The Xenotes Tour by Xcaret is one of the most booked tours out there right now. It is extremely popular with vacationers to the Cancun and Riviera Maya areas and especially more so for those within the age group of 20-40.
This tour can be booked one of several ways–you can book the tour online ($117 USD p/adult), you can buy tickets through a tour company once you arrive at your resort destination, or you can get the tour for free if you are staying at one of the Hotel Xcaret properties (Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Hotel Xcaret Arte, or La Casa de la Playa). If you are staying at one of the Hotel Xcaret properties, I would strongly recommend that you contact the resort and request your “Wishlist” as far in advance as possible so that you can make a reservation because this tour sells out very quickly. When I stayed at Hotel Xcaret Arte spring of 2023, this tour was already sold out for my dates of stay several months prior.
The minimum age of tour entry is age 6, but given the nature of the activities I would not recommend younger children unless they are independent, have no fear of new situations, can readily follow directions, and have an advanced capability in taxing physical activities. I would recommend that age 12+ may be a better overall fit for this tour. Those age 50+ may want to rethink this tour unless you are in excellent physical condition and are prepared to handle a 9 hr. day (this includes non-stop physical activity plus transportation time).
What does this tour include? Here’s the overall itinerary:
- kayaking in an open-air cenote
- swimming in cenotes
- zip-lining and jumping into cenotes
- assisted rapellinig into cenotes
- snacks
- lunch in the jungle
- non-alcoholic drinks, and wine or beer with lunch
Tour participants are divided into groups of 10 and are given a guide. This keeps the activities going without huge lines and wait times. Just a note about clothing–for women in particular, entering cenotes at a higher rate of speed can produce a troublesome wedgie if only wearing a typical swim suit. I would recommend that women wear swim shorts/board shorts to avoid this situation.
Here’s a very good video done by Sara Lim showing the highlights of the tour, take a couple of minutes so that you get an idea of what’s in store for you if you decide to take this tour. What do you think?