This is not your typical hotel, and for the better. An adventurous spirit (but not much) is helpful if you choose to stay at Cesiak.

For one, the road to get there is a little treacherous with many big potholes, but we managed just fine in our compact rental car. (This is a plus because bad road = less people, less crowds.) The cabins are large, durable tents with big screen windows underneath a palapa roof. They are very clean and spacious but the best part is they are literally located right on the beach itself—which makes for a breathtaking view of the ocean and cool night breezes. We mostly enjoyed how peaceful and quiet this place is. No luxuries, but the location itself is just that.

There is no electricity in the tents, but the main building (where the restaurant is) and the bathrooms have power, and outlets to charge your electronics. A flashlight is a must to help navigate at night. The bathrooms are shared, but private, with toilets that are like glorified outhouses. Maybe they could be a bit cleaner with more frequent maintenance.

The beach in front of the hotel was very nice, but had somewhat more seaweed than found at some of the beaches up the coast. (Perhaps this is seasonal.) We found a beach just a few minutes up the road that had absolutely no seaweed.

The staff is excellent and very helpful, especially Pepe and Hugo. They actually let us out of our commitment to take a tour with no penalty due to bad weather. Very generous.

Even though you stay in a tent, without a bathroom or sink, the view is incredible, the beach pristine, and the employees warm and friendly. Only down side is the road you have to travel to get there.

Some of the most memorable experiences of our 10 days driving around the Yucatan were spent here, enjoying warm hospitality and terrific food late at night in the middle of a rainstorm, watching the cloud formations zip by from the beach, and drinking margaritas on the 3rd-storey rooftop, which yields a breathtaking 360 view of the earth - nothing but sky, clouds, marsh and water. This place is a world away from civilization - even if you stay somewhere else (the hotel filled up, so we stayed in Tulum), it is well worth the drive!

I have just returned from an extraordinary trip to Sian Ka'an. I stayed at CESIAK for several weeks with anticipation that I might get antsy at some point and want to go explore other areas. Yet I never left because each day brought new wonders.

So to be upfront, CESIAK is not for everyone. It's a great place for people who want to disconnect -- the rooms are actually tents; no electricity -- but ipad's have conquered this problem if you need to keep busy in the dark hours rather than talking with the stars. It's a great place to meet other people who have an affinity for the natural world, who have a curiosity for the world, who are trying to make a contribution to the world (many guests did "las basuras" walks, picking up the plastic that floats up along the beaches). It's a great place to learn about the the glorious birds, creatures and landscape there. However, if you get upset if your tent shakes at night under the mischievous wind, if you don't want to grab your flashlight to find your way under the palms to the bathroom in the middle of the night, or if somewhat salty water undermines the entire concept of showering CESIAK probably shouldn't be where you want to stay.....

No matter what...make a visit part of your trip!

What makes CESIAK so special. First of all, the staff! If you are there during busy season you probably won't benefit from getting to know the staff as they are so busy. However, a tour with any of the guides, Ben, Fernando, Jorge or Hugo, will give you the opportunity to tap into their incredible knowledge, their passion for the natural world, and get to know individuals who have the courage to shape their lives with purpose and meaning If you can sit down during one of the slower times at the restaurant or on the incredible upper patio with views of the lagoon and the ocean ask Geronimo, Gregorio or Cesar to teach you a few Mayan words.... The front desk team -- Laura, Hugo and Pepe -- are wonderful and will help you figure out how to best see Sian Ka'an (by the way -- if you are a birder ask Pepe about other bird tours on the other side of the lagoon).

Second, the opportunity to learn about the natural world is extraordinary. Depending on who is in your group you can take a kayak trip or a boat trip. Over three weeks I saw baby roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets doing the breeding dance, ospreys sharing fish at their incredible nest (do you know they can tie knots?), golden juvenile crocodiles, tiger herons and eagle rays (be sure to do the stingray shuffle when entering the water anywhere in Tulum). Ask lots of questions -- the guides have extraordinary knowledge. They respect your pleasure in observing so won't flood you with information...yet their knowledge and experiences add so much depth to the experience.

Other things to know: Food is consistently really good! The menu is limited so if you are staying longer than a few days, make sure you ask for specials. Housecleaning staff is excellent with wonderful towel art left ever day on your bed (fish, swans, elephants and flowers). The road once you enter Sian Ka'an is bumpy, bumpy, bumpy -- just enjoy the ride that slows you down and reminds you how much the tears of mother nature shape the earth. High season (end of Dec - mid April) is busy....think about November, turtle season (you can volunteer as well) from June - September, or late April-May for a visit. However high season is glorious and the chance to see all the migratory birds is such a treat.

Even if you are staying in the hotel zone....take the time for a tour of Sian Ka'an or come for an afternoon on the beach and a meal.