Xcaret

[dengirl]

I read on here one time not too long back and Xcaret was being discused. I thought I read where a family or husband and wife went to the park and it was free or a small admission and they only paid for the snorkling down a river . it went through a cave i think. anyeays i cant not find that thread and on the Xcaret website they seem to have a 68.00 addmission fee? has anyone been there recently who can explain to me. all im interested in is the snorkling then wed want to swim in the ocean maybe eat or something.

[Guest]

its not free. its pretty expensive. the cave snorkelling is included.

[beach410]

when we went it was not free, its a park and you pay to get in, its a nice park, kind of like a small zoo, areas to snorkel, swim, some shows, acrobats, horse shows, some ruins and more. Its a pretty pig park and we enjoyed our day there.

[gecko2gecko]

We went just recently and it definitely wasn't worth the price we paid. Don't get me wrong, the park was beautiful. The river was fantastic. There was just way too much to do and not enough time to do hardly any of it. It also wiped out all but about 10 minutes of shopping at the port. Drifting down that river and dipping in the ocean isn't worth the price tag IMO. Not to mention the fact that almost all the restaurants there are buffet...to the tune of about 30.00 (that's american dollars). DH wanted Mexican food in Mexico so he went and blew 35.00 on a "not very good" lunch and a beer. Also, the park is on local time and ship time is an hour earlier. We got hungry around 12 ship time and the restaurants didn't open for another hour...12 local time. By the time he got to eat, we had to pack up and get on the bus to head back.

[DirtyNanners]

I simply loved Xcaret. They have a really nice park and lots to do. Not sure how someone could come to the conclusion that it's not worth the price, cause "there's too much to do and not enough time"??? Sounds like a personal problem, not fair to fault the park. Here you really can do it all, they have entertainment, great water activities and the staff was wonderful. My group had a good mix of children and adults and we all really enjoyed it.

[dz63]

I read on here one time not too long back and Xcaret was being discused. I thought I read where a family or husband and wife went to the park and it was free or a small admission and they only paid for the snorkling down a river . it went through a cave i think. anyeays i cant not find that thread and on the Xcaret website they seem to have a 68.00 addmission fee? has anyone been there recently who can explain to me. all im interested in is the snorkling then wed want to swim in the ocean maybe eat or something.

 

In 2007, our family went to Xcaret through Carnival. Xcaret is a beautiful eco archaeological park and there is an admission fee. According to the Xcaret website, adults are $69.00, children are $35.00 and children under 40" are free. Of course booking this excursion through the cruise line is more expensive and if your ship is docking in Cozumel, as ours was, then the tour cost also includes the ferry ride to get to the mainland (Playa Del Carmen) and back again.

 

Here is a summary of our excursion:

 

We arrived at Cozumel and left the ship at 8:00 am. We then boarded the Ultra Mar ferry (chartered by Carnival) to get to Playa Del Carmen (approx. 30 minute ride). Once on the mainland, our tour guide led us through the streets of Playa Del Carmen to meet the Xcaret Bus. Xcaret is a beautiful place, and we only had 4 ½ hours to visit here. We felt very rushed and barely had enough time to see it all. The first thing that we did was swim through the underground river--a definite must! We put our belongings in a big duffle bag at the entrance to the river and put on life jackets. The staff at Xcaret zipped up the duffle bag, locked it, and gave us the key on a lanyard. The water was cool (68° F), but also nice and refreshing. When we exited the river, our duffle bag was waiting for us and our belongings were safe. I noticed that they do handle the duffle bags kind of roughly, so it would be wise to wrap up anything that is delicate in your towels.

 

The exit to the underground river is right by the ocean, so we floated around in some tubes on the beach for awhile and watched people swimming with the dolphins. Straddling across Manatee Lagoon are a couple of climbing ropes that take you to the other side. DH and our 3 sons walked and swayed across the rope. The ropes were a bit wobbly, and they almost fell in, but that made it more challenging and they thought that it was a lot of fun.

 

We also entered a bat cave and saw some Mayan ruins. The kids enjoyed climbing them, but is was blistering hot. We appreciated cooling off in the air-conditioned aquarium. After the aquarium, we went for a dip in the Snorkeling Inlet and could see many fish in the water. We picked up a burger with "chips" and a Pepsi at the beach grill for lunch. Lunch cost us 485 pesos for our family, which is equivalent to $44.00 US. You could get a buffet lunch for about 250 pesos/person--$23.00 US, but we did not have enough time to do that. As it was, we had to rush back to catch the bus at 2:40 to head back to the ferry terminal.

 

Xcaret is a beautiful park. There is lots to see and do there and we wished we could have had more time. We asked at the excursion desk why this excursion is so short and we were told that they do this because they would like to bring all the ship passengers back at the same time on a single chartered ferry. Carnival has tried later return times in the past but had problems getting people back on time. Although the public ferry runs until 11:00 pm, they sometimes have union/labor problems, making the public ferries not as reliable as the chartered ones.

 

Things to see and do at Xcaret

(all of these things are included with your price of admission)

-Underground River

-Beach, Natural Pools and Inlets

-Snorkeling Inlet

-Manatee Lagoon

-Coral Reef Aquarium

-Rotating Scenic Tower

-Jungle Trail

-Archaeological Sites/Mayan Ruins

-Ancient Ball Game Court

-Mayan Village Mexican Cemetery

-St. Francis of Assisi Chapel

-Mayan Village

-Animals and Wildlife including Spider Monkies, Tapir, Deer, Jaquar's, Butterfly Pavilion, Sea Turtles, Flamingoes and Birds

-Papantla Flyers

-Paradise River Boat Ride

-Mushroom Farm

-Orchids Greenhouse

-Insect Pavilion

-any shows or performances throughout the day

 

Costs included in this excursion through Carnival:

-admission fee to Xcaret

-the ferry ride from Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen

-bus ride from Playa Del Carmen to Xcaret

 

What Costs Extra in Xcaret and is not part of the Carnival Excursion fee:

-food and drink

-Swimming with the Dolphins

-Snorkeling

-Sea Trek

-Coral Reef Diving

-Massage

-Sky Tours

-Locker Rental

-Towel Rental

-Stroller Rental

 

 

If you are interested, I have attached a link to my Carnival Triumph Cozumel YouTube video. Here you will see photos and video clips of our excursion through the beautiful eco archaeological part of Xcaret as well as Paradise Beach.

 

 

I hope this informaton helps to answer your questions. Although we would have loved to be able to spend more time there, Xcaret is a beautiful, tropical park and you will love your visit there!

[Foo7595]

I'm heading to Playa this weekend, and wanted to know IF you can do that river tubing more than once, or if it's a one time deal with the price of your admission?

 

Thanks!

[BSQ]

I'm heading to Playa this weekend, and wanted to know IF you can do that river tubing more than once, or if it's a one time deal with the price of your admission?

 

Thanks!

 

it's not really river tubing. You go into the underground river with a life vest on. You swin the river or let the current carry you. But it's included in your admission fee, you can do it as many times as you like, but you have to get to the beginning and wait in line all over again.

 

the post above yours highlights the things within the part that are an additional fee.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Great place to go for the day

[Wayfairers]

I thought Xcaret was ok, nothing outstanding. We went during a 3 week land vacation just north of Playa del Carmen. The park felt very touristy. I would rather swim in a natural cenote and go see real ruins - both are in the area and possibly available on the same excursion - we saw both Chichin Itza and a cenote on the same land tour.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is a great place....

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is a great place to go.

[mrsfuzzmo]

I totally agree with Wayfairers comments. It's a tourist park, think Mexican Theme Park with some water features. I would highly recommend finding a local Cenote or taking a tour that goes to one or more cenotes and see the real jungly part of Mexico. It's breathtaking and gorgeous. The Cenotes are beautiful and amazing! Do a search for Mexican Cenotes and take a look at the photos. Yes, they are that clear and beautiful!!!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

great place....

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is a great place to go ..

[Chalker Guy]

Its a great place to go, but from a cruise ship you miss the best part: The evening shows. Save it for a land vacation to the Playa Del Carmen area.