All about Xcaret Park in Mexico

Xcaret Park is - like the great Xel-Há Park - a natural water park. The park was opened in 1990 and is located between Cancún and Tulum at Riviera Maya opposite from the island of Cozumel.

It is a fantastic water park with underground rivers and cenotes, where you can swim, right by the caribean sea. The name means "small cove" because the resort includes a cove on the Caribbean Sea. For this reason, previous residents used Xcaret (which was then called Polé) as a trading port.

Xcaret offers over 50 attractions in a huge area for the whole family. In the park you can visit the Coral Reef Aquarium and the Sea Turtle Center. You can learn more about the regional flora and fauna from the Yucatán Peninsula by visiting the Butterfly Garden or the Bird House.

There is also a long rainforest trail around the area. You will find for example manatees, giant tortoises, flamingos, monkeys, bats, jaguars, deer and tapirs in the park.

Maya Ruins of Polé

Incidentally, Xcaret Park is also home to what is probably one of the least visited (or least noticed) Mayan archaeological sites in Mexico, the ruins of Polé. Many people probably believe that these are not really ancient ruins.

Admission to the Xcaret Park includes access to the archaeological sites. These can also be visited separately by paying a fee of 75 pesos at the INAH stand at the entrance to the park. Included is a guided tour and access to other areas of the park is of course not permitted.

The world of archaeology

Some interesting figures about Mayan archaeological sites on the Yucatan Peninsula:

The evening show

Every evening from 7:00 pm, a two-hour show takes place in the Gran Tlachco Theater, which takes you through more than 500 years of Mexico's history and involves more than 300 artists with elaborate costumes from the respective periods.

The show takes you from the pre-Columbian era, the time of the conquest of Mexico, the colonial period, Mexico's first years as an independent country, the revolutionary years at the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.

The pre-Hispanic ritual ball game is one of the highlights of the show. A representation of the fireball game is also shown, which was played around 3,000 years ago.

Facilities

If required, the park will provide you with lockers, towels, wheelchairs, strollers and snorkel gear, although all of this is subject to a charge. There is free Wi-Fi at the Main Plaza, buffet restaurants, and Gran Tlachco Theatre.

If you need cash, there are ATMs located in the Main Plaza, at the park’s entrance. At the Main Plaza is also the largest souvenir store and there are 12 other stores at various locations in the park.