On our most recent trip to Akumal, we were looking for some things to do, and found the Akumal Natura Rescue tour.

I purchased tickets online ahead of time and secured a reservation for a tour on the Akumal Natura Rescue website.  The cost was $40 per person for a 4 hour tour.

The tour leaves from Akumal, and we drove there with our rental from Avant Car Rental. 

Google Maps had the wrong location marked in town, so we continued on the main road, and the correct location was easy to spot on the right hand side of the road, with signs and a parking lot. 

You can find the correct location marked on Google Maps as “Akumal Natura Glamping”.

We relaxed in an open air palapa while our guide prepared, and we were provided with glass water bottles to fill at a water bottle station.

The jungle around this tour was quite buggy, so the guide recommended bug spray.

We started out by walking around the glamping property, checking out the on-site cenote and bees.

Afterwards, we took a pickup truck ride to a reserve. I would say the ride was about 10-15 minutes.

The reserve houses many different kinds of animals, from parrots to javelinas.

The animals here have been rescued from a variety of different situations:

Our Animal Rescue Center collaborates with the local authorities to provide shelter for displaced native animals. Most animals were confiscated from illegal trade, abandoned by their previous owners once deemed unfit as pets. 

https://akumalnaturaglamping.com/akumal-natura-rescue/

We had a chance to interact with many of the animals, holding some birds and snakes, and feeding the monkeys.

The animals are well cared for, and some who are released remain nearby. We saw some large birds walking around who had been released, but stay within the sanctuary area because it is a good environment for them.

The guide told us many things about the area, from plants to history.

At the end of the tour, we took a short trail to a cenote. 

We took a staircase into Cenote Tumben-Ha.

There was a large deck area to set our things down, sit, or relax.

The neat part about the cenote is that it is dark inside, with different color lights to illuminate it.  Almost all of the cenotes we have been to have natural light, so it was cool to see something different.

The water was quite chilly, but it was nice to even wade in the cenote and cool off after being in the jungle.

I enjoyed learning about the Motmot birds, or “toh” birds, which tend to congregate near cenotes. Whenever we go to cenotes, I can hear their distinctive call.

Turquoise-browed Motmot, Eumomota superciliosa (Sandbach, 1837).
Zona Arqueológica Cobá, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Photo by David L. Govoni ©2018.

We enjoyed the tour at Akumal Natura Preserve, learning about the local nature and wildlife.

Pros: good price, long tour, water provided, knowledgeable guide, nice that it included a cenote and swimming, booking was easy and the guide was ready and prepared. You can also use the bathrooms and get food before and after at the main building if wanted.

Cons: Tour is a bit long especially with kids

Check out their website at https://akumalnaturaglamping.com/akumal-natura-rescue/

Check out our other Mexico blog posts.

Marysa

About the Author: Marysa

Busy blogger and mom of two girls! We love traveling and the great outdoors, and are always looking for our next adventure!