Review: Is Xplor Park in Mexico Worth Checking out?

ByChris Fry Updated on

If you’re heading to Mexico’s Riviera Maya and love a mix of adventure, nature, and unique activities, then Xplor Park outside of Playa del Carmen will likely catch your eye. With its network of underground rivers and epic zipline circuits, it’s one of those attractions that promises a day full of excitement and memorable experiences.

But here’s the catch, Xplor can feel overwhelming for first-time visitors. How much does it cost? What’s included in the ticket? Is it worth the hype compared to the other adventure parks in the area? And with so many activities packed into one park, how do you make the most of your time without feeling rushed?

Matt & I loved visiting Xplor, so, In this review, I’ll break down everything you need to know before visiting Xplor Park. This includes the tickets, opening hours, photo passes and and whether it’s truly worth adding to your Mexico itinerary.

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Chris & Matt on the River Swim at the Xplor park in Mexico

My Review of the Xplor Park in Mexico

Matt and I both had an extremely positive experience at the Xplor Park in Mexico. I thought it was great exercise, while still enjoying all the outdoor, fun activities they offered. This includes the longest zip-line’s, amphibious vehicle, to swimming and rafting in their underground cenotes & rivers.

I especially loved the variety of activities on offer and the convenient Photo Pass option is also worth paying extra for. If you didn’t know, this is a helmet chip system that activates box-cameras throughout the park and saves you having to carry around your own.

➡  Compare Entry tickets & Bundles HERE With GYG, or HERE with Viator.

Overall, I found the price was comparable to other adventure parks around the world, but I really liked that it included lunch in the ticket.

The Amphibious Vehicles were amazing fun

You can get your thrills and try zip lining through their beautiful jungle trails or take on their challenging obstacle courses. And, I made some brilliant memories driving around on the amphibious vehicles.

Best of all, we got to explore mysterious caverns filled with natural crystal-clear rivers and underground waterfalls.

The Xplor Park was a fun and adventurous Day Trip

In the end, my experience at the Xplor Park was incredibly fun and we had a great day out! (Our big smiles in the photo’s tells you that).

Therefore, it’s absolutely worth visiting for First-Time visitors and I think it’s a must to add to your Playa Del Carmen Itinerary.

How much does it Cost?

When I first looked at the cost, I was a bit surprised. But, After seeing everything that was included, along with the whole experience on the day – I believe the price is worth it!

Your 7 Day Advanced Ticket prices for the Xplor Park are as below:

➡  See Entry tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator.

You can add the Transportation and Photo Pass onto the package for an extra charge, when you purchase your tickets. We however organised a Taxi from our Playa Del Carmen hotel (About $10 to 15 US) and got the the Photo pass (About $68 US) when we arrived.

There were water slides to get from one Zip line to another

7 Things to See & do in Xplor Park

Know that Xplor Park is HUGE and requires a decent amount of walking, but the layout is easy to follow. Before making a bee-line for the activities, ensure that you have applied biodegradable sunscreen, fitted your safety helmet correctly, and placed your gear in the lockers.

The Safety helmets provided are to be worn at all times. Still, exceptions are allowed when eating at the restaurant or snack bars.

Xplor Opening hours are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

1. The Heart

The mosaic-designed “El Corazon” or “The Heart” is the entrance to Xplor and where your adventure begins.

It’s set in the centre of the park, where lockers are located to store your bags. Can you believe you can actually hear the heart beating, and it often helps you find your way since all roads lead here?

I recommend using the hydration stations (water) to refuel and use them as the meeting point for the paths that lead to the various activities. Additionally, there are direction boards with a ‘Traffic Light’ system (red, yellow, green) indicating to visitors just how busy each activity currently is.

"El Corazon" or "The Heart" is the entrance to Xplor Park in Mexico

2. Zip-Lines

This is where the real adrenaline-pumping adventure begins and the highlight of the Park. There are 14 different zip lines divided into two separate circuits. Overall, this equals a total of 2.4 miles (3.8 km) of smooth zip-line to fly along.

The Zip Lines are your biggest highlight at the Xplor Park

Reach heights of 45 Metres (147 Feet) above the ground while soaking in the glorious views of the Caribbean and surrounding archaeological wonders. But, prepare for some walking, as well as climbing stairs when going from one Zip-line to the next.

Not only that, but you even have a slippery slide, suspension bridges, zipping through a waterfall, and even landing in a cenote. If that all sounds exciting, then click below to watch my video and see my experience first hand!

Watch our short video from Ziplining in the park

3. The Amphibious Vehicles

Without a doubt, the next best activity for getting your heart racing is the Amphibious Vehicles. And you can get your “Rev on” with 2 jungle-bashing circuits of 5kms or 3 miles each, or even change drivers as you’re moving along.

Venture into dark, flooded caves, splash through puddles, under waterfalls, over bridges, and navigate rocky labyrinths. Unquestionably unlike anything I’ve find in any other adventure park, the Amphibious Vehicles are not to be missed!

Watch our video here riding the Amphibious Vehicles

4. Underground River Rafting

Next up, you might like to choose the scenic and tranquil River Rafting experience. These rafts can hold a single rider, a couple, or maybe a family of four with kids. Your given hand Paddles or propelling devices that look much like Flip-Flops (Or Thongs for us Aussies).

You use these to gently glide around the river system caves while gazing at the uniquely formed stalagmites and stalactites.

You can follow two different courses, one at 570 metres (623 yards) and the other at 530 metres (580 yards). The whole experience is slow-moving and a leisure activity, but it does give a slight upper-body workout.

The River Rafting was interesting

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5. Underground River Swim

Very similar to the River Rafting, you also have the River Swim (minus the raft). This is 400 metres ( 430 Yards) long and takes you back millions of years in a beautiful subterranean oasis.

This includes through twists and turns and swimming lengthy caves with the magnificent stalagmites and stalactites.

Gently glide through (doing Breaststroke or dog paddle) while admiring the soft lights reflecting off the limestone rock walls. It creates a mystical atmosphere and leads you to wonder what surprise might be around the next bend.

One of those surprises is a Column waterfall, which just happens to come from one of the Ziplining towers.

The caves were stunning in lights on the River swim

6. Hammock Splash

What do you get when you combine the thrill of Zip-Lines and kicking back in a traditional Riviera Maya-style hammock?

Its the Mexican Hammock Splash, of course!

Try to relax and enjoy the scenery as you soar through the dense, green jungle between rocky outcrops, finishing with a splash landing in one of the beautifully pristine cenotes. You have some choices here, and you can either go solo or cuddle up with someone special in a double hammock.

The Hammock Splash landed in the water

7. Xplor Fuego

You can’t go past Xplor Fuego, which is experiencing the same park at night (5:30 pm to 11:00 pm.)when it is lit only by tiki torches.

This is when you can fly through the jungle and a ring of fire on a 7 zip-line circuit, the amphibious vehicle track is lit by torches, plus all the other activities in a night time atmosphere.

We had so much fun driving the Amphibious Vehicles

About the Photo Pass & Lunch?

Is the Photo Pass worth it?

Another fantastic concept at the park is the Photo pass, and definitely worth the extra cost ( $1199 MXN). Throughout the park, there are many Box camera stations where you can pose for photos (or taken without you knowing).

Surprisingly, all of your safety helmets are fitted with a chip that activates the cameras and subsequently tags the pictures with unique identifiers, so that when you are ready to view, all of your photos can be found in one place.

It works either Automatically from your helmets barcode, or you press a large button to activate it. To be honest, some I didn’t even know it was taking a picture and others had a rather large flash.

You can choose to purchase:

  • The entire Photo Pass package. This is what we did (Not all of them had Matt or I in the picture, but we were close by to activate the camera).
  • Or purchase photos individually after viewing them on the screens.

Although the Photo pass might seem expensive at first, I would totally recommend it as you don’t have to carry a camera around yourself, plus you get about 100 digital photos on a USB drive in the end.

NOTE: To give you an example, most the photo’s added to this blog today were taken of us with the Photo Pass

Aquarius Traveller using the amphibious vehicle, crossing the bridge at the Xplor park

What’s available for Lunch?

Xplor Park provides an all-inclusive buffet as part of the entrance ticket, ensuring that visitors have access to a wide variety of food and drink options throughout the day.

The buffet is designed to cater to diverse tastes and dietary needs, making it a convenient and enjoyable dining experience for all guests.

These include:

  • Western Food like pasta, pizza, and hot dogs
  • Mexican dishes like ceviche, grilled meats, and fish.
  • A well-stocked salad bar with fresh vegetables, toppings, and dressings to make your own.
  • Desserts and snacks, including fruits, pastries, and other sweet treats.
Mexican Food meal

How to get there?

The Xplor Park is located in Riviera Maya, a district of the Yucatan Peninsula, situated in the jungle near Playa del Carmen, Mexico (please see location map here). This is about 1-hour drive south of Cancun and 10 minutes from Playa Del Carman.

Clearly, it would be easier to visit from Playa Del Carmen, but there are plenty of tourists that day trip down from Cancun.

From Cancun

The Adventure Park is just under an hour from Cancun, approximately 55 km (35 miles) from Cancun International airport. Just travel straight down Federation Highway 307 – you can’t miss it. 

➡Find your favourite brand & compare prices for your Rental Car HERE

Visitors can choose to hire a car, book a taxi, or take advantage of the public The ADO Bus transport that drops you right at the gates. Alternatively, you can book organised tours with transportation and hotel pick-up if you don’t have your own car.

From Playa Del Carmen

Only 10 minute’s drive from Playa Del Carmen to Xplor, heading south along Federation Highway 307.

We chose to get a Taxi from our hotel (reception called it for us), which cost about $14USD. Plus, we purchased our Xplor ticket online a few weeks before.

However, driving yourself is still flexible with time, or you can purchase organised tours for transportation.

Organised tours?

With Tours, you can choose between purchasing the entrance ticket and finding your own way there. Or purchasing all inclusive tickets with transport from Playa Del Carman or Cancun, hotel pick-up, or priority access.

➡  Compare Entry tickets & Bundles HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator.

To save money, you also have options for purchasing multi-park tickets to the other associated parks like Xcaret, Xel-Ha, Xichen Deluxe, Xenotes, Xoximilco, Xavage, Xenses, Xibalba & Xplor Fuego.

The Random water falls to keep you cool when wandering the park

Best Time to visit?

If you’re looking to truly maximize your Xplor Park experience, March to October may be the best time to go. Please ensure to arrive there on opening at 9am and spend your time walking through the different areas.

During the warmer months, crowds tend to swell ( especially in summer, around June to August), but that only adds to the sense of fun and excitement.

Overall, I think Xplor is a wonderful place to visit no matter what time of year you decide to go.

Graph Data on Month to Month Average Temperatures & Rainfall in Playa Del Carmen Mexico in Fahrenheit

FAQ’s – Common Questions?

What Happens when it rains?

The Xplor Park doesn’t close when it rains or bad weather. But extreme weather might be what forces the Park to restrict activities. For me, I would still Zip Line in the rain, and you’re already getting wet, so what’s is the difference?

Obviously, everyone would love a nice sunny day for an experience like this, but don’t let it spoil your holiday.

Therefore, if it’s raining, you can still give it a go!

Do you get wet?

Yes, you will undoubtedly get wet here – after all, there’s ziplining through waterfalls, toboggans that zip you through the rivers, and slides down river rapids.

Therefore, use the changing room available or get into your swimming or bathing suit before you arrive.

We ended up taking a change of clothes after finishing for the day. But, apart from that, we were in our bathing suits all day for the activities and lunch.

There are Ziplines that go through waterfalls and land in the river

Do you have to zipline?

You don’t have to take part in the zipline experience if that’s not your idea of fun, or you’re just there for the kids. However, you won’t exactly be able to watch the people who do.

Since it’s the main focus of the park, I think you’re really missing out if you don’t take part.

Is there a weight limit?

The minimum weight required to participate is 88 lbs (40 kg), and the maximum weight limit is 300 lbs(136 kg).

However, due to safety, ensure your little ones cover the minimum height of 3.6 ft (just over 1 metre)

What should you wear?

Wearing your swimmers and board shorts are comfortable and great options to spend the day. Although, make sure to bring along a rash shirt for extra sun protection from the sweltering summer heat and maybe a change of clothes for after.

Waterproof shoes will also come in handy when walking around as they can provide you with grip on slippery surfaces, so you don’t take an unexpected dip. Plus, the cemented areas can get hot and it will protect your feet!

You had no idea what to expect around each corner

Can you bring your Go Pro?

Absolutely Yes! They welcome your Go Pro camera and you can see that in the links of Ziplining and the Amphibious Vehicle above. Have fun snapping away as you trek through all of the unique attractions, but also know that I used our GoPro and still purchased the Photo Pass package.

Should you Zipline if you’re afraid of heights?

Truthfully, Matt is afraid of heights and he had no hesitation in doing any of the activities here. Unlike bungee jumping or skydiving, the ziplining involves being safely suspended in a harness and isn’t too far above the ground.

Do you wear a Helmet?

Yes, everyone who visits is required to wear a helmet! It’s the best way to stay safe while you explore different Zip Line Canopy Tours, ATV rides, and more across the incredible park. (It also contains the chip recognition needed for the photo pass)

Chris Ziplining at Xplor

About the Xcaret Park!

Xcaret is where it all began. It was the original, and now the most emblematic, eco-tourism and recreation park in the Riviera Maya. With over 50 natural and cultural attractions sprawled throughout the Caribbean jungle, visitors will experience all there is to love about Mexico.

The first thing to remember about Xcaret is that it has been designed to offer the most leisurely experience in the Riviera Maya. Wade and splash your way through the various water activities, step back in history by exploring ancient Mayan ruins and life in a traditional village, and tantalize your taste buds with an extraordinary gastronomical journey.

Additionally, you can get up close and personal with exotic sea life, a rainbow of beautiful birds, stunning rainforest flora, and other gorgeous native animals.

We needed more time to complete Xcaret on our visit to Mexico. However, there is a Mexican Culture Dinner & dance show performed in the evening (Xcaret México Espectacular Show).

We loved seeing this show and would recommend it to everyone for the colour, artistic expression, and to learn about the Spanish culture.

Attending the Xcaret México Espectacular Show

Other things to do Nearby?

Are you staying in Playa Del Carmen or Cancun and looking for other things to do? Then see the brief list below. We had a few amazing travelling experiences around the area, and it had to be one of our favourite holidays.

Check out some of these below:

➡  Find Accommodation HERE in Cancun or HERE in Playa Del Carmen.

The main swimming area to Dos Ojos at quite large
Whale Sharks swimming in the Ocean
Beachside Entertainment at Playa Del Carmen

Wrap up!

Based on My Review of the Xplor Park and everything I’ve mentioned above, Do you think it’s worth visiting? I think it’s pretty clear that we both enjoyed ourselves and would definitely go back there again.

Thanks for reading this blog post today, and I hope you found the information you were looking for. However, If you’re trying to find more information and planning tools, please check out my other Mexico features on the blog.

“Hi, travel enthusiasts! I’m Chris Fry, The Aquarius Traveller Blogger. I’ve been exploring the world since 2007, documenting my journeys through the lens of my camera. Having visited over 37 countries, I’ve gained first-hand experiences that help you plan your adventures."

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