XCaret Park - Mayan Riviera

[lovebugs2003]

Has anyone been to the XCaret Park? If so, any tips for what to do and what not to do?

[Dotsie]

I've been there and I loved it. We didn't stay the whole day (we were really tired) but I've heard at night they have a mayan show with fire dancers.
We went swimming with the dolphins and went swimming in the underground cave. That was awesome. It's freshwater that has been collecting for millions of years from rain. Be warned, the water is FREEZING cold. We have some pretty cool pics from it. The whole park is just really great. They teach all about conservation and protecting wildlife. We saw baby turtles, and wild parrots and tons of really big iguanas that just roam around. By far Xcaret was the highlight of our first trip to Mexico. Go, you won't be sorry. I hope I was of some help. Ask me any questions if I didn't answer any of yours.

[Mrs. M.]

Edited because I was thinking of the wrong place.

[lovebugs2003]

Thank you so much, was it quite expensive, we are staying at the hotel attached so we get a free pass, but i am just wondering how much you spent things that may not have been included. Do they accept VISA etc?

Thanks

[carrie9142]

I went in 2003.

I can't remember how much everything costs, but I do remember that almost everything had an additional charge. The underground river is pretty much the only activity included in the admission price. And yeah, it is frigging cold!!! You adjust to it, but man it hurt getting in. But swimming with the dolphins, snorkeling, etc are all extra $$$. It is very beautiful. Iguanas, flamingos, all kinds of creatures walking around.

[Dotsie]

I was just going to post the same thing. Swimming with the dolphins was expensive. I think it was around $150 for the both of us and this was in 2000. Everything was extra. The food I remember was really expensive. We ate at a tree restaurant and I had the best ensalada verde with a bleu cheese dressing. It's funny that I remember that:) I don't know if they take visa or not. We had pesos that we exchanged at the airport. It was a long day but it was soo worth it. Have fun. Wish I could go:p

[Mrs. M.]

OOps, sorry never mind my earlier post. We actually went to Xel-ha, not Xcaret.

[KGif]

I was there years ago. We basically went specifically b/c I wanted to swim with the dolphins. There were 2 different dolphin activities... one I think they called "dolphin experience" where you just went into water with the dolphins up to your knees ... learned about them . ... got to touch them ...etc. The second I believe they called "dolphin encounter" where you actually dive right into the water and swim around with them It was AMAZING! They do this thing where one by one you lay out flat in the middle of the "pool" and two dolphins come up behind you, each putting its snout (beak? Not sure what you call it!) on underside of your foot and they push you across the pool! You also just get to swim around with them for a while .. interact .. very cool. Both cost extra with the "encounter" being more expensive then the "experience" but it was more then worth the $$.
Not sure if things have changed ... but when we were there the dolphin encounters sold out EARLY. People at our resort had instructed us to get there before the park opened and go straight to the dolphin counter and sign up. There were a bunch of people waiting with us when we showed up about 1/2 hour before the park opened. As soon as people paid the entrance fee they would literally RUN to the dolphin area to sign up! It's like "The Amazing Race" or something :)

[lovebugs2003]

Thank you so much everyone i really appreciate the input.

We are leaving Sunday and I am getting sooo excited.

Thanks again

[indie_girl01]

We were there last month...and it was a great experience. I am not sure what you are interested in, but here are a few things that are really worthwhile

1. Buy a package tour to Xcaret- this includes a bus ride to and fro , snacks, beverages (on the bus), admission to the part and the night show ticktets. We paid 55 USD per head, which was a great deal. It will cost you a lot more of you go there on your own or buy tickects induvidually.

2. Make sure you get there early. The first thing you want to do once you get there is take a tour of the underground river. You will need snorkeling gear (it's better you rent it offsite. It's expensive if you rent it here , plus you have to wait in long lines.), Towels and waterproof cameras. You can deposit your belongings in a bag at the safe deposit box before you get into the water. They deliver your belongings to the other end of the river. It costs about 5 USD. totally worth it!

3. Once you are done with the underwater experience, you can head out to swim with the dophins or snorleling which is close to the river exit. It's expensive - these activities are not included in your admission price. However there is a snorlelling area within teh reef where you can snorkel free of charge if you have your own gear. (You can rent it too.)

4. By the time you are done with this, it will be lunch time. Make sure your ticket includes lunch. It's a 25 buck per heard "all you can eat" bufffet. It was the best food we ever had, plus you have a choice of 3 resturants for the buffet. We figured that we would have spent probably the same amt if we had not opted for the buffet.

5. Post-lunch, you can relax by the beach or go out and discover the rest of the park (there's lot to see). We loved the Mayan village, the undeground caves, the river boat ride etc. These are all inclusive of yr admission price.

6. By 4.30 PM differnt shows start all over the park. There is a horse show, a Mayan show and many other. pick your event and be there at least 15 mins early. Also remeber that the park is HUGE. So you might have to walk a lot to get to yr destination depending on your last activity.

7. The night show- music and dance was the best!. It starts at 5 PM , be there 15 mins in advance to get good seats.

There's a lot to do, you won't have time to do everything, just pick and choose based on your interests. You are bound to have a great day.

Have fun!

[tgal]

I have to disagree with the pp. Sorry, Indie Girl! I've been to Cozumel/Cancun quite a few times (we are headed back in Sept.) and I have to say this place was a big let down. On our last trip, dh and I actually sat through a timeshare presentation to get free tickets and I wish we would have taken one of the other freebies. Let me preface this by saying, I think it is a great place to take kids, kinda like a water zoo. I was disappointed because I thought after visiting Tulum, the Cenote Tahkah, renting a car to explore Cozumel and doing 10+ dives, this would be another fantastic natural habitat. The view from the park was nice, but other than that I just couldn't find the beauty in this man made tourist trap.