During my last vacation at Villa del Palmar Cancun, I booked an XCaret activity with the onsite activities office at the resort. For this activity, transportation picked me up at the resort at 8 am and we returned to the resort around 10 pm (there were earlier return times available but I stayed later to watch the evening show).
XCaret is a nature park located in Playa del Carmen, about an hour away from Villa del Palmar Cancun. The Xcaret activity includes roundtrip transportation, admission to Xcaret and the evening show, and lunch. The park features underground rivers, cultural depictions of the local region and beautiful landscapes of Mexico. You can swim in the underground rivers and through caves, explore the spectacular scenery of Mexico, relax on the beach with a cocktail in hand, reconnect with nature, and more during your visit to XCaret.
I had a wonderful time exploring XCaret and found the park to be one of my favorite things to visit in the Cancun area and I cannot wait to return. Below are a few of my favorite things to do while at XCaret.
- Swim in the underground rivers: There are three rivers that flow about 16 feet underground in XCaret to swim through and all of these rivers flow into the sea. I found it relaxing to swim (and float) through these rivers as I enjoyed the beautiful scenery with trees, caves, tunnels and clear blue water.
- Walk around the Main Plaza: Get a taste of Mexico by exploring the shops with local crafts and goods, having a delicious cup of Mexican coffee at La Orquidea Coffee Shop, sampling Mexican Wines, and more. There are even opportunities to hold the parrots.
- Explore the archaeological sites: See replicas of the Mayan ruins that you will see throughout Mexico and learn all about their traditions here.
- Immerse yourself in the Mayan Villages: Walk through the jungle as you hear Pre-Hispanic drum ceremonies, smell the aroma of incense burning, and see traditional Mayan homes and traditions.
- Watch the XCaret Mexico Espctacular Show at 7 pm: Learn all about the history and traditions of Mexico from Pre-Hispanic times to present as you watch live performances by musicians, singers, and dancers representing different cultural regions from all over Mexico. As you walk up to the show, you will see characters all over outside for photo opportunities and to greet you as you enter the arena.
Characters lined up as we are entering for the evening show.
- See the papantla flyers: Just look for the tall pole that stands out and be ready to watch five men climb to the top and perform a traditional ritual ceremony of the papantla flyers. In this performance, one man stands on a platform to dance while playing a flute and small drum to honor the sun and the four elements of the earth. As he plays this music, the other four men are tied by long ropes to the pole and gradually dance their way from the pole to the ground imitating the flight of birds.
- Go snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea: Immerse yourself in the clear, blue water as you see the beautiful fish swim underneath you in this gorgeous tropical setting. You may even be able to swim above a sea turtle to make this experience extra special. Afterwards, lounge underneath a palapa on the XCaret Beach on top of the white sand as you completely relax and soak up the sun. The area shown behind me in the photo below is where I went snorkeling.
Visiting XCaret is a must for anyone looking to experience “Mexico’s Majestic Paradise” for a fun day you are sure to remember forever!
If you have a vacation experience that you would like to share with us, please respond in the comments section below this blog or email it to me at bblanscet@blog.myuvci.com
Best Regards,
Brittany Blanscet
Member Marketing Manager
