A Day at Xplor Park in Mexico

Located in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, Xplor is a fantastic park for thrill-seekers, families with teenagers, and for those seeking a unique exploration into the Mayan jungle through zip-lining and cave swimming.

Tickets can be booked online before you travel, and we found this to be the most convenient and cost-effective method for buying entrance to this park. We stayed in the hotel zone (zona hotelera) of Cancun, and opted to purchase round-trip transportation to the park.

What to Bring

1) Wear your swimsuit, covered by quick-dry shorts and a rash guard or quick-dry shirt. Trust me, the zip line harness will not feel great over your bikini bottoms - bring the shorts!

2) Wear water shoes or sturdy aquatic sandals. Walking through the caves and on the sidewalks will not be comfortable in bare feet!

3) A change of clothes for the bus ride back to your resort.

4) A water-proof case for your phone.

You will get wet!

What NOT to Bring

1) Sunscreen - only biodegradable sunscreen is allowed to protect the cenotes. XPlor will ask you to turn in any sunscreen you have brought will you and will provide you with cenote-safe sunscreen during your visit.

2) Large bags - the lockers are quite small at Xplor, so keep the items you bring with you to a minimum!

3) Food - all food and beverages are included with the cost of your stay.

The bus arrived at 7:00 am outside of our hotel. Our names were checked off the driver's list, and we took a short drive to the XCaret Group's central transportation depot. Once there, we were transferred to the XPlor bus. The drive from Cancun to Playa Del Carmen was less than an hour.

Once we arrived at the park, we checked in and received our helmets. We opted to purchase the photo package. This is a highly recommended add-on, as the photos taken from each of the attractions were phenomenal and we have life-long mementos of the trip. The helmets include a chip that automatically scans at each of the zip lines and photo stations. Simply turn and smile as you zip down the line!

Attractions at XPlor

1) Ziplines

The major attraction at XPlor are two zipline circuits. One is named "Jaguar" and the other is named "Venado" (deer). Jaguar has the highest ziplines and Venado has fast runs and a waterslide that ends in a cenote. Do the ziplines upon arriving at the park, as the lines can build throughout the day. My personal recommendation is to do Jaguar first and Venado immediately after Jaguar.

The Jaguar Zipline circuit includes seven total ziplines, the tallest of which is nearly 148 feet (45 meters) above the ground! The circuit takes approximately 45 minutes to complete, though the time required will vary by crowd levels on the day of your visit.

The Venado zipline circuit also features seven zips, and also features a fun waterslide that empties into a cenote. This circuit takes between 30-45 minutes to complete. Both zipline circuits end by splashing through a waterfall.

Children must be at least 88 pounds (40 Kg) to participate in the zip-line circuits, and adults cannot weigh more than 300 pounds (136 Kg).

2) Amphibious Vehicles

You must be at least age 18 to drive an amphibious car. If you are close to this age, bring photo ID for age verification. The cars traverse a path over bridges, through water, and through various caves.

This was a photo-prop vehicle near the entrance to the cars. Those under age 18 cannot drive.

We really enjoyed the cars. There are technically two vehicle circuits, though we only drove one of them. There are regular staff-members along the route to ensure everyone is driving safely, and to help if there are any difficulties.

Driving over the bridge is quite fun. Although it looks a big scary when crossing, it is very safe!

Driving through the caves was extremely fun. As always, the park cameras captured our adventures.

3) Ancient Rafts

The rafts were our "least favorite" attraction at Xplor. Sandal-like oars are provided for your hands as you navigate an underground river through a cave. While fun, it was a lot of work and a bit difficult to steer the raft! We still enjoyed it, though one circuit was enough!

If you have younger children, I highly recommend taking a double-raft so they do not get fatigued from paddling. Kids over the age of 12 should be able to handle it without any issue.

4) Cenote Swim

We really enjoyed the Cenote swim activity. The water is slightly chilly, but feels refreshing on a hot day. Most days in the Yucatan are quite hot! There is a short circuit and a long circuit, and life jackets are required. I highly recommend taking the long circuit. The cave swim ends inside a large circular waterfall tower, which is impressive.

Swimming through the cave system is an incredible experience, and the water is beautifully clear. We did spy some bats swooping around in one of the larger cave areas!

5) Hammock Zip Lines

Two hammock zip lines traverse opposite directions over a cenote, splashing down into the cool water. We absolutely loved these zip lines and spent the last part of our day with this activity.

This activity is great for those who might be too timid to try the full zip line circuit or are afraid of heights.

Food at XPlor

The food at Xplor is fantastic and is served buffet-style. There are no alcoholic drinks provided or allowed in the park. The buffet served a wide variety of food choices to suit nearly every palate, and drinks from soda to traditional agua frescas were provided.

We absolutely love Mexican food, so we filled our plates with cochinita pibil (pork marinated in sour orange and achiote marinade), rice, and beans!

Snacks are included all day, too, and range from ice cream at the buffet to oatmeal cookies and smoothies at the snack stands throughout the park. While admission to Xplor might seem a little expensive, remember that it includes everything you could possibly want to eat or drink throughout the day!

We had to be back on our transportation bus by around 4:30 pm, and we were a very tired crew by the time we went to our bus! We highly recommend XPlor Park - it was clean, extremely safe, and offered an unforgettable experience in Mexico!