The biosphere reserve of Sian Ka'an is a widely known non-government and non-profit organization. It is maintained by groups of wildlife activists and conservationists in the Tulum municipality.

The Sian Ka'an reserve itself is located in the Quintana Roo, a Mexican state, but its reputation travels far across the world. As a matter of fact, tourists from all over the world visit the Yucatan Peninsula just to see the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve.

This small, and largely unheard of bird, loves the relatively low temperatures and humidity offered by the Central American highlands. The Quetzal species has had a massive impact on the Central American people and government. This tiny colorful bird has been thriving in Central America since the times of the ancient Mayans. Here are a few ways this lightweight bird has influenced heavy changes in Central America. The species can also be found in Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela. The small fowl has been battling poachers and natural selection for thousands of years, but the advanced means that are used by man today can’t be matched by the Quetzal’s “live free or die” way of life.

The Namesake

The name Quetzal originally comes from the Aztec term in Nahuatl, meaning “large brilliant tail feathers,” which the Resplendent is famous for. The Nahuatl word “quetz” means, literally, “stand up.” This word would often be used in reference of a large plume of standing feathers. In the beginning of the bird’s long history, only the Resplendent was given the name Quetzal, but with time it was discovered that there are 5 other Quetzal species, none of which are doing much better than the Quetzal in terms of numbers.

Aztec God Quetzalcoatl

When the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl died at his own hands, burning his own body to ash, it is said his heart was all that remained. The Aztecs called him the God of the Morning Star because they believed that when he burned up, his heart rose into the sky and became the morning star.

People commonly believe that the Aztec religion stated that the god would return and Quetzalcoatl would usher in a time of peace and tranquility for the world. Evidence of this prophecy has never been found in Aztec writing. Every piece of writing found on the subject has been written in post Hispanic tongue. There is little to no evidence that the belief of the great feather dragon like god would return... ever.

Mexican history

As a matter of fact, the first recorded writing of the god’s return are in Spanish writing by Cortes himself assuming that the Aztecs had mistaken him and his party for their gods. Cortes also reports to the King and Queen of Spain of the Aztecs ignorance and naïveness towards the Spanish Conquistadors.

The real rumor that Cortes was considered a god by the Aztecs started a full half century after, in a paper called "Florentine Codex." This codex suggests that the ruler of the Aztecs, Moctezuma II was taken by Cortes as a god from the very first meeting. The Aztec king offered words of peace such as, "You have graciously come on earth, you have graciously approached your water, your high place of Mexico, you have come down to your mat, your throne, which I have briefly kept for you, I who used to keep it for you." Perhaps Cortes should have realized, being a world traveler, that not all civilizations have words for certain things and speak in a very friendly manner to honored visitors and members of their own tribes. The famous Hispanic saying, mi casa, es su casa, comes  to mind almost instantly. But, there is no real proof that the Aztecs saw Cortes and his men as gods from a single sentence upon their first meeting. The Aztec King said, "You have graciously arrived, you have known pain, you have known weariness, now come on earth, take your rest, enter into your palace, rest your limbs; may our lords come on earth."

If you read that last sentence carefully, you'll see that the Aztec King says that have suffered pain... no god suffers pain or needs to rest their wary limbs. Gods have no pain and never need to rest. The Aztecs may have been gullible, but they weren't completely dumb. By the time the Aztecs had put together that the Spanish were there for gold and for domination, there was little the Aztecs could do about it.

There has never been proof that the Aztecs took the Cortes landing party as gods; not until 50 years later when this rumor really started to take grip around the known world. Cortes was surely dead by then and so was never able to cash in on his new found divinity.

Mayan history        

There are many different religions and belief systems that have tried to predict when the earth was going to end, all of them have been wrong. Every person and religion that has tried to predict earths final day had been, thankfully, wrong. What makes so many of us believe that the Mayans got it right?

Perhaps we believe them so much because of their amazing building achievements as a civilization, or maybe it was their ability to read the stars and make the most accurate calendar that has ever existed; the Mayan Calendar. The Mayans were also very good storytellers, and believed that the world’s destruction had happened several times before.

2012

Much like the Bible, and many other holy books, the Mayans listed a set of prophecies that are supposed to start on 22nd December 2012, culminating the next day – 23rd December 2012. The 7 Mayan Prophecies of  2012 are as follows:

If you are a fan of horseback riding, you can definitely enjoy the feel of wind as it blows past your hair and the breeze blowing freedom as beautiful landscapes roll past as you ride on a horse. Thousands of people who love equine all over the world enjoy this feeling and this has led to the burgeoning of horseback riding vacations in many parts of the world including Belize and Guatemala.

Horseback riding Vacations

You can find many package tour deals that offer many types of horseback riding getaways. For example, you can find inn rides, which allow you to combine riding with overnight stopovers in various places. The other packages available are safaris that enable you to enjoy beautiful wildlife from the back of a horse, tours for the entire family and horseback fishing trips. One of the best ways to get away from the stress that is caused by the demands of contemporary living is to take on the adventure of horseback riding vacations.

Many have come to know the Riviera Maya as a place for single or couples vacations. If given the chance, the Riviera Maya can be a great place for the whole family to go.

First off, one of the great things about the Riviera Maya is the crowd, there isn’t one! The multitude of things to do there range from dining, ruins, and some small adventures that no one should miss out on while in the Maya Riviera.

If you are looking for a good adventure, then Yucatan is definitely the place to be. The Yucatan Peninsula is filled with many wondrous places and sights to see, which include vast tropical jungles rich with diverse wildlife, tropical and migratory bird species, and ancient stone ruins of the Mayan civilization.

The wildlife in Yucatan is highly varied because of the abundant ecosystem in the entire peninsula. In places the natural habitats of the animals and birds are well preserved in form of sanctuaries, biospheres, reserves, and national parks. In Yucatan you will see all kinds of interesting creatures from beautiful birds to fearsome-looking crocodiles.

Mexico has more bird species than the USA including Hawaii and it has double the amount of bird species found in Canada. The Yucatan Peninsula is one of the best Bird Watching spots in Mexico. It has 548 different species including 11 endemic varieties; in the wintertime one finds even more species as migratory birds visit the warm region. The Yucatan offers great Bird Watching year round due to its subtropical position. Renowned birding sites near the Riviera Maya are:

•    Sian Kaan Reserve
•    Cozumel Island
•    Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
•    Botanical Garden Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marin
•    Coba Ruins
•    Punta Laguna

All these bird watching sites can be visited on one day tours from the Riviera Maya. The Riviera Maya is an excellent birder destination as it allows the visitor to enjoy its tourist infrastructure and comfortable hotels while going out on day trips to specialized birding sites. One can also choose to stay in rural areas with less comfort but many more birds!

This is a short introduction to these 6 Bird Watching Destinations that can be visited from the Mayan Riviera: 

The whale shark is the biggest fish in the world. It has a massive body that can reach up to 18 meter (60 feet). Its coloration is gray or dark blue on its back, with circular spots and light colored white or yellowish horizontal and vertical lines and a white belly. In Mexico these patterns give the whale shark its local name: "domino."

Named after the shark’s nickname Domino: The Mexican Atlantic Whale Shark Project was created in Mexico in 2003. The project was established for whale shark conservation and allows whale shark tour operations to run Whale Shark excursions for visitors that would like to swim with the animals. 

The archaeological site of Palenque is famous for the 1952 discovery of the tomb of Pakal, one of the most important rulers of the ancient Mayan city, inside the Temple of the Inscriptions.
Major construction to be seen in Palenque, in addition to the Temple of the Inscriptions are: The Palace with its unmistakable four-story tower, galleries, courtyards and boards with hieroglyphs and human images; The structure of the crosses, composed of the Temples of the Cross, the Sun, the Conde and the Foliada cross, most of the cross structures have relief of a corn plant in the form of a cross resting on a Maya representation of the "earth monster"; and the Temple XIII, where the remains of the famous Red Queen were found.
At Bonampak, it is interesting to see the murals of the acropolis style structure I which depicts the glorious Chaan Muan II or Jaguar Bird, one of the last rulers of this Mayan city. In the paintings, which were created in the eighth century, one finds images that refer to the preparations for a battle and religious rituals.