Day Trips
9–10 hours
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Pixan Ka'an
Pixan Ka'an
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About
Découvrez Sian Ka'an with our agency Pixan Ka'an, l'endroit le plus sauvage de la Riviera Maya. Profitez d'une promenade en bateau à travers cette incroyable réserve de biosphère, avec notre guide certifié.
Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Tours and Tickets by Pixan Ka'an
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
174 reviews
Excellent
148
Very good
15
Average
6
Poor
5
Terrible
0
ScarcroftLS14
Leeds, UK141 contributions
Feb 2022 • Couples
A really great experience. Definately one to do if you are in the Tulum area.
We chatted to them beforehand on WhatsApp and then booked online. We were promptly sent an invoice and a request to pay a 10% deposit. All very straight forward.
We were collected bang on time from our hotel reception.
Note - our party was 6 French and 4 English. Whilst on the journey to Sian Kaan, after a brief explanantion in English, the guide then spent the first 20 or so minutes talking French. My O level French gave me a rough understanding of what he was saying. Just as we were about to get very frustrated he switched to English. So dont worry if this happens to you ! From there on in he was very attentive and extremely informative.
Once we arrived we swapped the minibus for a boat (note this bit beats the additonal 2 hours in a minibus).
Great ride over the water and got tonsee a family of 5 dolphins up close, plus shortly after, a stringray and then a lone sea turtle.
We swapped boats and were taken to a reef for some stunning snorkelling. Following a short stop to swim in a natural pool we had a simple but tasty buffet at Punta Allen. A brief walk around the village (in pouring rain!) and then back to the boat. On our way back we got up close to a juvenile alligator. Then the minibus and dropped back off at our hotel.
Our guide (sorry forgot his name) was knowledgeable, attentive, approacheable and interesting.
Cant fault the trip at all. Definately recommended !!
We chatted to them beforehand on WhatsApp and then booked online. We were promptly sent an invoice and a request to pay a 10% deposit. All very straight forward.
We were collected bang on time from our hotel reception.
Note - our party was 6 French and 4 English. Whilst on the journey to Sian Kaan, after a brief explanantion in English, the guide then spent the first 20 or so minutes talking French. My O level French gave me a rough understanding of what he was saying. Just as we were about to get very frustrated he switched to English. So dont worry if this happens to you ! From there on in he was very attentive and extremely informative.
Once we arrived we swapped the minibus for a boat (note this bit beats the additonal 2 hours in a minibus).
Great ride over the water and got tonsee a family of 5 dolphins up close, plus shortly after, a stringray and then a lone sea turtle.
We swapped boats and were taken to a reef for some stunning snorkelling. Following a short stop to swim in a natural pool we had a simple but tasty buffet at Punta Allen. A brief walk around the village (in pouring rain!) and then back to the boat. On our way back we got up close to a juvenile alligator. Then the minibus and dropped back off at our hotel.
Our guide (sorry forgot his name) was knowledgeable, attentive, approacheable and interesting.
Cant fault the trip at all. Definately recommended !!
Written February 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear client, thank you for sharing your experience. We are glad to hear you had a great experience with us !
Written April 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Thomas
Almere, The Netherlands7 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
It can be tricky to find a tour operator and the right trip to take before going to Mexico in holiday. Let’s make that easier: just reach out to this group and they will sort you out. Pickup was prefect, guide was from Norway who spoke perfect English and Spanish, transport included early hotel pickup (round trip). Arrangements for the trip with local operators were very good. All the boats and captains really friendly and knowledgeable. We took the Sian Ka’an boat tour with deluxe package (no travel on land in the biosphere but all boats: this saves you a very long road trip via dirt road and you see way more of nature) which was awesome. Saw some great stuff in the biosphere and we thoroughly enjoyed the fast boats they ran. Only change I would make is to make the free time at Punta Allen longer so you can lounge for a while with the great views. In any case a perfect day for us.
Written July 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith F
32 contributions
Apr 2022
Booked this trip directly through Pixan Ki'an rather than the hotel. We were picked up from out hotel which was in between Tulum and Playa Del Carmen at 0700hrs. We collected a few more on the way any made our way south to Sian Ka'an where we boarded a boat to begin the tour. We meandered our was through the mangroves in the shallow fresh water water. On the way we saw dolphins and a brief encounter of a manatee which we were advised was extremely rare. We did see a crocodile but only the top part breaking the water before it disappeared. We progressed out of the fresh water in to the Caribbean sea to be greeted by the tropical waters. We stopped by a reef to enjoy a bit of snorkelling to see stingrays, turtles and other tropical fish! We then progressed on to Punta Allen fishing village and stopped in the shallow lagoon to take a well deserved dip in the crystal clear water and photo opportunities. After that we went on to enjoy a bit of lunch in the village and take in the beautiful topical scenery. We took a walk through the village to the other side of the island to get the boat back. We stopped at Bird Island to see the Frigatebirds. There was another sighting of a croc but we didn't get to see it as it disappeared underwater too quickly. The boat then took us back to the original meeting point for the van trip home.
We had Abraham as out guide, he was passionate about the preservation of the biosphere and provided a wealth of knowledge. He was Mayan and keen to explain his heritage and the importance of keeping their traditions alive. This was good to see and offered an insight rather than just your typical uneducated holiday.
Overall experience was very good, remember to cover up to avoid the scorching sun especially when on a boat, recommend long sleeves and bottoms to protect from the sun.
If you visit the Yucatan district / Quintana Roo - this is a must see and highly recommend. I've added a few photos to give you an example of the trip. Enjoy!
We had Abraham as out guide, he was passionate about the preservation of the biosphere and provided a wealth of knowledge. He was Mayan and keen to explain his heritage and the importance of keeping their traditions alive. This was good to see and offered an insight rather than just your typical uneducated holiday.
Overall experience was very good, remember to cover up to avoid the scorching sun especially when on a boat, recommend long sleeves and bottoms to protect from the sun.
If you visit the Yucatan district / Quintana Roo - this is a must see and highly recommend. I've added a few photos to give you an example of the trip. Enjoy!
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simon M.
3 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
Following all good reviews on sian ka’an excursion, we decided to try it as it is a beautiful natural place. We chose Pixan tour as they proposed to cross the mangrove by boat instead of following the bumpy road.
First part was perfect, pick up on time, 1h of road with explanations about the sian kaan reserve and program of the day. Crossing the mangrove was very nice, seeing birds in their environment. We were 12 people in the minibus so 2 boats of 6 people as planned.
Arriving at punta allen after 1h of boat, we changed boat for a sea boat, but now we were all 12 in the same boat, which was not expected (we were told it’s a small group of maximum 6) and quite crowded when trying to observe dolphins & turtles, but fine.
What we were very disappointed in was the fact that we were around 10 boats at the same time following the same small group of dolphins, turning around them like vultures, same with turtles. Didn’t seem very respectful of the nature. The snorkeling was horrible : you must follow a guide on a part of the coral reef where you see almost nothing interesting, with your group (so 12 people in a limited space) AND with all the groups of the other 10 boats arriving at the same time at the same place so not so much a “deluxe” private experience. We love snorkeling and take time to observe nature but it was impossible in these rushed conditions (not to say that any fish would flee from this hoard of tourists…).
The lunch was just average, far from the best food we had in Mexico, with again ALL the boats arriving to the same restaurant, which was clearly a tourist only spot, not at all a real local experience as advertised.
We think that whichever tour you chose, you’ll do exactly the same program. We understand that passing through defined spots is a way to preserve this nonetheless beautiful park but the communication about “private tour” was hugely misleading. If you’re a type of person that wants to have a more “adventurous” experience outside of your resort, go for it. If you’re a real traveler, you will be disappointed. Maybe better to leave the nature to itself :)
First part was perfect, pick up on time, 1h of road with explanations about the sian kaan reserve and program of the day. Crossing the mangrove was very nice, seeing birds in their environment. We were 12 people in the minibus so 2 boats of 6 people as planned.
Arriving at punta allen after 1h of boat, we changed boat for a sea boat, but now we were all 12 in the same boat, which was not expected (we were told it’s a small group of maximum 6) and quite crowded when trying to observe dolphins & turtles, but fine.
What we were very disappointed in was the fact that we were around 10 boats at the same time following the same small group of dolphins, turning around them like vultures, same with turtles. Didn’t seem very respectful of the nature. The snorkeling was horrible : you must follow a guide on a part of the coral reef where you see almost nothing interesting, with your group (so 12 people in a limited space) AND with all the groups of the other 10 boats arriving at the same time at the same place so not so much a “deluxe” private experience. We love snorkeling and take time to observe nature but it was impossible in these rushed conditions (not to say that any fish would flee from this hoard of tourists…).
The lunch was just average, far from the best food we had in Mexico, with again ALL the boats arriving to the same restaurant, which was clearly a tourist only spot, not at all a real local experience as advertised.
We think that whichever tour you chose, you’ll do exactly the same program. We understand that passing through defined spots is a way to preserve this nonetheless beautiful park but the communication about “private tour” was hugely misleading. If you’re a type of person that wants to have a more “adventurous” experience outside of your resort, go for it. If you’re a real traveler, you will be disappointed. Maybe better to leave the nature to itself :)
Written November 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael J
5 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
My partner and I, as well as a Portuguese couple, booked tours in English. We spent the first 50 minutes traveling uncomfortably on the bumpy road everyone must endure being spoken to in French. I suspect we may have learned more with more than a remedial level of French.
Not sure I loved 10 boats surrounding a family of dolphins, but it seems they generally adhere to the conservation measures in place (not different vs going on safari in Africa).
The countless sea turtles are a highlight of the trip. I would challenge the tour companies to find a better way to view them.
The crocodile under the bridge is clearly fed by the tour company every afternoon at the same time to ensure the end of every trip concludes with a croc sighting. I enjoyed see one; it has its ethical challenges.
I would challenge all tour companies to be more creative and utilize technology to improve the experiences for both tourists and resident animals. This is the same boat tour everyone has done for 20 years… We can all do better.
Not sure I loved 10 boats surrounding a family of dolphins, but it seems they generally adhere to the conservation measures in place (not different vs going on safari in Africa).
The countless sea turtles are a highlight of the trip. I would challenge the tour companies to find a better way to view them.
The crocodile under the bridge is clearly fed by the tour company every afternoon at the same time to ensure the end of every trip concludes with a croc sighting. I enjoyed see one; it has its ethical challenges.
I would challenge all tour companies to be more creative and utilize technology to improve the experiences for both tourists and resident animals. This is the same boat tour everyone has done for 20 years… We can all do better.
Written November 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evan G
9 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
The places they visit on the tour are beautiful but we went on a day with rain. I think they should have postponed in be size a good part of the day was spent in the pouring rain and we couldn’t do the snorkel. Our tour guy was borderline disrespectful and made several comments that weren’t appropriate. One passenger sneezed in the van and she said “don’t worry because we shouldn’t believe the brainwashing about the Covid like they do in Italy where she is from”. Would be nice to have local guides from the area instead of foreigners who tu no connection to the land and the people. If it’s supposed to rain, definitely don’t do the tour. The tour you can do of Muyil on your own is a better value for your money also
Written December 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Boris Mihaylov
Sofia, Bulgaria18 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Amazing experience. Definitely don't miss it if you are in Tulum area. The staff of Pixan Ka'an was accurate, honest and made us feel like family all the time. Our host was incredibly polite and welcoming, and he tried to show us the maximum possible. Plus we were in a small group of 6 and not like the other agencies with large groups of 6-7 boats and not able to see anything. We saw dolphins, sea turtles, pelicans, even crocodile. Definitely worth it!
Written May 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marly
3 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
This is a full day tour with the highlights of Sian Ka'an. The day felt rushed in order to get everything done in time we had to hurry. As soon as we saw a crocodile we went to see the birds, as soon as that was done we hurried to spot dolphins. They say only four boats are allowed near the dolphins but in reality its more and they chase them in order for us to get a good look. Then we went to spot turtles, as soon as we found one the turtle was surrounded by motorboats. This didn't feel good, they said that the turtle was in distress. Then we hurried to the snorkel spot, we felt like we were in a military drill we constantly had to follow the guide. She swam like crazy and constantly gave us orders. The only thing everyone was busy with was following her instead of looking at the fish and coral it was a real pity. Then we had the food which was very average. All in all we spotted some nice wildlife but wouldnt do it again as the animals clearly didnt like it... Go to Cozumel and do some beach snorkeling, way better!
Written December 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DanB
Oxford, UK8 contributions
Jul 2022
This was a terrific tour with Jessica, we were collected from our hotel in Tulum with a 30-40 minute minibus trip (quite bumpy) to a boat where we started exploring the lagoons. Having seen Manatee, Crocodile and Dolphin we switched to a second boat that took us out to the reef where we saw a turtle and then snorkelled in the lovely water. Our hotel in Tulum was having some seaweed issues but the biosphere was completely clear. We then had a swim in the beautiful sandy shallows before heading into Punta Allen for a lunch provided by the locals, a simple but excellent meal of rice, fish, chicken and pasta.
Pixan Ka'an, Jessica, the minibus driver and both boat drivers were fantastic, a wonderful day was had by us both.
Pixan Ka'an, Jessica, the minibus driver and both boat drivers were fantastic, a wonderful day was had by us both.
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel B
Muscat, Oman8 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
Worth every penny!
We saw a crocodile, dolphins, huge sea turtles in crystal clear water and plenty of colourful fish while snorkelling along a beautiful reef.
At the end of the tour we passed by a little island full of pelicans.
The food at lunch was also really decent, considering it was included in the price! I liked that our boat only carried 6 people and wasn’t too crowded.
Our tour guide Abraham did a really good job in explaining us a lot of interesting facts about the Sian Ka‘an biosphere and life in the Mayan village.
All in all, a really memorable experience.
We saw a crocodile, dolphins, huge sea turtles in crystal clear water and plenty of colourful fish while snorkelling along a beautiful reef.
At the end of the tour we passed by a little island full of pelicans.
The food at lunch was also really decent, considering it was included in the price! I liked that our boat only carried 6 people and wasn’t too crowded.
Our tour guide Abraham did a really good job in explaining us a lot of interesting facts about the Sian Ka‘an biosphere and life in the Mayan village.
All in all, a really memorable experience.
Written August 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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