Cancun Mexico

Xcaret’s Xenses park is one of my favorite parks to go to in the Riviera Maya area whilst staying at one of my favorite Xcaret Hotels. This Xenses park review will cover one of Xcaret’s unique adventure parks in the Riviera Maya in the Cancun, Mexico area. 

Xenses park is a very unique park that will challenge your “senses” and imagination, hence the word “Xenses” and the attractions are geared towards having you engage and utilize all 5 of your natural human senses throughout the exploratory phase in the park. It is a unique twist on what is considered the traditional sense of self and exploration, and it is the perfect way to spend a half-day while staying in one of the hotels in Xcaret. 

Xenses Review – The Ideal Audience is Everyone!

The good thing about Xenses park is that there is something here for everyone in this park. It is a family oriented park, so you will see children here. It is akin to a “wonderworks” or like a twist on a traditional science museum that you would find in an inner city. 

Although you may see families and kids here, I believe this park is suitable for all ages from young toddlers to adults. Although those with mobility concerns may need help as you will need to do a good amount of walking to get from one area to the park to the next. 

I never felt bored once here, even though I’ve come here twice for half a day each time. I feel like every Xcaret Park unravels a new surprise or mystery every time I go. That is truly the wonder of Xenses Park and my review will cover it all. 

Plan to spend about 4-5 hours here, although if you take your time and sit or enjoy a refreshment it can easily extend to a full-day here, though you may end up repeating a few areas of the park, since this is one of Xcaret’s smaller adventure parks compared to Xcaret Park, Xplor or Xel-Ha. 

A review of Xenses Park – Transportation to and From Xcaret’s Hotel

The transportation to and from Xenses Park is fully included with your stay if staying in one of Xcaret’s 3 main hotels: Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Xcaret Arte or the esteemed Playa De La Casa. For those not staying at one of the Xcaret hotels or resorts, tickets can also be purchased separately on the Xcaret website for about $125 USD per person, although there may be seasonal discounts and other promotions available.

This is one park that you must add on your itinerary if staying at Hoteles Xcaret, as it does not require a reservation. The buses to and from the hotel come and go every 30 minutes on the hour, so it is an easy 10-15 minute bus ride from one of the Xcaret Mexico hotels.

Food Offerings at the Park – A Xenses Review of the Food

There are some light refreshments and food available in the main cafe by the entrance of the park in the main dome which is the “path of feeling.” Here, you will find some light Mexican refreshments and drinks and bites to eat. The food here is NOT included for those staying at either Xcaret Mexico or Xcaret Arte, so it will be a separate charge. 

I did not eat here, since I already had a big meal at the breakfast buffet at Xcaret Arte prior to taking the bus shuttle on the way over. From what I’ve heard from others, it is not a spot known for their great food like the other restaurants at other Xcaret parks, so I skipped this one. Being that it is a smaller park, ideally suited for a half-day I did not plan on staying all day nor eating on premises as I felt it wasn’t needed.

Reviewing the Entrance of Xenses Park

Before I begin a full Xenses park review, it has to start at the entrance. You’ll be led into a huge open circular dome with mystery rooms. This is the hub of the Xenses park. In the center of the dome, is a huge gift shop where you can get souvenirs from Xcaret parks that you can take home with you. Everything from your cute knicknacks like t-shirts, keychains, hats and other Xcaret memorabilia is available for purchase. I purchased a cute Xcaret lamp that I have in my office that reminds me of the good memories here and I long to go back.

Each of the different activity rooms can vary from different optical illusions, activities, and cool photo opportunities as each room presents a unique sensory experience. This first part of the park is the path of “feeling” 

Xensatorium – A Complete Review of This Attraction in Xenses and what to Expect

By far one of my favorite attractions is the “Xensatorium” in Xcaret Park. This attraction will truly activate all 5 of your senses, and can be a little intimidating at first until you get yourself oriented but it is a lot of fun! So much so that I had to come back again on my second trip to Xcaret Arte just 2 weeks later to go to this attraction. 

Here, you will enter a pathway that appears to lead to a dark cave. Once you enter, you will be in complete darkness and suddenly your world is immersed in all five senses as you will be in pitch darkness and suddenly hear animal sounds, water splashing and insects all around you. 

It can be a bit scary because you will not even see a speck of light, but you must find a way through what seems like an endless maze of darkness amongst trees , brushes , waterfalls, caves and much more.

As you walk through, you will brush past plants, trees, bushes and other natural elements that make you feel like you’ve wandered through the Mayan jungle at night and now you need to find your way back out of the jungle! 

At some points in this Xenses park attraction, you may even have to crouch low to avoid hitting an obstacle, as you cross walking bridges and 4 different ecosystems – a rainforest, a desert, a cave, and a waterfall and bridge crossing! 

Your bare feet will also splash into what seems like a cold watery swamp at some point, and you must use your sense of touch, hearing and smell to find your way around the dark pathway into the exit.

The first time I entered this attraction, I was so startled it seemed as if I was in a real jungle. I even had to turn on my cell phone light at one point to ensure I wasn’t in imminent danger! A staff member came up to me pretty quickly and told me to turn off the light or I would be escorted out of the attraction! 

The second time I came on my 2nd trip, I was much calmer and relaxed. I did it with my eyes closed, and felt my surroundings with my hands and arms. I was able to truly embody the experiences, and take in all 5 senses. This is an attraction you really want to take in and enjoy, because of the realistic sounds, scents, breezes, sensations it is quite an experience to find your way around this attraction through to the end!

Xensatorium Xenses Park Review – The Ending is Worth it

Once you get to the end of the attraction, you will walk down a long dimly lit hallway lit by small torches of fire. You will then be led through another underground cave, but this time it is more well-lit and you will see the natural rock formations of this beautiful cave with interesting and motivational sayings and with joyous Mexican music playing softly in the background. 

You will then be led to a set of blue (cold) and red (hot) marbles to walk through which provides a nice foot massage, but be careful not to slip! 

After that, you will be led to an open area where the cave opens up to a natural cenote with a waterfall. Here, it is beautiful – you may see birds, animals, and other natural wildlife as you bask in the nice hot humid Mexican heat. It is a nice way to recover from the darkness of the attraction. 

Afterwards, you will land in a garden where there will be natural plants and trees displayed and a nice sitting area. There is even a nice lemon tree that dispenses natural lemonade like a faucet – which is the perfect way to get a relaxing sip of lemonade in the hot sun. 

This Xenses Park ride has now concluded! You will walk down a mock-town that again challenges your senses and offers 

A Review of The Xenses Park Town – The “Upside-Down Town” 

This walking path upwards to the church steeple will have your head spinning, sometimes quite literally. Be careful not to look down or up too quickly, or you could get a sense of vertigo here! It’s almost as if your mind is playing tricks on you, which is the core principle of Xenses park and challenging your senses and your brain’s association with the correct orientation!

There is a small upstream river here that actually flows upwards, rather than downwards towards you. The buildings are almost opposite, giving you the feeling that the town is oriented upside-down, which is a real mind twister. Everything here seems opposite, but also fun at the same time as it challenges your brain. 

Some of the buildings have entrances, and there are some good photo opportunities here where you can take photos, or scan your Xcaret bracelet if you have one from the hotels which makes for an interesting photo package.

Part 2 of my Xenses Park Review: Enter the Path of “Doing” 

The first half of the Xenses park is considered the path of “feeling” – in essence, using your senses to discover and interact with the attraction. The second half of Xenses Park in my review will cover the path of “Doing” which is the physically active part of the park.

Once you enter the church, there will be more optical illusions and activities inside the church and then a splash pool for the children in the courtyard.

You will then have the option to walk to the lockers or enter the cave which leads to the outdoors water slide.

This includes the huge waterslide, in which you must climb the walkway up. It is a nice jungle themed outdoor waterslide that actually then leads downstairs to the mudslide. 

The mudslide is supposed to be composed of a special concoction of ingredients that Xcaret uses that helps to soothe your skin. Here, you will slide down a man-made slide pushing yourself through the muddy concoction until the end but due to the neon colored lights it is a cool experience. It is a warm mud-slide so it feels really relaxing.

Finally, you will cool off by going into a tunnel with the water sprinklers hitting you from each side as if you were taking your body to the car wash. It is a nice cooling experience, then they also have water buckets which are filled from the natural cenote water that channels into the cave, in which these buckets then pour down on you giving you a cool rain shower-like experience 

Bird Flight – Another Popular Attraction at Xenses Park 

Here in my Xenses review of the park and path of “doing” is the Bird Flight attraction which is one of the more popular attractions here at Xenses Park. It is called bird flight, because you will be attached to a zip-line and glide across from one natural cave to another while in a bird pose.

The entire experience feels like you are flying through the zip lines, like a “bird.” It is a really cool experience to round out the water slides and a nice way to feel the Mexican breeze hit your skin and also an exhilarating experience. 

Conclusion to My Xenses Park Review – A Great Place to Spend Half a Day

As you can see in my Xenses review, spending a half a day here is a charming way to blend a perfect day of fun, relaxation and activities all into one day. 

I typically recommend going early before the crowds begin to come in towards the afternoon, and then by mid to late afternoon you can be done with Xenses park and simply take the tour bus back to the resort for an afternoon day of fun by the pool or beachside restaurants. What a wonderful way to round out the day! 

Xenses Park is definitely a top choice for any vacationer in the Cancun, Mexico or Riviera Maya area looking to spend a half-day filled with fun and relaxation. Definitely put this on your bucket list, as this is a must-see if you have a few days to explore Xcaret!