Complete guide to Xcaret Park with kids

Xcaret! by Mexico (pronounced “ish-ka-ret”) is the flagship theme park of Grupo Xcaret. Located just south of Playa del Carmen along the Rivera Maya, Xcaret is a 200 acre park designed to showcase Mexico’s beautiful nature, culture, and heritage. There are a total of 7 different Xcaret parks along the Rivera Maya, but the original Xcaret! is the most family friendly.

Xcaret is a great day-trip for families traveling to Mexico with kids (and grandparents) in search of fun activities and a bite-sized introduction to everything Mexico has to offer.

Xcaret fast facts

Location: 6.5 km south of Playa del Carmen, approximately 75km (45min drive) south of Cancun

Attractions: More than 50 attractions, include water activities, animal exhibits, small Mayan ruins on site, and cultural shows and performances. Additional experiences include Snuba, swimming and interacting with various animals, adrenaline activities such as speed boat and parasailing.

Nearby hotels: Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Occidental at Xcaret Destination (budget option), Hotel Xcaret Arte (adult only)

Cost (as of 2023):

• admission ticket (not all inclusive): 169 CAD (adults), 25% off for children aged 5-11, free for children under 4
• upgrade to a “plus ticket”: 224 CAD (adults) – for 1 meal at one of their buffet restaurants, as well as use of locker and snorkel gear rental (will run you an extra $10-15 per service)
• upgrade to a “total ticket”: 265 CAD (adults) – which includes the above as well as one additional experience activity

For a day trip, we think the “plus” ticket is a good option. You will need to eat there, and the price of the buffet is about 40 CAD. You may also want to rent the snorkel gear if you are swimming in the underground rivers (fins), or snorkelling in the inlet (at least a mask).

The Xcaret website offers discounts if you bundle your admission to packages to other Xcaret parks.

Rentals available: lockers, snorkel gear, strollers. Lifejackets are provided free of charge.

Xcaret Photo Pass: the park has strategically placed cameras all over the park, where you can scan your bracelet to snap a photo. The cost depends on the number of people you have and the number of parks you visit, but it is about 120 CAD for a family of 4 for one park. We had a Go Pro and did not feel we needed this, but the kids still had fun looking for all the photo spots.

Opening hours: 8:30am until 9pm, but most attractions close before the Mexican Espectacular show that runs from 7pm – 9pm.

Time needed to visit: we recommend 2 days to experience the park at a non-frantic pace, but at least plan for 1 full day. Apparently, the park will provide discounts if you tell them you’re returning a second day, but we did not see this advertised.

Is Xcaret worth visiting?

Xcaret is absolutely worth a visit if you’re traveling with kids – especially active kids who love water and animals. It’s also a great way to introduce kids to a bit of Mexican culture and history if they are not quite at the age to appreciate archeological sites like Tulum or Chichen Itza. Our kids had an absolutely amazing time here. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that although Xcaret is considered a “natural” park, it is still a theme park. Even though the underground rivers and jungle trails preserve the surrounding nature, it can at times feel like a ride and attraction. It’s a different experience to traveling locally, but it’s a great add-on to an all-inclusive vacation or week at the resort.

We spent 1 week at the Occidental at Xcaret resort, and purchased an Unlimited Xcaret Park pass for the week. We were in the park almost every day, and it was the perfect mix of relaxation and activities.

*We appreciate that Xcaret does have a sustainable focus, perserving the natural environment and engaging in conservation efforts like sea turtle rescue. However, they also run many popular add-on activities interacting with dolphins (including riding them!) and various other sea creatures such as manatees and sharks that have come under scrutiny in recent years. In the spirit of animal welfare, we encourage all travellers to reconsider activities that involve handling of animals for human entertainment.

What to bring to Xcaret Park

Because there are so many activities to do at Xcaret, the gear you could potentially bring quickly adds up. We were lucky that our hotel was within easy walking distance to the park, and we could come and go as we liked.

If you’re visiting Xcaret for a day trip, we definitely recommend a comfortable backpack with these essentials:

• Swimsuit

• A change of dry clothes

• A travel towel (the park does not provide towels)

• A reusable water bottle (there are water stations all over the park)

• A waterproof camera or waterproof case for your phone. A GoPro type action camera is ideal.

• Reef-safe sunscreen. Usually, this will be a mineral based sunscreen, such as zinc oxide.

• Reef-safe insect repellent (something without DEET). This is not completely necessary, but for people who are mosquito magnets, like Lil S, it’s definitely helpful for the walking trails.

• Hat

• Swim goggles (for the underground river and beach)

• Snacks. There are a number of concession stands all over the park that sell candy, chips, and ice cream for a reasonable price. But if you’re going to be there all day and you have kids, definitely pack some of your own. Hangry kids are the worst.

• Loose change. For buying snacks. (And for tips at the restaurants.)

When you are swimming in the underground river (which goes from one end of the park to the other), the staff will give you a locked duffel bag for your things at the beginning of the river. They will then drive these bags to the river’s end, where you can pick them up.

What kind of shoes should I bring?

This depends on how much space you have in your backpack. We would recommend at least 1 pair of comfortable shoes – you will be doing hours of walking. Ideally, walking sandals are the best, as they do double duty on the beach as well. Something like Crocs or Native Shoes for the kids (and heck, why not adults as well). I had a pair of Birkenstock sandals that did the trick.

If you have space, water shoes are a good idea, mostly for the underground rivers and snorkelling inlet, where the ground is rocky. It’s not completely necessary if you want to save on space. We would not recommend these as your only shoes, as it’s mighty uncomfortable to squelch around in wet water shoes all day.

Should I bring my own snorkel gear?

Overall, we do not recommend bringing snorkel gear. You will inevitably need to rent a locker unless you want to haul your gear around all day. You do not need snorkel gear for the underground river (but you do have the option of renting fins to help you move!) There is an option to rent snorkel gear, but the snorkelling inlet, as we’ll get to below, is overall a very small part of your day. In a pinch, swim goggles will work just fine.

What not to bring to Xcaret Park

• Your passport and important travel documents. If you have them with you, definitely store them in a locker.

• A DSLR camera. Between all the water activities, this adds an entire layer of inconvenience you do not need.

How to navigate Xcaret with kids

If we haven’t mentioned it yet, Xcaret Park is *big*. There are maps all over the park and the different themed areas are marked with different colours. There is, abbreviated, a “main” trail (black), a mayan trail (white), a beach trail (green), an aquarium trail (blue), an adrenaline trail (red, where the add-on activities are), and a “Mexican heritage” trail (rust). In order to use your time efficiently and decrease aching feet and tired whining (only my kids? :P), it’s best to approach the visit with a plan.

The key to having a happy, stress-free day at Xcaret with kids? Do not attempt to do and see everything. Instead, focus on a few highlights, and mix in plenty of time for play and relaxation.

Many visitors to the area do not have the luxury, but if you do, plan to spend 2 days at the park for a more unhurried and enjoyable experience. Check out our Xcaret 1 and 2 day itinerary to plan your visit.

We recommend getting there right at opening time. There is not much of a line for any of the activities at any time of day. But for the first hour or so, the park is way quieter. You have parts of the park to yourself, and the experience is far more magical. Xcaret has an app you can download, where you can find a map and a list of showtimes and opening/closing hours of all the attractions.

If you choose to do one of the optional add on activities, this could take up to half a day. The activities may only be 30 mins long (though some can be up to 2 hours), but you need to to factor in time to book, redeem, and get there (which could mean cutting across the entire park). Besides sea creature encounters, most of these add on activities are adrenaline and underwater experiences – you may want to check out alternative options through your resort.

Guide to Xcaret attractions (with tried-and-tested kid ratings)

Because we had one full week to experience Xcaret, we were lucky enough to try almost all the attractions. (Some more than once!) There is a little something for everyone at Xcaret, but there are definitely attractions that the kids adored way more than others.

Underground river – rating: 9/10

This experience was a big hit all around. In my opinion, the underground rivers are the absolute highlight of visiting Xcaret. It’s one of the most unique experiences there and a must if you visit Xcaret.

Xcaret has 3 underground river options that all start and end at the same points: the Blue River, the Manatee, and the Mayan. We tried all 3, but for a day trip, you will logistically only be able to do one. We recommend the Blue River option for the most authentic and natural experience. If you can, it’s best to do this attraction first thing in the morning, as you will have sections of the river all to yourself. Lifejackets are provided, there are lifeguards that swim through the river at intervals, and a rope along most of the distance to help pull yourself along if needed.

What we loved: This was a completely fun experience, where every turn was a surprise. From pitch dark caves and bats flying overhead, to swimming through dramatic cervices and beautiful mangroves. This is also a great way to get from the entrance of the park all the way to the beach!

The kids didn’t vote this a 10/10 because the water is *cold*. The rivers are all at least 500 m long, which may be too long for some kids. There are places to exit the river, but then you need to walk all the way to the official river exit to collect your belongings.

Beach – rating: 7/10

Don’t get us wrong – Xcaret has a *very* nice beachfront. From the underground river “exit” you will find a manmade stretch of sand with tons of hammocks for relaxing after your river swim. This was the kids’ favourite part about Xcaret’s beach, but became quite crowed as people finished the rivers.

There are also two small beach coves, and restaurants right next to them. We did spend a couple hours here one day for the kids to snorkel and play in the sand. There are a few fish – not many. We didn’t rate this one higher because the beach areas are small, and you’re not allowed to swim out very far. Right across the swimming area is where Xcaret runs many of their add-on water activities. It felt busy, and there were a number of boats. The kids still had an enjoyable time, but we enjoyed the beach at our resort more!

“Natural” pools – rating: 5/10

Just next to the beach area are a series of natural pools, built in the Rivera Maya’s rocky coastline.

It was a unique experience, but not one the kids wanted to repeat. The area is very rocky, and there is not much to see. There is a lot of seaweed in the area, and frequently a team bagging and cleaning up.

Snorkeling inlet – rating: 6/10

I enjoyed this, as areas of the inlet have *lots* of tropical fish, and big schools of it.

But the snorkelling area is quite small and the kids lost interest after a brief swim. The area is also crowded, even by midday. We have a hard time finding a place to sit and drop off all our things.

Aquarium – rating: 8/10

The sea turtle exhibits were a huge hit with the kids. They could have sat and watched the turtles for hours. There are a number of pools that house baby sea turtles as part of their protection program, and a ton of interesting information about it in the aquarium.

You can also see nurse sharks and stingrays, which are used as part of the interactive add-on activities.

The aquarium exhibit itself is quite small, with a number of native Mexican flora and fauna exhibits.

Archeological sites – rating: 6/10

There are a number of ruins scattered across the part, dating back to when Xcaret was a fishing village and trading site. Us adults enjoyed learning about the sites, and the kids liked running through them, but we did not feel it was particularly memorable.

Children’s world – rating: 10/10

We spent an entire afternoon here, one day.

This was absolutely the kids’ wildest dream come true. A dedicated kids area, there is a natural wading pool and waterfall, and a small splash area. But the highlight is undoubtedly the giant playground/treetop trekking course that takes you into the trees, down water slides, and through a small aviary. Parents are not able to do the course, but there are staff and lifeguards that supervise. There is an area with beach chairs for the parents to relax.

There is also a small scenic cenote.

Sure, it’s a “playground”, but definitely the most unique one I’ve seen. And anything that lets the kids run wild while we relax is a win in my books!

Notes: water shoes are a good idea here. Some of the ropes and climbing areas can be hard on barefoot.

Aviary – rating: 10/10

I did not expect us to love this as much as we did! In fact, Big S loved it so much we even went back twice during our stay.

The Aviary is a large enclosed space that does not feel enclosed at all. It felt like a nature walk, with waterfalls and rope bridges, that takes you through Mexico’s various climate zones. Not to mention birds everywhere! From parrots to pelicans and everything in between.

We definitely recommend going earlier in the morning if you an, as you get this magical place almost to yourself!

Butterfly pavilion – rating: 6/10

The butterfly pavilion is right next to the aviary. I personally thought it was an enjoyable walk, with plenty of butterflies and information on their natural habitat, but the kids were quickly bored.

Animal exhibits – rating: 6/10

Big S and Lil S LOVE animals. At Xcaret, you can find enclosures that house local animals such as tapirs (one tapir, anyway), deer, monkeys, and plenty of flamingos. There is also a Spider Island, and large “islands” that houses a jaguar and a puma. You can also find manatees, a bat cave, and other pleasant surprises as you explore their trails, such as peccaries. Parrots are everywhere.

However, we always prefer to see animals in the wild, and find that much of the time, animals in captivity are either hiding or sleeping. We did not see any monkeys, and unfortunately the large cats enclosures were being renovated during our visit.

Mayan village – rating: 6/10

Our experience with the Mayan village was mostly a walk-through as we navigated from one place to the other. The village is right next to the cemetery and the aviary. The traditional huts mostly sell hand-made crafts, and you can see many “villagers” making their craft as you walk by. There is also a replica school and gathering place. There are workshops that run throughout the day, a popular one being chocolate-making. We wanted to do this one, but our active kids were not interested.

Mayan cemetery and “Bridge to paradise” – rating: 8/10

This is a replica cemetery that showcases Mexican’s unique approach to death. We walked through the cemetery when it was relatively quiet in the morning, and it was a lovely and peaceful experience. The kids were fascinated by the cemetery and all the colourful tombstones.

Paradise River boat cruise – rating: 7/10

A relaxing way to experience the park’s unique nature elements without having to swim the underground rivers. The guide who “punts” the boats also provides some narration, but otherwise the ride is peaceful and relaxing 20 minutes of experiencing nature in a relatively quiet part of the park. This is also where you’ll find the peccaries exhibit, and a large flamingo enclosure on your way out.

The boats only take off once there are enough guests, so you may have to wait for 10-20 minutes depending on how many people there are.

Tropical jungle trail – rating: N/A

We did not do the full trail, which takes you through the same area of jungle as the Paradise River cruise. Because this area of the park doesn’t see much traffic, you’ll really feel like you’re on a jungle walk. There is also an orchid garden and a mushroom farm, as well as the peccaries and flamingos.

Hacienda and the Museum of Mexican Folk Art – rating: 4/10

A replica of a Hacienda that houses some truly interesting art. The kids did not “get” this, and were very happy to walk past it everyday on our way into the park. At the far end of the Hacienda is a horse nursery, and they did like getting to pet the horses that were out.

Rotating Scenic Tower – rating: 8/10

The kids really enjoyed this one! Lil S rather hoped it would rotate faster. 😛 It’s definitely not an adrenaline ride. You get a gorgeous birds-eye view of the park’s surroundings and the ocean. It’s also a nice little break from all the walking and the air-conditioning is a much-needed reprieve on a hot day.

Guide to Xcaret Performances

All the shows start late afternoon, with the exception of the Papantla flyers, who run shows at intervals throughout the day. They are designed to lead into each other, drawing audiences along until finally culminating with the Mexico Espectacular.

Papantla flyers

This is a traditional show where men perform on top of a tall pole and then “fly” down suspended by their ankles. This was not running during the day while we were visiting, but you can catch their performance during the Mexico Espectacular.

Pre-hispanic performance

Time: 4:45pm depending on weather, along the blue trail.

We did not catch this show, as we were always in the middle of doing something else at that time. However, on the walk between the Horse Exhibition and Mexico Espectcular, you can catch displays of Mayan performers dancing, drumming, and performing rituals. The kids thought this was very neat!

Horse Exhibition

Time 5:30pm, along the black trail

This is a demonstration of the classic Mexican rodeo, including cowboys performing tricks and women riding sidesaddle in traditional Mexican dress. There is a lovely Mariachi band accompanying the entire thing, and hosts that describe the various performances for a more informative experience.

I would recommended getting there at least 15-20 minutes early so you can get a seat on the bleachers.

Xcaret Mexico Espectacular

Time: 7pm – 9pm, along the rust trail at the Gran Tlachco Theater

This is arguably the “crown jewel” of Xcaret. The show is a 2 hours performance that features over 300 performers and spans centuries, taking you through Mexico’s history and culture.

The first half of the performance features Mexico’s history, from pre-hispanic rituals to the Spanish conquest. The second half of the show feature traditional performances from Mexico’s different regions. Our kids found the first half a lot more engaging than the second half – in fact, Lil S fell asleep during the second half, despite the loud music!

If you’re coming from the previous shows, you’ll likely arrive at the theatre with almost an hour to spare. The seats fill up early, but don’t worry if you arrive later, as you get a good view from anywhere in the theatre (stadium, more like). We also recommend you stop at the concession stand to buy snacks, if you haven’t eaten dinner yet. If you arrive early, they have a traditional performance of bottle-players to entertain you.