Worth every penny!
I don't know what your bucket list entails, but mine includes swimming in xenotes/cenotes. With this tour which is a part of eXcursions Xcaret, you can experience 4 xenotes and perform different activities in each one.
Of note: I cannot swim, and have a minimal fear of heights. However, this was still on my bucket list (along with cage-diving with sharks). This tour can be enjoyed by all, except with the usual issues such as back and heart problems etc, as it is not THAT strenuous and life jackets are mandatory.
PRO-TIPS:
Invest in a good waterproof camera or cover. You get in the water every time. And though I would have loved to bring my SLR, it would've been a pain to try to keep safe.
Wear water sandals. Tennis shoes and slippers are just unwise.
Don't use sunscreen. They make you wash it off anyway.
Don't bring a lot of stuff. Most of the time, you will leave it in the shuttle.
Lunch and drinks are provided, so you don't have to bring any.
It took about 2.5 hours before reaching our first xenote destination. That includes pick-ups of other clients from different hotels, no traffic, and the driver's stop to pick up the photographer and itinerary. It also includes the 35-45 minute bumpy ride on unpaved dirt road. I get carsick easily, so TIP: sit up front if you can. And suck on some candy, it helps. What I've learned though, from previous trips to Costa Rica and El Nido, Philippines, unpaved dirt roads are a good thing. It leads you to untouched and pristine landscapes and destinations.
Our first stop was the xenote Iik where we enjoyed zip-lining over water. There is NO dry finish. You HAVE TO land in the water. Either jump or let the water drag you to a stop.
I liked this xenote due to the 2 types of zip-line available: seated or hanging (think pull-up bar)
There was enough time to zip-line 4 times per person and even a 'Mayan Sacrifice' jump from the platform, if you wanted. My husband did that, of course!
The 2nd xenote was the least enjoyable of all due the fact that there was not much to see snorkeling. The water was also cooler than the first. GERMOPHOBE TIP: The snorkel gear provided appears new, with a plastic-covered mouthpiece. And they offer u to take the mouthpiece at the end if u wanted. So, it makes me feel better that I am not using a used mouthpiece.
The kayaking made for great pictures, but the water is calm and it is no Colorado River-rapids.
The 3rd xenote Luum was the assisted-rappel one. It was the most beautiful one of all, in my opinion. It was the most enclosed one, very cavey, making the water look very blue. But the cave was dark and good pictures were hard to capture.
A few bats were heard but the cave does not stink of guano. The water was also the coldest here, be warned!
A snack of pastries and drinks were provided earlier. Lunch was mediocre with make-your-own sandwich, and some salad. The fudgy brownies were surprisingly good. Red wine and beer was also available. I would've wanted a more Mexican or Mayan-related meal.
The 4th xenote was another zip-line, only a bar this time, so I had no choice but to do it! More enjoyable swimming.
Our driver and guide was Gabriel. His English was not bad (there were only 4 people he needed to translate to, the rest (10-11 guests) were from Mexico and Colombia) but at times, I cannot tell if he was saying "can" or "can't". I also liked that he did not stress tipping and only memtioned it once at the end. That deserves more tips.
The photographer's skills were not that great, but he had better pictures than my 5-yr-old underwater camera which takes crappy regular photos. THIS IS WHERE THEY GET YOU. $89 for all your pictures in a USB. Le sigh.
But the experience was great. I mean, come on, it's only a little bit more than what they offer you to zipline in Catalina Island - which is a joke, btw.
I don't know how they are scheduling guests, but it's amazing. NO LONG LINES. There was one group always before us, but they were usually halfway done, giving the xenotes all to just our group! No group after us either. This is NO THEME PARK. Everything seems natural. The way it should be.
Why did I choose this instead of Selvatica which offers ziplining too? Because I have ziplined the longest and highest in Costa Rica, which is super amazing, as well as all their skywalks, swing and ATVing. So I wanted a different experience, making it a water-involved one. I hope that helps you with your decision, if you have done Costa Rica's Monteverde zipline.
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