Cancun Mexico

This Xel-Ha park review will go over one of Xcaret’s crown jewel waterparks in the Riviera Maya area in Cancun Mexico. Xel-Ha is a popular waterpark created by Grupo Xcaret that is designed for a day filled with fun and relaxation.

Compared to the other Xcaret parks, Xel-Ha is a waterpark where you can actually spend the day relaxing in the large river cenote in the middle of the park.

There are still many adrenaline filled activities in the park which include a massive tall waterslide overlooking Tulum, water zip-lines and cliff jumps and as well as an adrenaline boat ride.

For those that prefer more milder attractions, there is the manatee exhibit, Mayan ruins as well as several walking paths that span through the Mayan jungle as well as several beaches where you can relax on the hammock or grab a quick swim in the natural river.

Where is the Xel-Ha waterpark located?

Xel-Ha is located in close proximity to Tulum, about a 20 minute drive away in between Playa Del Carmen which is a 40 minute drive. It is close to Cenote Dos Ojos another popular cenote as well.

The Xel-Ha water park is one of the furthest waterparks from the Hotel Xcaret Mexico and Arte resorts, as compared to Xcaret Park and Xenses as well as Xplor which are only about 10 minutes away from the Xcaret hotels.

For this reason, you should budget at least a half-day or full day to spend at this waterpark due to the distance from Cancun which is an hour and 30 minutes.

Review of Where to Get Tickets to Xel Ha Park

Depending on if you are still at one of the Xcaret hotels and resorts, this excursion is included with the resort stay as part of their “all fun inclusive” program. It is done as as either a hybrid half-day of the ancient archeological tour of Tulum combined with the second half of the day of visiting the Xel-Ha water park, or simply visit Xel-Ha park for the entire day.

For my visit, I chose the hybrid ancient archaloegical ruins of Tulum tour combined with the Xel-Ha excursion in the afternoon. I don’t think the park is quite large enough to necessitate a full day, unless you want to dedicate a large of amount of time lounging on the hammocks in the beach or floating in the river.

If you are not staying at one of the Hotels in Xcaret, then you can purchase tickets separately on their website or on Viator, as there are both solo and group tour options available and transportation is included to and from your resort.

Activities in Xcaret’s Xel-Ha Park

You will find about 20 different fun-filled activities at Xel Ha, and they are all worthwhile checking out depending on whether you prefer a day of relaxation, or some action packed activities as well. Here is the list of activities you will find at Xcaret’s Xel Ha park:

Review of my Favorite Xel-Ha Park Attraction: River Float

One of the main features of Xcaret’s Xel-Ha park is the iconic river swim. Here, you walk past a man-made beach and then jump straight into the river. There are several floatation devices (floaties) where you can lay on top of and catch some sun, or you can float freely on your own will across the river which almost resembles a big circle that runs through most of the perimeter of the park.

At some point, if you keep swimming you will reach the mangroves which is a narrow section at the corner of the park but a really nice experience if you manage to swim that far.

I mostly sat on my float and enjoyed the beautiful view of the park, and you can see the massive lighthouse waterslide from the river.

Scenic Lighthouse Waterslide

By far, the biggest thrill in the Xel-Ha park is the waterslide which is shaped like a lighthouse. The slide is quite tall, and forms a circular pattern on the way up and down, which makes for an adrenaline filled attraction. For those who have fear of heights, it can be quite intimidating when looking from below!

This is a fun attraction though and is usually the busiest in the mid afternoon as the lines up the stairs can be long, but it is well worth the wait!

Beautiful Walking Paths in Xel-Ha

Xel-Ha park, like many of the Xcaret park takes place in the Mayan jungle and the park was created alongside natural elements like trees, plants and other wildlife so walking to and from each attraction made it seem like you were walking across the jungle like a movie.

This eco-friendly park meant that you did have to do quite a bit of walking back and forth to get to the various attractions, food, and lockers.

The lockers are available for use, and you can get locker key at the neighboring gift shop (giving you incentive to buy a souvenir). There are ample bathrooms on-site too so you can bring a change of clothes since you will get wet!

A Review of Food at Xcaret’s Xel-Ha Waterpark

I was actually very pleasantly surprised by the quality of food served at Xel-Ha. I was mostly expecting cafeteria style food upon arriving to Xel-Ha but I was pleasantly surprised to find several nice restaraunts at Xel-Ha. There was a good variety of food at the buffet, and there were 3 buffets and one “quick” eatery that served comfort food like pizza, hamburgers, hotdogs and fries.

The first buffet I tried was the Mexican only buffet, which served authentic and traditional Mexican food like chicken, pork, tortillas, tacos and then you had a nice salad and dessert section.

Later on in the day, I stumbled upon the International buffet which was in a separate area in the park. Here, you had 2 floors of international food serving everything from traditional Mexican food, to American and European style food with a nice salad, fruit bar and juice station and of course great desserts.

I particularly fond of the “Chicken Mole” dish which was chicken with dried chilis, spices, and dark Mexican chocolate sauce. The chocolate sauce gave the chicken an interesting flavor and definitely activated my taste buds and I still would love to go back to try it again!

I was overall very amazed by the quality of food served at the buffet, and it was comparable to the buffet food quality at Xcaret Arte and Xcaret Mexico. I did not expect a waterpark to have food this great with that much variety on the go.

My Final Review: Is Xel-Ha Worth the Hype?

Xel-Ha in my opinion is a great place to spend half a day at, and should definitely be part of your itinerary if you are staying in the Cancun Mexico area, and especially in Tulum or the neighboring Playa Del Carmen beach area.

I think despite the distance from many of the resorts, this should definitely be a part of your plans. in particular, if you are the type of person that enjoys relaxation over high adrenaline activities like zip-lining this is the park for you.

With ample seating and lounge chairs everywhere, and hammocks to relax under the palm trees – this makes for a perfect serene day for you to enjoy.