A 20 km rustic trail road leads all the way to the reserve from the Cancun-Merida highway.

The research facilities include a field station, a 12 m height observatory tower, three lab areas, a greenhouse and permanent areas for experimental ecology studies. There are also rustic trails and permanent plots for biodiversity monitoring in the main habitats of the reserve.

A full solar-panel system supplies the research station and dormitories with energy. Funds for the lab, the greenhouse and the solar-panel system were provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The central hut “La Sabana Research Station” was built to accommodate scientists and occasional visitors with the basic facilities such as kitchen, baths, dormitories, a meeting room and a radio communication system. Four rustic palapa-dormitories are available for visitors and workers.

Recently, a concrete hut with 2 dormitories and 2 labs was built. –Sponsored by the Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (PROFEPA) (Office of the Judge Advocate General for Environmental Protection). The hut also serves as a hurricane shelter.