Long before Xcaret became part of our family vacation, the Maya believed the gods moved through the…read morejungle, the rivers, and the stars--and today, as we explored it together, it felt like they still did. Our family had one of the most amazing days to kick off our summer vacation. This was our first time to the park and I must it is massive! So much to do so be sure to arrive early and plan your day tactfully to take advantage of all they have to see and offer. 2 days definitely recommended if you are wanting to experience everything and not have to be too crammed or rushed. The underground river circuit was amazing and so much to see along the float. My only "quejo" or "complaint" is that they should monitor how many people are in at a certain time as sometimes you can be jammed packed in narrow areas. The food at the Oaxaca restaurant was definitely on point with a wide variety of food choices from vegan to bbq to salad to dessert. They have everything you could ever want to try while in the Mayan Riviera. You gotta try the cochinita pilbil. The Mexico Extravaganza Show was hands down one of the best shows I have ever seen in my life and that says a lot because I have seen a lot of shows in my life so far. The culture and musical growth displayed from various regions of the country. I would recommend you arrive early to try and get a good seat in the theatre and be sure you know it is an open air theatre with a roof so it can get warm. Once seated you can then go to the bar or snack / concessions below. Definitely invest in the photo package as there are so many photo spots and it saves you from wondering if you got a great shot for your trip that day. Xcaret Plus is what we purchased which includes the all day pass to the park, one admission to the buffet or a restaurant on site (Cocktails / Alcoholic drinks not included). We drove ourselves to the park but they do offer hotel pick up and drop for your convenience. Getting and out is easy. They speak many different languages so rest easy knowing that you have help if needed or have questions. The Xcaret group knows how to run a tourism business as we have used them in the past and everything is well organized. You get a lot for a great price. Next up, Chichenitza with them tomorrow

Came to Xcaret Park while staying at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, and so glad that we came! This park is…read moreso unique and big, there is so much to explore. My favorite things here was looking at all the different birds, observing the wildlife, and sitting by the ocean. It was so beautiful everywhere you went! We also saw so many wild lemurs here throughout the park which was cool. However, since the park was so big, we ended up spending a lot of time walking to each experience. Overall, I would recommend this park since there are so many things to do!

My wife and I visited the park yesterday, and started with the subterranean portion of the park,…read morewhich was an amazing experience. We dropped in the cool water and began walking through the underground waterway, with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites surrounding us. (Quite refreshing, from the hot and humid summer heat of the jungle surroundings). Later in the evening we climbed the top of the large water slide. I was not ready for the twists and turns, along with the stomach to the mouth unexpected downward plunging sections. At the end of the ride, I was both exhilarated and exhausted! One of the park employees, Issac, who is now my hero, noticed how fatigued I was and went out of his way to help me out. Leading me to a nearby hammock, where I spent a few hours getting my equilibrium back under control. At the end of the night, Issac unexpectedly returned and presented me with a few complimentary gifts, a beautiful embroidered tote bag and a stone night light with the Heart emblem with the Xplor logo on the front. It truly touched my "corazon". Shout out to Issac!! From the old guy on vacation from Texas. I'll always remember you and will add this to one of stories I tell my friends and family.

The zip line course was a highlight, my family would definitely come back for that alone. All…read moreactivities we did were great fun. Minor criticisms - *It was a little confusing to get around, as signage was a bit inconsistent and occasionally conspicuous until you got your general bearings. *Food was pretty meh, if you're staying at an Xcaret Hotel I'd try to eat before/after your visit, if possible. *The water slide rider thru put isn't great, so I imagine wait times on very busy days can get out of hand in a hurry. I also complained about the helmets all day long until I soundly wacked my head and was 12/10 glad to have it on .

If anyone wants to visit a dying water park, this is it!…read more More than half of the attractions were closed on a Saturday in June. It looked like there wasn't anywhere near enough staff to open the rides. All of Aaahventura was closed the entire day except for the zip line for 1 hour. They'll tell you to keep coming back later in the day (4pm) so they can get one large group in, then shut the ride down again. All of the large water slides were closed. I've never seen an empty lazy river in the middle of summer until I came here. You have to rent inner tubes for $150 MXN so anyone who ventured in there just swam it and ignored all the signs saying not to do that. The lifeguard was cool about it. Don't waste your time at this park unless you're getting free tickets and you can drive out of there once you've had enough!

Not worth the money. I live in Los Angeles and have never paid this much for a water park. But…read moreall of Cancun seems very expensive to me for that matter. Towels are $9 to rent! Lockers are $11 for a medium size! Tubes for the lazy river are $9. We thought we were getting a ticket that included everything, but they figure out ways to get you to spend a lot more. Half the rides were closed. The zip lining was cool but only opened for a few hours. So you had to plan between that and the water park. The lines were short, so that was cool too.

This is a bit of an overdue review but Xenses park was fun! Hubby and I came last year to celebrate…read moreour ten year anniversary. A colleague recommended we do an excursion to Xenses since we've done others by Xcaret in previous years. My favorite activities were the Pueblo and the Xensatorium. These activities really messed with our senses. The zip line and waterslide were also pretty fun and memorable. Park was not crowded and I remember it was like a half day excursion. Lunch is not included. Definitely worth doing.

Small park that lends itself to Xelfies…read more You could spend all day here, but you can get through all of it in a few hours. Your biggest snags will be the lines for the water slides, bird flight, and the Xensatorium. There is a fast pass for the bird flight experience. The kids and I really wanted to check this place out. It had been a long time since we had been here. Since it's a smaller park, it can be overlooked, but the park really tests the five senses. When you first get in you will have the ability to see the various optical illusions (via mirrors, special effects, or room layouts) and take selfies of those moments. The lobby imhas several selfie experiences, starting from the entrance to the locker rooms. Then there's the pueblo, where you will run into an upside down town. You think you are walking uphill but feel the opposite. There will be other opportunities to take selfies of you being in the ceiling, standing over a bottomless pit, or jumping towards the ground...it's all crazy in the Pueblo Abajo Town. The Xensatorium will have you enter a totally darkened tunnel where you will have to use the rest of your senses to feel, smell, and listen your way through the cave...cold, wet, warm, breezy, misty, ...finally ending in a cavern. The bird experience is extremely short, but it heads up the way to the heated float pools, and the muddy river, ...bucket showers will clean you off and you're onto the next one. I thought it was fun, and you can stay there as long as you like. The one thing I don't like about it is the Xnack bar isn't free, you have to pay for the food here...unlike the other parks. If you like selfies, you'll enjoy this park.

Xel-Ha was not initially on our list during our visit to Tulum, but we decided last minute to give…read moreit a try and I'm glad we did! It provided an all inclusive, low key day exploring nature and enjoying the water. It's basically a massive lagoon where you can snorkel different areas, take an inner tube through the mangroves, ride bikes to the mangroves, eat and drink as much as you want (buy the all inclusive package it's worth it), and ride the water slides from the top of the lighthouse. The food was decent for a buffet at a water park. The three different restaurants had a variety of options. The bars around the park would make you drinks with quality spirits for an all inclusive like Bacardi, Malibu, etc. We were trying to order our tickets online the same day but we kept getting an error message. We called their helpline and purchased tickets over the phone. I was glad we did because we received a discount! Lastly, there are stations all around the park where you can get a locker and pickup snorkel gear, etc. Don't go to the first station you see. Walk to the main area of the park and choose a station close to your next activity. They also provide showers to rinse before and after and life jackets to wear while in the lagoon.

We spent Day 2 of our Christmas trip at Xel-Há with our family and it was honestly one of the…read morehighlights of the trip. This place is basically a tropical playground. Cenotes, caves, snorkeling, river floats, hammocks, zip lines, and all the water activities you could want, all tucked into the jungle. What really surprised me was the food. I normally hate buffets, but this one was actually... good. Like really good. Fresh, flavorful, and plenty of options for everyone, from picky eaters to foodies. We ate well and didn't feel like we were sacrificing quality just because it was all-inclusive. We went back for thirds lol. It's definitely a long day and there's a lot of walking, so wear comfortable shoes and pace yourself, but that's part of the fun. You can be adventurous or just float, snack, and nap in a hammock with a drink in your hand. The fact that almost everything is included (food, drinks, gear, activities) makes it feel totally worth it. No nickel-and-diming, just show up and enjoy. If you're in Tulum with family or honestly anyone who loves nature and water, Xel-Há is a must. We had an amazing time and I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Lupillo was the best guide. Made us have the best day! I will definitely recommend this place to…read moreanyone.

The tour itself is lovely but beware! They promise all Sorts…read moreof stuff to get you to sign up. We were promised last pick up/first drop off and that we would be back at the hotel by 5:30 but the actual drop off was 7:30 pm as the drivers didn't even arrive to bring us back until 6pm. We had folks on medication and this was completely unacceptable. It was not until I mentioned contacting the credit card company to dispute charges that someone even attempted to get us back earlier. Before that they just kept screaming at us pick up is at 6pm there is nothing we can do even if you were told something else. The worst part is we were lied to - the schedule was set far in advance but they conveniently told us that we would make it back by 5:30 even though there was never an intention of doing that.

I wouldn't recommend coming here at full price as it's absolutely not worth it. Instead of…read morerelaxing, you end up spending the entire day standing in endless lines. My husband and I waited 40 minutes at the bar, then 65 minutes for the zipline, and another 50 minutes for snorkeling. There was basically no enjoyment, just constant frustration. We didn't even get a chance to eat, even though it was included in the price. The café closed at 4:00 PM while the park itself stays open until 5:00 PM, which makes no sense. The pool was also very cloudy, like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. We paid 1,000 pesos for two people since we live in Quintana Roo (about 500 pesos per person), and at that price it's somewhat acceptable. But if you're a tourist paying full price, it's honestly not worth it at all. And what really made the experience uncomfortable: while I was in the women's shower/changing area, a woman walked in with her son who looked around 12 years old, right at the moment when I was changing my underwear. When I pointed out that this was the women's area, she said, "He's just a child." That felt completely inappropriate and uncomfortable. It also doesn't seem like staff are enforcing basic rules about access to changing and shower areas.

They don't. take. credit. cards. So bring at least $1500 pesos for snorkeling. They might also…read morecover some food. Better to just bring $2000 to $3000 just in case. It is confusing when you get down there bc you can't actually see the beach and beach chairs. But yea, don't waste money on a locker. And you have to go back up to the entrance to buy fish food. There is an ATM nearby down the street. We tried the nachos and they were just okay. The guacamole that came with it were very salty. I also didn't like the snorkels. They were constantly getting foggy. Someone who was there while I was got a rash on their leg because they touched the rocks.

I had the pleasure of having a private tour of the facility during a recent cruise to Mexico. As…read morethis was my fourth trip to Cozumel, I decided to book privately outside of the cruise line and do something a bit different. My tour guide Martin gave me the difference that I was seeking. My day started with a welcome Margarita, which was very tasty. I then saw examples of art and culture from around the country. We then moved into the chocolate room where I was welcomed with another drink, a chocolate margarita. Martin then should be the process of making cacao into chocolate bars. I got my hand on the mill and got to make my own cinnamon and sugar bar for cocoa. I was then treated to a dish of mole with chips and chocolate covered snacks. We then went outside to the dioramas and to see the rain ceremony from the flying dancers. The rain ritual was brave and amazing. My favorite part of the experience was the Jose Cuervo Tequila Tasting. I tried three tequilas, looking for the flavor notes of each level of aging. The day ended with a delicious authentic Mexican meal. If you are going and are looking for a low rate to book this excursion or any others check out http://shoreexcursionsgroup/v/a/cruisebrothers/?data=info@kerawoodard.com

Awesome afternoon visit to Discover Mexico! Tour offered by Bryan as he introduced the 32 states of…read moreMexico, some of their unique cultures and art from each region. The park has many very well-made dioramas which help tell the stories as well as a nice collection of art. Our group also enjoyed "The Joy of Chocolate" tour which explained Mexico's importance in the world chocolate trade. We learned where and how chocolate was grown and how it came to be a key crop and export for Mexico. We tasted a wonderful hot Mexican chocolate as well as the raw cacao beans. We then split in to pairs and were directed to a grinder where we ground our own beans and then massaged the product with our hands until the fat had softened. At this point, we added sugar, cinnamon and some vanilla and mixed until the ball was shiny. We pressed in to a mould, added a unique mark and waited for the chocolate disc to solidify. We later wrapped the disc and had a wonderful souvenir of 40% cacao to take home. Really fun! We also tasted a delicious molé and a chocolate margarita. A unique experience and very nice tour at the Discover Mexico Park!

Ok, not gonna lie. The water park itself, won't be back again. But the dolphin swim that…read moreaccompanies it (right next to it) definitely will! Like all the other reviews say, it was a little run down... and pretty dead. There were not a lot of options for the slides, and we went through it basically the first hour. We went because we basically had to in order to get in to the Dolphin swim activity. It came with a package we purchased from the hotel using our resort credits. The price itself, I guess since we used resort credits and we got admission to both wet n wild and dolphin swim, it wasn't too bad, so I wouldn't know what the real price is for getting in here by itself. Also, it comes with lunch, but the lunch itself was really bleh. I guess my expectation at the time was really high because of the Sun Palace food that we've been getting, so it's not necessarily a fair comparison. So yes, basically after our dolphin swim was over which was at 2 pm, we took a taxi and left the park right away. Didn't care that there was a bus that was coming to pick us up at around 430pm. Sad to say, my time was better spent in the hotel napping and lounging rather than in this park.

Ugh. Where to even begin. Don't waste your time coming to this place. We only came here because it…read morewas booked free by Moon Palace. After a 30 minute boat ride to the park located right on the beach, we arrived to see seaweed piled on the beach, giving a terrible sewage like smell throughout the entire park. There are only 3 main slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river. The park opens at 10am but the only thing open was the wave pool. Everything else opened 10:30 and later. From booking with Moon Palace, a voucher for 3 drinks and 1 meal were included. Meal choices included tacos, pizza, or burgers. Out of everything I think the burgers were the best however food is only barely edible. I thought other reviews were over exaggerating, but they are true. Birds are flying everywhere around the park trying to pick at the food, even from the trash can. Bird poop is all over the lounge chairs. And metal is rusty everywhere. You get through all the activities in the first hour in the park and then you wait around for the boat to take you back to your resort. I would give this place zero stars if I could. One star for the 3 free alcoholic drinks I had to bare with this place.