For those of you who like to explore away from your resort, there is a new monkey/animal sanctuary which recently opened just outside the town of Akumal in the Riviera Maya.  While it is called the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary, there are several different types of animals which are housed onsite including several macaws, a couple of boa constrictors, a red kangaroo, a Shetland pony, a lemur, several burros, as well as several different types of monkeys.

The sanctuary is certified by SEMARNAT, or secretary of the environment and natural resources.  Most of the animals are donated by individuals who cannot continue to keep their animals (like the boa constrictors), a circus who donated the Shetland pony, or those brought to the sanctuary by SEMARNAT representatives who have deemed the animals to be unable to be returned to their natural habitat or need to be rehabilitated in some way prior to their return to their natural homes.

The sanctuary offers three guided tours a day, 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 3 p.m.  Guided tours last approximately two hours and include feeding some of the animals as well as an opportunity to get into an enclosure with some of the monkeys.  Cameras are not allowed in this enclosure because the monkeys would either take and/or damage the camera or hurt themselves.  In lieu, there is a photographer who takes pictures and sells a CD of them at the end of the tour.  The admission price is the following:  under age 5 is free, ages 5-12 is $30 USD, and ages 13+ is $40 USD per individual.  There are reviews on TripAdvisor as well as a Facebook page (for those of you who have a FB account look up Akumal Monkey Sanctuary), while their website is http://akumalmonkeysanctuary.com/en/

The sanctuary is located outside of Akumal proper–you can either take a colectivo to Akumal, then cab it to the entrance from the road, or take a cab from your resort.  Here’s a picture of the general vicinity of where it’s located.

General vicinity of the sanctuary