Yumka Ecological Reserve

Yumka, whose name means jungle spirit in the Chontal Maya language, was founded by naturalist Miguel Alvarez del Toro to give visitors an accessible introduction to both the wildlife native to Tabasco and the broader tropical world beyond it. The visit unfolds in three parts. A guided walking trail through preserved rainforest opens the tour, passing native species such as jaguars, tapirs, spider monkeys and a wide range of tropical birds in naturalistic enclosures set among the original jungle vegetation. From there, visitors board a tram for a drive-through African and Asian savanna section, where giraffes, white rhinos, zebras, antelope and ostriches roam in open paddocks designed to evoke the East African plains. The final segment is an optional boat ride across a lagoon bordering the reserve, giving a different vantage point on local wetland birdlife and vegetation. A full visit covering all three sections takes about two and a half to three hours. Because much of the walking trail and savanna tour take place outdoors with limited shade in places, a morning start is markedly more comfortable and also coincides with when the animals, especially the native rainforest species, are most active.