SIAN KA'AN BIOSPHERE

The Mayab Center is located inside the Sian Ka'an Biosphere. Sian Ka’an, which means, “where the sky was born” in the local Maya language, was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 as part of the Man and the Biosphere Program. As part of this 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.

HABITATS

This internationally protected reserve includes several habitats: Caribbean coastline, the world's second largest coastal barrier reef-- the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef-- huge freshwater lagoons, 1.3 million acres of tropical jungle and mangrove, wetlands, dunes, and cenotes or sink holes to name a few.

The reserve is inhabited by a variety of exotic plant and animal life; there are 800 plant species, 103 known mammal species and 336 known bird species. Some of the wild animals found here include: jaguars, puma, jaguarundis, ocelots, anteaters, tapirs, howler and spider monkeys, foxes, raccoons, crocodiles, manatees, giant land crabs, snakes and eagles. You may also catch a glimpse of any of 15 species of herons, egrets and bitterns, a toucan, white ibis, spoonbill, wood stork or flamingo. The area is an important nesting ground for 4 different types of sea turtles - green, loggerhead, hawksbill, and leatherback, which you may observe in the summer months on our beach.

HUMAN ACTIVITIES

The reserve contains three large scientific research zones. Low-impact human activities are allowed in the area known as the buffer zone. Approximately one percent of the reserve is privately owned. The human population is estimated at 2,000 inhabitants, the majority of which are located in the fishing villages of Punta Allen and Punta Herrero, where tourism is a source of income for the locals. Approximately 36,000 tourists entered the reserve in the year 2000, and those numbers are expected to increase significantly each year.

MAYA CIVILIZATION

The Sian Ka'an area was inhabited by the ancient Maya people. 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.