Tuesday we packed up our backpack with bottled water, sunscreen, and some water shoes and drove to Xcaret - a theme park built around ancient Mayan ruins a little south of Playa del Carmen. It is one of the most renowned tourist attractions in the Riviera Maya and has a lot to see and do. We had purchased tickets months ago and were excited to go enjoy all that it had to offer!
The Underground River
We had heard so much about swimming in the caves, underground rivers, etc. that we figured we 'd try that first. It was a tad longer than we expected and with no current it was a lot of swimming!! But it was something different and fun, and the scenery was beautiful!
At times the river would go underground - it was very dark. We were surprised they didn't put lights in there but I guess it was more 'authentic' that way. In much of the park (kind of their over-riding theme) they tried to leave things 'as-is' as part of their attempt to give you a feel for how the Mayans used it anciently.
There were quite a few caves we went through, and sometimes we were surrounded by tall rock walls. The river wound through the park, narrowing and widening at points, deeper at some points, etc. It was a cool experience!
The Ruins
Upon further examination, this bench was already taken!
Cool to see the ruins, glad we came
Indoor Aquariums
Cuttin' through the jungle paths
It was smart of the Mayans to paint the path blue through the jungle so they didn't get lost! :)
Neon aquariums are awesome...until you try to take a picture :)
Apparently they captured a scuba diver when they captured their exotic fish, and got to keep him! :)
Fishy face!
Showing the size of giant turtles
They let you "try on" a turtle shell :)
Outdoor Aquariums/Animal Ponds/Exhibits
As we were walking through the various rock paths we noticed tons of fossils
Swimming with the sharks
We didn't pay to swim with the dolphins, but apparently it was an option :)
Stingrays - I'm not sure if you are suppose to pet them, but they're easily accessible... So, unlike the Dolphins, I guess you could swim with them for free!
Outdoor turtle area
Such clear green water for the turtles to swim in
Even away from the exhibits, everywhere you go is full of life/nature/scenery
Just a beautiful place to walk around
The edge of one of the main snorkeling areas
Basically, this is what we came for! So picturesque!
Such beautiful, colorful water
Caribbean buffet with a beautiful view :)
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