Following an early morning start and a good breakfast we headed south out of Playa.
The Sian Ka’an biosphere project covers an area of approximately 5300 square km south of Tulum, including terrestrial, freshwater lagoon/channels, Mayan ruins and marine components. It was established in the early 1980’s and became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987. It is home to extensive mangrove swamps and wetland areas which serve as breeding grounds and nurseries for numerous species of fish and animals. Our focus during our visit were the fresh water lagoons and channels bisecting the wetlands. The channels vary from 3-8 feet deep and from 4-12 feet wide. Water is crystal clear. The Mayans dug some of these channels for their own use and some are naturally occurring.
Following a trip by speed boat out across the first two lagoons we exited the boat and had a magical hour floating gently down one of the long channels in the ecosystem. White egrets and kingfishers called from the banks and small fish kept us company as we drifted through the quiet beauty.
The icing on the cake was a stop at the Azule Cenote on the way back to Playa del Carmen. The Cenote is full of small fish that love nibbling on the dead skin on your feet. Hiking the Mayan ruins is hard on pedicures and I let the little fish do their work in preparation for getting the process finished at home:-)
I fly out this evening and a small group of us plan to spend the morning shopping along the famous fifth avenue in town. This has been a wonderful trip! G adventures has rocked it again – fabulous itinerary, great group of people – perfect break from the long winter. Thank you for following along with me!
Until next time…….
Travels with Anne 