This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere on the southeast coast of the Yucatán has exceptional species diversity in jungles, mangroves, shallow bays, reefs, islands and open water. On my day tour we saw many great birds including tiger heron, roseate spoonbill, osprey and frigate birds, crocodiles and green turtles, and dolphin and many tropical fish, of course. While I don’t believe I saw any first time species for me, I definitely saw a greater variety than I can remember seeing in one place before.

The reserve is huge, with a long low peninsula, a fishing village at the end of an extremely bumpy road, a surprisingly healthy looking ocean reef, and a huge salt lagoon with mangrove islands, shallow flats, and some freshwater springs bubbling up into the lagoon for manatees to enjoy. Even if you think you can get here, it’s worth it to join a tour with an expert guide, a van driver, and a flat boat captain. I particularly enjoyed chatting with my new friends from all over the world while standing waist deep in turquoise water and drinking a well-deserved Mexican cerveza.