Of People and Nature: A Guide to Community Tourism in the Riviera Maya
By Alex Ruelas
Can nature and people thrive together? If you are aware of environmental problems, you might have asked yourself this more than once. And while there are no easy answers, the good news is there are many initiatives in the Riviera Maya trying to find just that balance.
Here is a little guide to community conservation and ecotourism projects in Quintana Roo. We have chosen the projects featured here with two things in mind. Firstly, they are run by local people who, by inviting visitors, protect and revalue their natural and cultural heritage. Secondly, they will show you a side of the Mexican Caribbean more rich, biodiverse, and vibrant than you never imagined.
What are community ecotourism projects?
We understand as community projects those owned and operated by members of a local population. Usually organized as cooperatives, these enterprises depend on the health and beauty of the natural setting and tend to distribute benefits more equally among their members than traditional companies. They are run by the same people who inhabit the land and who have profound knowledge of and connection with it.
And you know the ecotourism part. If you love the outdoors and want to go off the beaten path, there is probably no better way to immerse yourself in the landscape and the culture of this region of the country.
Why are they good for the environment?
In short, people take care of what is theirs. It has been shown in many parts of the world that where local communities have ownership of the land and can make a living from it, the ecosystem thrives. Visitors provide a source of income and contribute to keeping these initiatives going. Further, empowering communities is an effective way of slowing down other kinds of development that require urbanization and land-use change.
Community projects also guard invaluable knowledge. Quintana Roo has a Maya heritage, and many villages in the area still practice traditional forms of production, such as melipona beekeeping. Stingless melipona bees are crucial for the health of the entire tropical forest. They maintain vital processes in the jungle and produce nutritious honey with medicinal properties. This kind of tradition has been passed down through many generations and is critical for both the ecosystem and its people.
Why should I engage with community tourism?
Every good traveler knows there is nothing better than a local guide. Community tourism is your best chance to see the most authentic side of the Riviera Maya, to learn about the history of the places and the people you visit. By talking to those who are entangled with their land, by listening to their stories and following them around, you can get a privileged look into other worlds that you might not be able to explore otherwise. Further, it is a chance to give back to the community. Visiting local projects can provide sustainable livelihoods for people who live in the margins of mainstream tourist development.
Perhaps most importantly, visiting community projects can show us we do not exist outside of nature. Landscapes, plants, animals, and people are all interconnected. We are nature. Think of us humans as a thread in a very complex mesh, where the survival of the whole depends on relationships, symbiosis, and cooperation. Even if we live in cities far away, we must remember that. Maybe, when we come back, we will start to look for nature and those vital connections in our own daily lives.
Community projects in Quintana Roo
Laguna Om
Location: Laguna Om
This rural community, located very close to the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, recently declared its territory as a Voluntary Conservation Area. Here, jaguar conservation projects are ongoing, with camera trap monitoring of big cats and other species. Administered by locals who have joined environmental efforts, it is part of a plan to expand and connect protected areas in what is North America’s largest remaining tropical forest.
Balaam Nah - The Home of the Jaguar
Location: O’com
Located in the M´uch´ Kanan K´aax Reserve, a 1,230-hectare protected area also known as O’com Lagoons, Balaam Nah is a place where you’ll find peace, rest, and adventure. Swim in cenotes, kayak in the beautiful lagoons, cycle through the jungle and come back to a serviced campsite, where you can sleep under the stars and even relax in the jungle swimming pool.
Sijil Noh Ha
Location: O’com
Also in O’com, just south of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Siji Noh Ha is the perfect place to get close to the system of seven lagoons, to paddle around a swim in crystal clear waters. You can go on birdwatching tours, get acquainted with the local fauna, and even spend the night in a quaint hut by the water.
Bejil Ha
Location: Chemuyil
Created by a group of young people in the village of Chemuyil, Bejil Ha was launched to take care of cenotes and their cultural heritage. Cycle through the jungle and find unbelievable freshwater caves while you learn all about the village’s history, the value of cenotes, and what these very talented guides are doing to protect them.
Béej Ka’ax Ha
Location: Kantemó
Close to the border with Yucatán, there is a natural spectacle waiting for you. This community project has 15 years of guiding experience and offers visitors the unique opportunity to witness hanging snakes devouring bats in a cave. This wild natural phenomenon also comes with crocodile observation and birdwatching, making it a blast for nature lovers.
Orquídeas de Sian Ka’an - Sian Ka’ans Orchids
Location: Punta Allen - Sian Ka’an
Formed primarily by women, this cooperative is based in Punta Allen, a small coastal village deep inside the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. It offers tours to see the flora and fauna of the reserve, either by kayak, bicycle, or on foot. Thanks to its location, at the end of the road that leads from Tulum's hotel zone, it provides a unique experience to those craving to explore the wild heart of the Riviera Maya.
Community Tours Sian Ka’an
Location: Muyil
On the continental side of the biosphere reserve, this local company offers guided visits to the breathtaking Muyil and Chunyaxché lagoons and their beautiful canals. Here you can kayak, swim and even get some boat tours on crystalline waters. Visitors can also watch the astounding variety of birdlife and learn about ancient methods to extract rubber from the forest.
U Belilek KAXTIK KUXTAL
Location: Tihosuco
Delve into the little-known historical past of the region and learn about the Guerra de Castas, the most evocative passage of Maya resistance. Visit a beautiful museum and walk through an authentic contemporary Maya community, where you’ll get a chance to talk to locals, learn about their ways of life, appreciate their traditional medicine, and listen to ancient legends and stories.
Punta Laguna - The Home of the Puma and the Monkey
Location: Punta Laguna
This community reserve is the best place to see spider and howler monkeys in the wild. Located very close to Cobá Archeological Site, it has several trails where get you close to the animals. Your local guide will show you to the best observation spots. And after walking around, take one of the canoes to paddle surrounded by jungle and swim in the lagoon.
Xyaat: Maya Community Tourism
Location: Señor
Xyaat is a community initiative where you will find two types of tours. The first one is a deep immersion into Maya culture, where you’ll experience the work of a melipona beekeeper, a narrator of traditional Maya stories, a traditional healer, and a henequén artisan. The second type is all about nature and will take you to the gorgeous Blue Lagoon, a hidden cenote, and to observe the many kinds of birds that live in the surrounding jungle.
Ecotourism Center Kíichpam K’aax
Location: Chunhuhub
Here is an opportunity to learn about old ways of life. Visit a community, walk on paths through the jungle and listen to stories of how the elders used to get rubber from trees. Also, visitors can see the traditional techniques of melipona beekeeping and visit an authentic Maya home. There is even a cenote nearby, and one can stay at the center, equipped with eco-friendly technologies for minimal impact.
Ejido Noh Bec
Location: Noh Bec
This community project is a success story of how to sustainable forestry to conserve an ecosystem. Here, locals have managed to preserve the jungle, and Noh Bec is now a place where visitors can see colossal ancient trees, walk through the town nestled between the foliage and a beautiful lagoon, and climb up to the watchtower to witness the magnificence of the jungle in the heart of the peninsula.
