Riviera Maya Day Tours
Safe and responsible travel, always.
As we get back on the road, we want to ensure our trips remain safe for everyone-for our travelers, our guides and for the people we visit along the way.
Therefore we only handle private tours, families and small groups.
Tulum and Cenotes
Tulum means “enclosure, trench or wall”, this term was given in recent times, its original name in Maya was Zamá, most likely a short form of the Mayan expression Zamal meaning “morning” or “dawn.” The anchient city was built on a prominent cliff, facing the Caribbean Sea with its Mesoamerican reef. The reef also builds the fourth wall that sourrounds the city center.
A cenote is a deep, water-filled sinkhole in limestone that is created when the roof of an underground cavern collapses. This creates then a natural pool which is filled by rain in addition to water flowing from underground rivers.
Activities
We will have our first stop at the arachaeological site of Tulum for a 2 hours guided visit. We will visit the the main structures of interest: the Temple of the Frescoes, the Temple of the Descending God, and El Castillo from where we can enjoy the beautiful view from the cliff to the Mesoamerican reef.
From Tulum we will drive to Akumal area and explore Cenote Santa Cruz. The word cenote comes from the Mayan word dzonot, which means “sacred water or sacred well”. Some cenotes are vertical, water-filled shafts, while others are caves that contain pools and underwater passageways in their interior. Cenotes tend to have very clear, cool, fresh water.
As you explore Cenote Santa Cruz, you’ll discover beautiful rock formations dating back 60 million years, clear pristine water, and several species of fresh-water fish and crustaceans.
The simple beauty and tranquility of Cenote Santa Cruz are what make it truly unique. Located on private property, the cenote is carefully managed. Admission is by reservation only, and only very small groups are allowed at one time to preserve the ecology of this still unspoiled Yucatan ecosystem.
Our services
In most of the hotels in the Riviera Maya, breakfast is served starting at 7:00 am. To be early in Tulum we suggest to pick you up at 8:00 am at your hotel and return around 4:00 pm.
Transportation, water and fruits during the tour, specialized guide, lunch in Akumal, all entrance fees to the sites.
Please bring with you comfortable shoes, hat, bating suit, towel, sunglasses and biodegradable sunblock if possible.
Minimun two people
Chichén Itzá and Valladolid
Chichén Itzá has numerous monuments to explore: El Castillo; the Ball Court, which is the largest in Mesoamerica, the sacred Cenote, where archaeologist have discovered a number of well-adorned skeletons of sacrificial ceremonies, the Temple of the Warriors, with its 1,000 columns dedicated to the warriors of the city, and the Caracol or Observatory.
Valladolid is fascinating, peaceful and full of life at the same time, historic venues, mansions, museums, markets, fountains, shops, ice cream and snack stalls, parks and many places to explore.
In Valladolid you can breath a peaceful air, typical of a small town and extremely rich in traditions.
Activities
It is highly recommended to arrive early at the archeological site of Chichén Itzá as it is one of the most visited sites on the peninsula and also a place where the temperature is usually high. We recommend picking you up at 06:00 A.M. (if possible) to be able to do all the activities with the best available time.
The visit to the site is approximately 3 hours. After it we will drive to a nearby Mayan village to cool off in a Cenote and to have our lunch.
After lunch we will drive to the city of Valladolid, the second most important city in the state of Yucatán, for a visit of approximately 2 hours. Valladolid was founded in 1543 in the ancient Mayan city of Zaci. “La Sultana del Oriente”, as it is also known, is a hospitable city full of history. We will visit the city council building with its impressive paintings, the street of the friars, and the Franciscan convent of San Bernardino de Sienna.
We will return to your hotel around 5:00 P.M.
Our services
Transportation, water and fruits during the tour, specialized guide, lunch, all entrance fees to the sites.
Please bring with you comfortable shoes, hat, sunglasses and biodegradable sunblock, if possible, bathing suit, and towel.
Minimun two people
Muyil Maya Canal
Located inside of the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve and only 25 minutes from Tulum. The ancient city of Muyil was a densely populated settlement during the pre-Hispanic era. The site’s proximity to Muyil Lagoon made it an important maritime trade route, with relations to Coba well documented. Visitors can travel through the lagoons of Muyil and Chunyaxche including the ancient canal system dredged by the Maya that access the Caribbean Sea through Laguna Campechen and Boca Paila.
Activities
The first place to visit is the archaeological site of Muyil for 1 1/2 hours. Then we will take a wooden path made by the community of Chunyaxche to reach the lagoon. From here we will take a boat through the mangroves to reach the Mayan channel in which we will float for almost a kilometer. This is the perfect place in the biosphere reserve to be in direct contact with nature.
Our services
In most of the hotels in the Riviera maya, breakfast is served starting at 7:00 am. To be early in Muyil we suggest to pick you up at 8:00 am at your hotel and return around 4:00 pm.
Transportation, water and fruits during the tour, specialized guide, lunch, all entrance fees to the sites.
Please bring with you comfortable shoes, bathing suit, towel, personal snorkeling equipment, hat, sunglasses and biodegradable sunblock if possible.
Minimun two people
Sian ka’an Punta Allen
If you are in the Riviera Maya or Tulum, this is a must do tour for you. Sian ka’an biosphere reserve is one of the most beautiful and pristine places of the Mexican Caribbean, an important site assigned by UNESCO.
During our boat tour you will experience an unforgettable journey seeing dolphins, turtles, local fauna, snorkeling the world’s second largest coral reef, swimming in one of the most pristine crystalline waters of the Mexican Caribbean.
Punta Allen is a fishing village that is located within the Sian Ka’an biosphere, it is at the end of the road that leaves Tulum, 48 kilometers from the hotel zone.
Activities
The road trip is along the Caribbean Sea and to get there it takes 3 hours approx. The biosphere has several archaeological sites and a great variety of flora and fauna.
Our specialized guide in Sian Ka’an will pick you up at any hotel in the Riviera Maya or Tulum.
Upon reaching Punta Allen we will take a boat that will take us to the activities for approximately 3 hours.
Our food will be buffet style in a local restaurant of the Punta Allen cooperative.
Our services
In most of the hotels in the Riviera Maya, breakfast is served starting at 7:00 am. To be early in Punta Allen we suggest to pick you up at 8:00 am at your hotel and return around 5:00 pm.
We can also pick you up early (6:00 am) to avoid the heat and enjoy Sian Ka’an to the fullest.
Transportation, boat ride, water and fruits during the tour, specialized guide, lunch in Punta Allen, all entrance fees to the sites.
Please bring with you comfortable shoes, hat, long sleeve shirt, bathing suit, towel, sunglasses and biodegradable sunblock if possible.
Minimun two people
Cobá and Punta Laguna
Cobá is a unique ancient Maya site of which only few of its estimated 6,500 structures have been uncovered. But the ones that have been are impressive, as for example, the “Nohoch Mul” pyramid with its steep climbable staircase.
Punta Laguna is a Mayan community that still maintains its traditions and preserves its beautiful natural reserve. The reserve is home to large troop of howler and spider monkeys.
Activities
Our first activity is a guided visit to the archaeological site of Cobá for approximately 2 hours. With rented bicycles or taxi triclyes we will explore important sites such as the ball court, the observatory, and the “Nohoch Mul” pyramid. Climbing the 120 stairs to the top of “Nohoch Mul” pyramid is well worth the effort. At the top you can see over the jungle canopy for miles, un-excavated temples mounds peeking out of the trees. Building techniques of Cobá are characteristic of the Peten region of Guatemala. According to a legend a ruling queen of Cobá married a priest from Tikal, where one of the tallest Mayan pyramids can be found. This explains the similarities of the architecture of the two sites.
After the site visit we will refresh ourselves in one of the most impressive cenotes managed by members of the Cobá community.
Then we will have lunch at a traditional Maya buffet in the town of Cobá.
After lunch we will drive to Punta Laguna, a Mayan community that still maintains its traditions. Here we will participate in a Maya welcome ceremony with a traditional Mayan healer (X’Men) before exploring the natural reserve. For over 40 years, scientists from around the world have been using Punta Laguna as a primate observation center. The research carried out here is the most extensive continuing scientific study of spider monkeys ever done as researchers – and hopefully we – are able to get close to watch these animals in their natural habitat. We will search for the troop of Howerler and Spider Monkeys, take the zip-line or the canoe to cross the lagune.
Our services
Around 7:30 A.M. (suggested) we will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel, in Tulum or anywhere in the Riviera Maya.
Transportation, water and fruits during the tour, specialized guide, lunch in Coba, all entrance fees to the sites.
Please bring with you comfortable shoes, hat, bathing suit, towel, sunglasses and biodegradable sunblock if possible.
Minimun two people
Early Morning Birding
The Yucatán Península is one of the world’s top bird watching destinations. The variety and vast numbers of exotic and tropical birds is astounding and there are lots of places to explore.
During every season you can enjoy a large variety of species. As soon as the first rays of light cross the horizon you will hear the songs of the most beautiful birds. Great for beginners and advanced birders.
Activities
One of the appropriate places for bird watching is the Muyil area within the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve, located just 25 minutes from Tulum.
The biosphere is a transition zone and we can observe different types of bird families.
Our services
We will pick you up anywhere in Tulum, the Riviera Maya or the state of Yucatán. Our guide will bring a thermos with hot coffee and snacks on the way to the chosen observation point.
We provide binoculars, although it is recommended to bring your own.
Transportation, water and fruits during the tour, specialized guide, coffee and snacks, lunch in Tulum, all entrance fees to the sites.
Please bring with you comfortable shoes, hat, biodegradable mosquito repelent, sunglasses and biodegradable sunblock if possible.
Minimun two people