There are several reviews from this site, but the focus is on daytrips from Tulum. We opted for “the long drive” and an overnight stay at “the end” – at Punta Allen. This turned out to be a great choice. Our plan for the two weeks in Mexico included several dirt roads for instance this one, thus we rented a high clearance car.

The drive from Tulum to Punta Allen turned out to be an interesting one. After passing the gate to the biosphere, where we also found the Unesco plaque, there are 45 km of dirt roads with lots of potholes, even some really big ones filled with water. The drive is nevertheless exciting. We made several stops to have a stroll to check out the coastal area and the diversity of plants. The fauna wasn’t as easy to discover even though we saw some large birds. Just driving along, you will miss the details and it can make the journey kind of uninteresting! There was more diversity to experience on the return trip and even more animals.

After 2 1/2 hours driving 40 km/h we made it all the way out to Punta Allen, a quirky small “town”. We checked in at our hotel/guesthouse Villa Roselitz and immediately went out to organize a boat trip. The “tourist office“ was a small desk out in the open at a road crossing. The price was fixed, 3500 pesos per boat for three hours. Luckily, we could team up with some French guys, and then the price became reasonable. The first part was cruising the lagune for dolphins, and there was one that showed off! Next was a visit to the turtle shallows. We saw a couple both underwater and when they came up to catch a breath. Snorkelling at the reef was next and it was really enjoyable! The reef looks quite healthy and had several fish “on display”. The last stop was a short stop for a swim. The return trip was along the mangroves looking for birds and we spotted a fish eagle eating a fish and some pelicans. The boat trip was enjoyable and a great way to experience the biosphere. Punta Allen offered tranquillity, low-key places to stay, some good seafood restaurants and a nice coffee place. We need no more!

Of course, it is a great advantage having a car. Our high clearance car passed several sedans on our way, they had to go really slow to make it all the way. There is a boat service at Tulum to Punta Allen once a day and a collectivio.

At the end of our Mexico trip, we were passing Sian Ka’an’s western side heading north. We took a break and visited the park from Muyil to check out this part too. As far as we could see this was a poor experience. The added value was this Maya site, but the biosphere is far from exciting as “the outer side” and the place was much more touristy.

### Randi & Svein Elias