Sian Ka'an World Heritage Site

Official name

Sian Ka'an | UNESCO

Country

Mexico | Map

Continent

North America

Location

Quintana Roo, Cozumel et Felipe Carrillo Puerto
19.3833° Lat, -87.7916° Lon | Map

Code

410

Time Zone

America/Mexico_City (CST, -0600)

Current Time

Category

Natural

Description

Inscribed 1987. In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means 'Origin of the Sky'. Located on the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as well as a large marine section intersected by a barrier reef. It provides a habitat for a remarkably rich flora and a fauna comprising more than 300 species of birds, as well as a large number of the region's characteristic terrestrial vertebrates, which cohabit in the diverse environment formed by its complex hydrological system.