Sian Ka'an is home to nearly every kind of the region's wildlife: jaguars, jaguarundis, howler monkeys and tapirs; crocodiles, turtles and manatees; millions of birds and many more. When you enter the biosphere, the road is surrounded by huge giant fan palms. Also common on the coastal road is the chechen tree, with a poisonous sap that can affect humans and animals even if you only stand near it. Near to it, though there will always be the chakah bush, which produces its natural antidote.