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Punta Laguna &a meal with a family.
Wild spider monkeys, a sacred lagoon, a Maya ceremony, a zip line, a canoe and a meal with a local family in a Maya village. A big day of adventure. Departure around 8am, back around 3pm, groups of 6 to 14, English-speaking guide, 95 € per adult all inclusive.
The place
Punta Laguna, the reserve run by its own village
The Otoch Ma’ax Yetel Kooh reserve, “the house of the spider monkey and the puma”, is co-managed by the Maya community of Punta Laguna. Village guides take you under the canopy where spider monkeys and howler monkeys live, around a sacred lagoon. Every visit directly funds the reserve and the families who protect it.
The programme
How the day unfolds.
- ≈ 8amDeparture from your hotel
We head into the forest, an hour inland from the coast. Mexico is already showing you a different face.
- MorningMaya purification ceremony
The community’s shaman welcomes us and leads the ceremony in the Maya language, exactly as it has always been performed here. A great insight into the way Catholic beliefs and pre-Hispanic Maya beliefs became intertwined.
- MorningMonkeys in the wild
A guided walk under the canopy in search of howler monkeys and spider monkeys. No animal is ever fed here: nature decides what we get to see.
- MorningCanoeing on the lagoon
We cross the huge lagoon at the heart of the reserve by canoe to reach the far shore.
- MorningZip line over the water
The way back is through the air, harnessed in, from one shore to the other. If you would rather not, you can walk around the lagoon instead.
- MiddayRappelling down into the cenote
You go in through a small opening in the roof: you descend on a rope, assisted by the young people of the community, then you swim in the clear water, where centuries-old bones can be made out on the bottom. Climbing back up the ladder is the only slightly physical moment of the day.
- MiddayA meal with a local family
In the neighboring Maya village, a family prepares pibil chicken cooked underground in banana leaves. You can try your hand at corn tortillas and nopal soup. Lunch is included.
- ≈ 3pmReturn
A day in nature that directly supports the community welcoming you.
In detail
Included, not included.
- Hotel ↔ hotel transport
- English-speaking guide
- Reserve entrance fee and activities
- A meal with a local family
- Tips
- Personal spending
In your bag
They lived it
Travellers rate “Punta Laguna · Maya village” 4.9/5 on Google (323 reviews).
Gallery
What you will see.
Frequently asked questions
Everything people ask us.
They are wild and at home here; the village guides know where to find them, and sightings are almost systematic early in the morning.
The Punta Laguna community: the reserve, the guides and the meal are all run by the village.
You write to us (form, email or WhatsApp) with your dates, your hotel and how many of you there are; we confirm quickly. A deposit of €10 per person from 3 people (refundable up to 48 h before), the balance on the day in euros, pesos or dollars.
Straight from your hotel or accommodation in Playa del Carmen, Tulum or Puerto Morelos. In Cancún, pick-up is available for Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy (and for groups, on request). The exact time is confirmed the day before on WhatsApp.
Most of them are. We give you all the details when you book: depending on your children’s ages, we will recommend a particular outing, or advise against it.
free
★ 48 h ★
Simple, quick booking
Under-12 prices: ask us · Quick reply, 365 days a year
A deposit of €10 per person from 3 people (refundable up to 48 h), the balance paid on the day.
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