If you love animals, visiting the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary and Rescued Animals is an excursion in Mexico you can’t miss. The Sanctuary has been in Akumal since summer 2016. It isn’t a zoo – it’s a project to save, care for, and rehabilitate indigenous animals into Mexico’s habitat. It incorporates traditional Mayan culture, art, and traditions with the project of saving and protecting animals that otherwise wouldn’t survive in the wild. Some of the animals are local to the area while others have come from other parts of the world. Visiting the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary is a great off the beaten path idea for anyone looking for something a little different and very fulfilling.
The Animals
A guide will take you through the Sanctuary and talk to you about all the animals who live there. It’s an opportunity to meet wild, domestic, and exotic animals including zebras, birds, snakes, pigs, and of course, lots of monkeys! The guide is very knowledgeable and will tell you all about the animals’ habits, favorite pastimes, interactions with each other, and necessary care. The goal of the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary is to help animals become self-sufficient in the jungle in an effort to eventually release them into the wild. For this reason, no specific animals are ever guaranteed to be there, but I can guarantee you will never regret a trip here!
The Playa Times mentions that 80 percent of the animals in the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary have been donated, while only 20 percent have been seized by animal control authorities. Many of the animals are in the Sanctuary because they were too badly injured in the wild and abandoned. Others have come from zoos. Some have come from previous owners who bought them for the wrong reasons and mistreated them. One of the monkeys walks around two feet, which is unnatural for a monkey. Our guide informed us she was part of a circus and trained to walk this way. She also was trained to stand in certain poses for people to gawk at her. They never force her to do anything, it’s just habit for her now. She did perform for us when we were there.
One of the cool things we got to see on the tour was unexpected. We were up close to one of the monkey habitats and a few very big ants were walking on the outside wall right next to the window. Everyone was admiring these strange ants when a monkey hopped over to the window and reached out and grabbed one. We got to see, up close and personal, how little monkey hands are so adept at grabbing all objects! We also got to hear how an ant crunches when a monkey chomps down on it. It was a little creepy but also really cool to see nature at work!
Another cool thing we got to do was interact with the animals. The first stop is entering a fenced off area with goats and deer. You can bring as much food in as you want and feet these peaceful little guys. As we walk through the forest of beautiful birds, the guide brings over two beautiful red birds that will sit on your arm or shoulder and speak Spanish words to you. If you’re not afraid of snakes, another employee will bring over a very large snake that will slither around your neck. And finally, you get to enter one of the monkey cages and play with the little guys. You also get to feed the monkeys, which they obviously love.
You will sign a waiver before you begin the tour stating that any animal bites are not the Sanctuary’s fault, but they said no one has ever been bitten. In fact, the animals were very comfortable around humans and seem to understand that no one there means them any harm.
I feel it necessary to mention that in other parts of the world, animals are sedated to encourage tourists to handle them. At Akumal Monkey Sanctuary, this is not the case. The government regulates the Sanctuary heavily and conducts evaluations to make sure the animals are happy, healthy, not stressed in their environment, and living their best lives. For example, the government will come in and count the birds’ tail feathers to make sure they’re not falling out or make sure the birds aren’t pulling their tail feathers out because they’re stressed. The guide even said he fosters some of the monkeys if they seem to need a little extra care. It’s obvious to see how dedicated the employees and volunteers are and that they truly care about the animals. I highly recommend visiting and donating to support their efforts!
Local Mayan Culture and Art
About halfway through the tour, you will stop for some lemonade and a traditional Mayan snack made by a local Mayan woman. She makes the snacks, which are kind of like empanadas, then heats them on a stone over a fire. I have had these traditional snacks in resorts, but the food this woman makes tastes amazing and more authentic than the mass-produced resort food. Don’t be afraid to try it!
In the gift shop, you can buy Mayan art and photographs of different animals within the Sanctuary. They also sell many trinkets made by local Mayan families, including the famous Mexican bracelets children sell on the streets of cities. All money helps the Sanctuary stay in business, feed the animals, and bring in specialists to help treat injured animals.
The Akumal Monkey Sanctuary is in the jungle so the animals living here don’t feel like they’re in captivity. The Sanctuary is hoping to expand to include bigger habitats for the animals and invite more rescued animals in. In the middle of the Sanctuary is a cenote, or an area where the top limestone fell away and the fresh water river underneath became exposed. Lots of cenotes have become tourist attractions where you can swim with fish and turtles, however visitors are not allowed to swim in this cenote. The guide will take you down stairs to the cenote and give you information about how it happened, that bats that live in the caves, and the greenery that grows in the shadows – something you won’t get at any other cenote.
Finally, there is an opportunity to camp or glamp at the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary. There are areas for tents by the entrance to the Sanctuary. You can also rent a glamping bungalow with mosquito nets, running water, and real beds. Remember you’re in the jungle next to a lot of wild animals, including roosters who like to crow at sunrise! But it’s all part of the experience and goes to a great cause.
ATV Adventure
The Rio Sagrada Adventure is an ATV tour and visit to a cenote. It’s a little more adventurous than just the walk-through of the Monkey Sanctuary. You can do the ATV tour only or combine it with the Monkey Sanctuary tour. The cenote you visit on this tour does allow you to swim, so don’t forget your bathing suit! I did not do the ATV adventure so I can’t comment on it, but it is an option to add to your visit.
Visiting the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary
If everything above has convinced you go visit the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary, it’s time to schedule your trip! While they do accept walk-ins, it’s best to visit their website or call to make an appointment to guarantee availability of a guide and space in the group. The guides speak Spanish, English, Italian, French, and German.
The Sanctuary gives tours every day of the week all year long. It’s open Monday – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (the last tours of the day are at 4:00 p.m.) The tours last about an hour and you will be under the shade of the jungle the whole time. They give ATV tours twice daily with a minimum age of 16 to ride solo and a minimum age of 6 to ride with a copilot.
The Akumal Monkey Sanctuary tour costs $65 USD per person. The ATV tour is $69 USD for a single ATV or $115 for a double ATV, but that doesn’t include a tour of the Sanctuary. Children ages 5-11 are $40, and kids under 5 are free.
The only things you can bring into the Sanctuary are water bottles and bug spray – no cell phones or cameras are allowed. They do offer a locker room where you can rent lockers for a small fee or leave all of your belongings in your car. A photographer accompanies each tour to take photos, and you can buy the photo package on a USB drive for $50 after the tour, which includes about 25 photos of your group and 25 stock photos of the animals. It’s an expensive visit, but remember that everything goes to help the animals, keep the sanctuary open, and keep specialists and food on hand for the rescued animals. It’s well worth the donation if you’re an animal lover!
The Sanctuary is too far to walk from the beach area of Akumal or even from the highway. If you don’t have a car and can’t find a taxi, you can reach out to the Sanctuary to discuss transportation.
How to Help
Your ticket to visit the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary is a big donation and very helpful to keeping animals healthy and happy. Purchasing items in the gift shop also supports their efforts as well as local culture. If you still want to do more, spread the word! As a fairly new Sanctuary, the best marketing is word of mouth. Help animals have a second chance at life and enjoy a great day excursion that you won’t regret. Visit the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary!
Everything in this guide is my own opinion and I have not received any compensation in any form for endorsing the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary. I am a firm supporter of animal rights and helping animals and I truly believe in the efforts of this Sanctuary.
Have you been to the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary? Have you heard of it? Did you know Paris Hilton visited the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary? Would you let them put the snake around your neck? Talk to me in the comments below!
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P.S. You might also enjoy Complete Guide to Visiting the Tulum Ruins or Complete Guide to Visiting the Coba Ruins