Cancun Mexico

Xcaret’s Xplor Park is one of the most thrilling eco-friendly excursions in the Riviera Maya in Mexico that will have your heart racing. Xplor Park is located near Playa Del Carmen and is about an hour’s drive from Cancun Mexico. The park was founded by Groupo Xcaret and adds to their already impressive lineup of eco-friendly natural water parks and attractions offered by the company. Millions of visitors come every year to enjoy their adrenaline filled attractions, such as their zip-lines which is the tallest in all of the Riviera Maya, thrilling water slides, amphibious vehicles as well as a river swim through a natural Cenote.

Xplor Park Location and Transportation

Xplor Park is conveniently located in the Riviera Maya near Playa Del Carmen Mexico. It is about an hour’s drive from the Cancun Mexico International airport, which makes it a popular spot amongst tourists and vacationers alike.

Transportation between Xplor Park and Xcaret Mexico and Xcaret Arte hotels happens every 30 minutes on the clock with shuttle buses taking guests back and forth regularly during park hours. The distance between Xplor Park and the Xcaret Resorts is about 15 minutes, which makes it a convenient ride for those staying on property at the Xcaret Hotels and Resorts.

For those staying off property, transportation can be arranged through Viator and booking an excursion or through your hotel or resort company. The Xcaret website also offers tickets online for sale at their website.

Xplor Park Hours and What to Expect

Xplor Park is open from 8:30am to 5pm Monday through Saturday, and then opens again at night for their nighttime themed park which is called Xplor Fuego which opens from 5:30pm to 10:30pm. Xplor Fuego is a fire-lit themed park that lights up at night. I did another article that discusses Xplor Fuego as well. For those planning to stay late, Xplor Fuego opens up about a half hour after the daytime park Xplor Park closes since the staff needs time to prepare the park for the evening festivities as well as lighting up the rivers and cenotes, clearing the path for the nighttime excursions.

Xplor Park Food and Dining Options

Xplor Park includes an unlimited buffet at the various restaurants on the property. The restaurant called Troglodita includes a buffett serves traditional Mexican food as well as international food that includes an assortment of different foods from around the world – but of course centered around Mexican cuisine. There is also an extensive juice bar that includes natural juices from fruits around the Caribbean.

The Xplor buffet has both American and Mexican food including hamburgers, pizza, pasta, tacos, enchiladas, as well as a salad bar and another area that serves ice cream and desserts.

Overall the food is pretty good, surprisingly good for a natural eco-friendly water park and very comparable or even better than the food served at the Buffett at Xcaret Mexico hotel.

Review of Xplor Park Lockers and Bathrooms

Bathrooms are plentiful around Xplor Park, situated in convenient areas around the main attractions.

The lockers are located in the main hub of the park, you will be given a locker key to an assigned locker space in the main section of the locker room areas which is next to the bathrooms and changing area.

I recommend storing your heavy belongings here because there will be a lot of walking involved in the park and carrying any heavy items or book bags can begin to become a drag. Also, backpacks and heavier items won’t be allowed in the water, cenotes or in the water slides, so be mindful of this and try to stow away your belongings as the lockers can be a few miles away from certain attractions so walking back and forth between these can be cumbersome.

Giftshop at Xplor Park

There is also a nice gift shop at Xplor park where you can purchase souvenirs from Xcaret. There are items like clothing, keychains, hats, swimsuits and other trinkets and interesting Xcaret and Mexican based crafts available for purchase here. The prices here are a bit higher than if you were to buy out of a marketplace in Cozumel or Isla De Mujeres for example – but it comes with the territory with buying at Xcaret’s premium gift shops where you can find some similar items.

It is still an interesting time to peruse and browse however if you can afford it and Xcaret items do hold sentimental value in my heart as well.

Who Xcaret’s Xplor Park is For

Xplor Park is a high energy, high adrenaline water park attraction and is one Xcaret’s most thrilling eco-friendly excursions of all the other parks. It is for the most adventurous of travelers, and it does require a certain level of health, endurance and fitness. Most of the time, the park involves walking and exploring, or swimming or rappelling through their many zip-lines. I consider Xplor Park one of Xcaret’s most “active” excursions.

If you are planning to do any zip-lines, be prepared to climb up high a long set of stairs and then be at a high elevation throughout the zip-line adventure, so if you have fear of heights or unable to balance yourself well you should keep this in mind.

Holding onto a zip-line does require a certain degree of upper body strength as well, so it is fun but also somewhat of a workout when riding on a zip-line so if you don’t feel like you can balance yourself it can pose a challenge.

With that being said, Xplor Park’s attractions are high energy and certainly designed to peak your adrenaline and sense of adventure.

Xplor Park might also not be suitable for very young children or toddlers, as the majority of the attractions require a lot of walking, swimming and putting on protective gear and much of the waters and cenotes are pretty deep at many parts of the park.

The walk alone from the bus to the main attraction took us down a long pathway through a natural cave system and walkway that must’ve been at least a mile walk to the first attraction and lockers!

This is a park most suitable for older teenagers or adults due to the advanced and adrenaline-filled action packed nature of the activities and various excursions the park offers.

The elderly may have some difficulty partaking in some of the more steeper zip-lines due to the high elevation and steps required to access the attractions.

Here are a review of some of Xplor Park attractions you may encounter while at this Xcaret Attraction:

Xplor Park – River Swim

The River Swim at Xplor Park is one of the more adventurous attractions at Xplor Park. The River Swim consists of 2 main courses through a unique system of underground caves, cenotes and open-area surrounded by nature and the Riviera Maya jungle. The first course is the “short” course where it takes about 15-20 minutes to swim through, and then there is the “long” path that takes you through a long series of underground caves and requires you to swim through them lasting up to 45 minutes or more.

You will be required to wear a life jacket through the duration of the river swim as occasionally the waters can be quite deep, as you go through the course, your feet at times may touch the natural limestone rock underneath but there are many occasions where they won’t.

The entire course of the river swim takes you through underground caves, which may contain wildlife and you may see bats on occasion. It is a thrilling and very fun excursion.

River Rafts Excursion at Xplor Park

River rafts is a fun adventure filled activity that involves swimming through an underground cave cenote on rafts where you will paddle with small paddle boards the size of your hand. The goal here is to enjoy the sightings, where you will only use the small paddle board on your hands and fingers to guide the rafts as you explore the cave.

There will be stalactites hanging down from under the caves and even the occasional bat or other wild-life may be spotted. At points during the swim you may come across dimly lit caves and other pathways that allow your mind to explore and wander as you explore the natural wonders of the Riviera Maya.

This is a fun relaxed exploratory attraction, though you will have to navigate by yourself or with a partner, as the rafts can accommodate a total of 2 people at a time.

Amphibious Vehicles (ATVs) at Xplor Park

The amphibious vehicles which are technically called ATVs is a fun and thrilling way to explore the Mayan jungle and cruise through multiple different obstacles.

Through the obstacle course there will be walking bridges, narrow and curvy pathways through the jungle and also through shallow water and other rocks and formations that will have your heart racing and head turning at every corner as you race to keep up with the adrenaline!

This is a fun filled attraction and you can ride with a partner, and depending on who’s driving your ride could be a bumpy and curvy one with a lot of jagged turns and surprises!

There is something about seeing the Mayan jungle on all 4 sides of you that will enchant your mind, body and soul here at Xplor park. It truly is a magical experience.

Hammock Splash Xplor Review of the Activity

The hammock splash has you taking a seat into a “hammock” like seat while tied to a zip-line above, and you will be gliding through a beautiful cenote at Xplor park until you land near the water and jump straight into the river cenote!

This is a thrilling excursion that will have your adrenaline pumping because you will need to time your jump into the river cenote at your own pace when you are getting close to hitting the water!

Toboganxote Xplor Park’s Most Thrilling Waterslide

Toboganxote will have water slide lovers enthused because it is a 5-in-1 water slide because it goes as high as 135 feet (41 meters) high, featuring different slide areas like the Sphere, Half Wave, Whirlpool, Whirlwind, and Wave Pool, all of which include twisting and turning.

This is the newest attraction at Xplor park and is one of the most popular waterslides with guests. It allows a group of 4 riders down the slides at a time and ends up in a large splash pool which is a great way to finish the attraction.

Xplor Park Zip-lines Review

Xplor park has some of the most exhilarating zip-lines in all of the Riviera Maya and Cancun. There are 2 primary circuits of zip-lines, with one being more longer and more difficult than the other. You’ll have to climb up a steep winding set of stairs to reach the zip-line entrance so be prepared to get your steps in!

Since these zip-lines are one of the highest of all the zip-lines in Playa Del Carmen, be prepared to see the skyline of the Riviera Maya jungle!

The zip-lines then end up into a cenote where you will jump in and cool off from the hot summer day! This is a great refreshing way to end the zip-line excursions.

Don’t worry, the zip-lines are very safe and the harnesses and equipment keep you protected throughout. Although those that are fear of heights can find the elevation quite scary.

Conclusion: Xplor Park is One of Playa Del Carmen’s Gems

Xplor Park is a truly unique adventure park that captivates the heart and souls of all visitors coming to the park for an adrenaline infused adventure. Everything from the waterslides, the cenotes, zip-lining, ATV rides and the natural ecological Mayan jungle is enough to create memories that will last a lifetime for you and your family.