Imagine a bay that is so blue and clear, it’s as if heaven has sprung from the water. Sian Ka’an offers you all of that, and more. Muyil is the oldest Mayan settlement in Yucatan, and it sits right next to the bay. The mangroves are crossed by a 1/2 mile nature trail/boardwalk to get to the turquoise waters of Laguna de Muyil. This is the first bay in Sian Ka’an. Then, you can board a small boat to take you along the ancient Mayan canals that lead you to the second bay of Sian Ka’an – Laguna Chunyaxche. You can then enter the water and drift for 30 minutes through the canals.
You can take extended tours to the brackish Bays where the freshwater meets ocean. Here you may find dolphins or the elusive Manatee. Muyil is a port because ancient Mayan canals link all the bays. Agua Clara dive center from Tulum took us on a guided tour to see the unspoiled nature of the Yucatan Peninsula. We were left refreshed and recharged.
Agua Clara dive center offers a guided Sian Ka’an tour.
Jose, our guide, met us at Agua Clara dive center, located on Avenida Coba just north of Tulum, on the way to beach road. The area was filled with a hippy, feel-good vibe. Vendors were selling freshly cut wheatgrass out of Airstreams and a number of groups of gap-year students rode their beach cruisers along the bike path. Tulum Instagram promised this.
The shop was very small, but it was well-maintained and friendly. We were offered a coffee, and before we knew it, Jose’s truck was driving us to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere. He pointed out a Mayan temple that was still active just off of the main street in Tulum. With its thatched roof, and the lack of any signs, you’d never know it was a Mayan church. We had already learned from our guide something we hadn’t heard in our research. As Jose parked his truck near the Muyil Ruins just south of Tulum, we wondered what secrets we might learn.
Explore the Muyil Ruins
Muyil consists of only a few ruins. The King’s Castle and the Priest’s Temple have been restored, as well as a public marketplace. Muyil controlled the port at Sian Ka’an. Jose claimed that the city dates back to 300 BCE. I laughed in my head, thinking he was wrong about the dates. I had never heard of such an old Mayan city. After checking the facts on the Internet, I discovered that this was not only the oldest settlement in the Yucatan, but also the last one to be occupied. This speaks volumes about the port’s importance.
Mayan culture is a product of the volcanic mountains in Central America, where semi-precious stones like jade can be found in abundance. The elite sought these artifacts for religious and cultural purposes. Yucatan’s limestone bedrock would not yield them. Jose showed us what they exchanged in return. Jose took us to the hive where stingless bees called melipona were hives. The honey of these bees is still used today as a medicine balm. He asked us to rub our fingers on the dried sap that was dripping from a copal. We knew that the Mayans used copal for incense when we smelt our fingers. He showed us the cut marks of a gum-tree, where chicleros used to collect sap for natural gum. This gum was also used in construction. Without Jose, we would have missed these hidden clues about Mayan culture.
Secrets of Modern Mayans
Muyil displays placards that are merely perfunctory in nature, but which drone on about the similarities in architecture between Muyil’s temples and those in Guatemala. Jose’s stories brought the city to life. We stood in the middle of three small rocks mounds, looking into the jungle. He pointed out where we could see the remains of an ancient Mayan road, called a sacbe. It was made of crushed limestone. It was like solving a magic puzzle. After we saw the pattern in the picture, our brains could then process it. We removed the trees and turned the three custom houses on the road into a marketplace. The placards were formal, but the transformation was amazing.
Jose showed us tiny stone houses that were buried in the ruins. Guess what they are for. We had no idea. They turned out to be Alux homes. Aluxes were mischievous Mayan Elfs whose favors could be bought by offering. The spiritualists of Thailand and modern Mayans both make offerings to Aluxes as they build their homes. He was astonished when he showed us the hidden path that Mayans still use to get away from temples.
Jose pointed out the church that he had seen while driving through town. He said that this trail from Muyil goes through the jungles and all the way to the church at Tulum. This path is a part of the modern Mayan New Years pilgrimage. Jose seemed to know more about Neo-Mayan than he would admit, but I did not want to ask. A guest must respect their host’s boundaries.
The Path to Laguna Muyil
As we stood beside the King’s Temple, a European family with small children approached us. We gave the kids bug repellent because they were being eaten by mosquitoes. Muyil lies in a jungle, surrounded by swamps. Bring your bug spray. Jose had some bug spray for us in case we forgot. Jose pointed out a path that led into the jungle when the father asked him where the trail was to the lake. The path was not as well marked or hidden as the pilgrimage route, but neither was it as secluded. We headed back down the same route after our visit to the King’s Temple.
After about 200′, we came to another ticket counter. The wooden boardwalk took us a half-mile across the swamps and to the boat launch on the lake’s edge. Jose entertained us by calling out howler monkeys, and adding embellishments to the extremely short interpretive signs that were placed along the trail. The European family would have gotten nothing from the signs.
Climb the Observation tower – El Mirador Sian Ka’an
About half way down the boardwalk, we came across the observation tower. Jose encouraged us go up to the observation tower and have a look. Although the steps were steep, the views of the blue lagoon at Sian Ka’an made it all worth while. The jungle canopy was a completely different biozone from the forest floor. We live by the philosophy that you should always climb an observation tower to see what’s around you. You never know where you will end up.
Crossing Laguna Muyil and Laguna Chunyaxche
The boardwalk ends at a small built-up area by the water. The restrooms were clean and there was a gravel road that led back to Highway 401. Jose said that many tours begin at the lake, so be sure to shop around if you want a Sian Ka’an snorkel tour with a Muyil Ruins visit. Regularly, the boats would leave to go to the snorkeling site. We were soon on the motorboat, heading to Laguna Muyil. As soon as we left the shore, we were surrounded by the beauty of Laguna Muyil.
In Mayan, Sian Ka’an is the birthplace for heaven. It’s not hard to understand why. The water is so brilliantly blue that it looks as if the sky was born from it. Jose said there are days when it is even more spectacular. On calm mornings in December, sometimes the water can look like a mirror. Only the trees along the shoreline can be used to distinguish the sky from the lake. This must be a beautiful sight.
Lake Muyil has a relatively small size. We soon entered a Mayan canal dug by hand over a 1000 years ago that led to Laguna Chunyaxche. It was the bigger of the two blue Lakes of Sian Ka’an, but just as stunning as Lake Muyil. As we crossed the turquoise waters, the outboard motor hummed with delight and the wind blew our hair. The captain led us to a small dock at the other side of the lake. It was now time to snorkel.
Snorkeling at Sian Ka’an
The snorkeling path in Sian Ka’an is like a lazy natural river flowing down a second Mayan Canal. The canal is several mile long, and eventually reaches outer bays. However, you can only snorkel for the first 1500 feet. Jenn and Jose put on their masks and snorkels and began the float. I chose to skip this part because I had a cut on my arm that I did not want exposed to the water. It may not seem significant, but we’ve seen a number of couples struggle to communicate their needs and know when to stop an activity. Jenn deserves a special mention for her determination to enjoy the trip on her own.
I walked along a boardwalk in the grassy flats until the end of the trail, and then waited for the group to come to me. I sat at the dock and imagined what this canal must have looked like a millennium ago, when it was an important thoroughfare leading to a vibrant Mayan port.
Jenn and Jose returned to me about 45 minutes after they left. Jenn said that the float trip felt like visiting the mangrove tunnels in Florida, except the water is crystal clear. She was able to see the tiny fish that lived in the roots of the trees. She said that it was not what she could see in water but rather the feeling of floating along the canal, and becoming one with the place.
Why we choose a guided tour with Agua clara Dive Centre
I am grateful that we had a guide. Our European friends had seen the same sites, but their stories were lacking. All went so quickly and before we knew, we were back in the truck. It’s proof again that the journey is more important than the destination and the people who share it.
We loved the commitment to sustainability that Agua clara has. Our homemade lunches were packed in reusable containers, and they brought us a large cooler of water with refillable bottles. To protect the environment, they encouraged using reef-safe sunscreen. Jose picked up trash in Sian Ka’an, because he didn’t like litter. Travelers can help the environment by supporting companies that care for the Earth.
Bonus Adventure: Finish the Day at Cristal cenote
Jenn’s day was not yet over. Jose brought us to Cristal Cenote as we returned to Tulum. Jenn played in the water and explored while I abstained for medical reasons. Cristal wasn’t the best cenote. It was not as spectacular as the cenotes we saw on our Yucatan tour, and it didn’t match diving Dos ojos. The water was very open and there was a lot biomass. It looks like a lot of fun to jump off the diving board, and playing in water is always a good thing. We would have loved to swim after the hike back to our car in Muyil if we had done this tour in July rather than January.
Agua Clara Dive Center was a great choice for our Sian Ka’an adventure. Jose was a great guide. The stunning bays in Sian Ka’an made the trip worthwhile. Rarely can you find such water, much less snorkel in a lazy river. Siam Ka’an was one of our most memorable adventures on our Cancun vacation. It truly showed off the natural beauty of Yucatan. It will be added to our list, which includes shark diving in Playa Bay, snorkeling with sea turtles in Akumal, scuba-diving Cozumel and exploring Rio Secreto.