Inside Xcaret, Mexico’s favorite natural park

If you’ve ever visited Cancun, you know the city’s famous beaches, luxurious resorts and vibrant atmosphere. Beyond the city lights and tourist hotspots you’ll find Xcaret (pronounced esh-kah-ret), an eco-park dedicated to showcasing Mexican culture, wildlife, adventure activities and more. Although the name Xcaret translates to ‘little bay’ in the ancient Mayan language, the park is anything but small, covering more than 200 hectares. Think Disney World combined with the largest zoo you’ve ever seen, but with an eco-friendly Mexican flair, and to top it all off, it’s in the jungle.

It’s just as exciting as it sounds and more. Perfect for solo travelers, locals, couples getaways or family outings, Xcaret is a must-see destination that will change your standards for adventure. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Mexico’s favorite natural park.

What to do at Xcaret

Xcaret is one of those excursions that you should spend a whole day on, maybe even two. To sweeten the deal, Xcaret has seven other smaller sister parks (which also have fantastic names that start with an X) that offer more niche adventure activities… like ziplining through fire. It is recommended to visit the original park first as it has the most to offer. Below are some of the activities you can look forward to during your stay in the Mayan Jungle.

Cenotes and swimming

Cenotes are one of the most incredible things about the Yucatan Peninsula. Nature has worked its magic and created hundreds of sinkholes, lined with limestone and filled with fresh water, even though they are all connected to the ocean. Home to many, Xcaret offers an underground river experience, allowing you to look up and observe the park as you float through it. You float about 5 meters below the park, but the cenote you float in only has an average depth of one and a half meters, making it a relaxing swim.

There is a huge swimming area at the edge of the park, and that is no understatement. It includes a beach, separated natural pools, a lagoon, a water slide and plenty of free beach chairs to sit in and relax. There’s even an adults-only side, with deeper water and more intense waves depending on the tide.

The water activities are best placed in the middle of your adventure when you want to rest and eat something, or at the end when you want to relax after all the excitement. Pro tip: visit the beach in the evening for one of the most beautiful sunsets you’ve ever seen.

Aviary

Whoever designed the Xcaret aviary really deserves an award. It’s an unforgettable experience and once again a fantastic place to take some fantastic photos. The aviary is home to more than 1,500 birds and works to protect native bird species in conditions similar to those in the wild. Many conservation programs are implemented in the exhibits, but the program that protects the scarlet macaw is highly recognized and even earned Guinness World Records in 2011 and 2013.

The spiral path allows you to walk higher into the habitats of birds that like to roost among the treetops, but also cross paths with birds that prefer to be in wetlands. Be warned: birds fly freely in the aviary, with a few exceptions.

Natural flora and fauna

There is no shortage of animals at Xcaret. In addition to incredible birds, you will find deer, monkeys, pink flamingos, bats, tigers, tapirs, horses, jaguars, pumas…oh my. True to the eco-park’s expectations, the animals appear well cared for and are thriving, and observing them is a truly intriguing experience. All enclosures are generous in size and provide plenty of room for the more lively animals to play, so if you get there at the right time you can have a good laugh.

Plant life is not an afterthought; At Xcaret, plants receive as much love as animals. Several unique plant species are marked on the trails and there are several flower gardens where you can stop and smell the roses. The best sight for flower lovers is the Butterfly Garden, where colorful butterflies fly among species of flowers and plants you may have never seen before.

Temperatures get hot in the jungle, especially around noon. Like most other zoos and ecoparks, visiting the animals early in the day when they are lively and not lethargic from the heat is recommended.

Aquatic life

Hana Holden / The Manual

The Coral Reef Aquarium is home to a full range of fish and marine mammals, a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits. You can expect to see more than 5,000 marine species, including live corals, turtles, jellyfish, seahorses, dolphins, sharks, manatees and fish. Each species’ habitat is designed to mimic its natural environment as much as possible, so it’s more than just watching them swim around in an aquarium. The colorful coral backdrops of the enclosures provide a realistic feel that makes it easy to forget you’re not in the ocean. If you’ve ever dreamed of swimming with dolphins, stingrays or sharks, this is the place to do it.

The aquarium’s indoor exhibits are air-conditioned and the outdoor exhibits have ample seating, so this is a perfectly relaxing activity to do in the middle of the day when the heat threatens to tire you out.

Cultural experiences

Xcaret also makes a point of highlighting Mexican and ancient Mayan culture. Through another series of winding paths you’ll find a village-like setup with activities such as jewelry making and weaving. If you don’t want to try to make it yourself, there are also handmade souvenirs you can buy, all made there by the local artisans. Cultural dance shows, ancient stained glass art, a prehistoric cemetery, ancient ruins, an underground pre-Hispanic village, an underground wine cellar and papantla flyers are just some of the other culture-rich experiences in the park.

The Papantla flyers perform on a fixed schedule, and it is a remarkable sight to see the men climbing a tall pole and swinging from ropes while someone stands on top and plays flute songs. Performed in three parts, each is an ode to the ancient gods, asking permission, forgiveness and gratitude. Considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, this is an item not to be missed on your bucket list.

Extra activities at Xcaret

Everything mentioned above is included with standard park admission. But if you’re up for more, there are additional paid experiences you can add. Below we’ve listed some of the best.

• Encounter with stingrays – Meet stingrays as you feed them and learn all about their natural habitat.

• Snuba diving – Like snorkeling, but with an oxygen tank floating above the surface as you explore the waters.

• Sea trek – A light version of scuba diving, where you can walk 5 meters into the ocean water wearing a headgear that allows you to breathe freely while swimming with an array of fish.

• Paraxute – Fly up to 90 meters by parasailing above the blue ocean water.

• Feeding nurse sharks – Learn about the park’s nurse sharks as you sit with them in the water and feed them their favorite snacks.

• Dolphin encounters – Swim with, cuddle, feed and observe the park’s dolphins.

• Adrenalina boat ride – A fast boat ride at 90 km/h with 360 degree turns and lots of fun.

On the way to Xcaret

The park is in an ideal location for a 45-minute trip from Tulum or Cancun. Playa del Carmen is the best town to stay in if you plan to visit the park multiple times, as the drive can take as little as 15 minutes. Depending on the accommodation you stay in, Xcaret even has its own bus transport options. Or, if you’re looking for luxury, the park has a range of all-inclusive five-star hotels, including one for adults only. They’ve made it easy to ensure you can get to the park somehow, so have the time of your life.

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