8 hours guided tour in the Sian Ka'an Reserve, Quintana Roo
The Muyil forest and float tour is a great day trip for a combination of ancient Mayan culture, and Sian Ka'an flora and fauna. Tour starts and ends in Tulum (8am-4pm)

From Tulum the van ride is only 20 minutes to the Muyil Ruins where a Mayan trilingual guide will start a 1-hour tour of the ruins and surrounding nature, looking for rare, colorful birds and teach visitors about the poisonous, medicinal, and hallucinogenic value of the endemic plants. The guide's stories are inter-laced with tails from his ancestors and accounts of his personal experiences living in the area.

After the Pink Palace and Castle ruins, you will follow the sac-be, Mayan for "white road", through the jungle toward the Canan-Ha trail head. From there it is a short, historic walk to Muyil lagoon, a clear turquoise fresh water lagoon. You are invited to climb the 17m look out tower, called a mirador, which reveals spectacular views of the ruins and the lagoons from above the trees.

You will take a boat ride into the clear waters of the Muyil lagoon to a man-made canal on the other side. The Mayans dug out the canal 1,000 years ago as a part of a trade route that linked the Muyil lagoon with its larger neighboring lagoon called Chunyaxche. Ancient Mayans traded salt, incense, gum, honey, wood and animals skins with others from Guatemala and Honduras. On the other side of Chunyaxche lagoon you will be taken into another canal that is natural and much deeper.

You will stop along the canal at Xlapak, a small, mysterious Mayan ruin used as a rest stop and customs post on the trade route. After exploring the ruin, you will dive into the clear canal water to float and snorkel as the currents will carry you gently toward the sea. Your guide will share his knowledge of the plants and wildlife along the winding canal.

After the 40-minute float you will return to the boat and ride back to the shore at Muyil archeological site. Along the way you will stop to a pristine cenote for lunch. You can jump into the warm water of the cenote, a wonderful way to finish your journey in Sian Ka'an.

What to bring: Sun protection (Sunblock, sunglasses, hat), swimwear and towel, change of clothes, camera and binoculars (optional).