From soaring above the treetops on a seven-zipline circuit to navigating the tendril-like pathways of dimly lit caverns, I can honestly say my spring 2023 visit to Xcaret’s Xplor far surpassed my wildest expectations. And as we conquered the park’s many “adventure activities” guided by the literal heartbeat of Xplor’s Corazón, I couldn’t help but pause to admire the almost magical environment I was immersed in, smack dab in the heart of the Yucatan jungle. And now, months later, I still can’t believe it’s a real place.
A World of Its Own
Upon opting for the “Fuego” version of the excursion — aka all the wonder of Xplor, but at night —, my husband Jake and I boarded a shuttle around 4:30 p.m. We weren’t quite sure what to expect and were feeling a bit antsy about the adventures that awaited us as we pulled away from our resort. Despite this, a few more pickups and a quick bus transfer later, we signed our lives away, penning our signatures at the bottom of the waiver each guest is asked to complete prior to entering the park. This was getting serious.
Upon arrival, we were promptly fitted with stylish orange helmets and pointed toward the entrance, a path lit by a series of Survivor-esque torches leading to a sprawling cave system. Dusk was beginning to fall, and we found ourselves at the front of the pack as our group wandered the lengthy trail in search of lockers and restrooms to kick off the festivities. We were surrounded by stalagmites and stalactites, and after several moments of unattended wandering, a sense of nervousness began to set in, “are we going the right way?” But then, just when it felt like it would never end, we heard a thumping in the distance, a sound we would later come to recognize as “El Corazón,” the literal heart of Xplor.
Nestled beneath the Earth, El Corazón is the park’s North Star with helpful signage and friendly employees ready to help at a moment’s notice. And while each attraction at Xplor is clearly marked, I found the immersive nature of the park to be overwhelming at times. El Corazón helped to combat that, acting as a place for us to orient ourselves and recoup before our next adventure.
Heart-Racing Ziplines
With six action-packed adventure activities — ziplines, amphibious vehicles, rafting, stalactite river swims, carven walks and hammock splash —, Xplor makes it hard to decide what to do first. However, of all the park’s amazing activities, it was the 2.4 miles of ziplines, some of which reach heights of 148 ft, that caught our eye. Pair this with the fact the course crosses through a literal ring of fire when it’s illuminated at night, and I was sold.
So, after waiting our turn for the course briefing and equipment fitting, we were ready to hit the skies. And it wasn’t until we began to climb the first massive spiral staircase that it began to sink in … we were really doing this. Well, it was too late to turn back now. Again, Xplor features a seven-zipline circuit, so once you complete the climb to the top you better be ready to commit. Each stretch feeds into the next, and for me, the 15 minutes or so that followed can only be described as both thrilling and terrifying as my legs alternated between their usual fleshy state and a Jello-like form as we made our way from line to line. While my nerves quickly calmed, conquering the course was made even better with Xplor’s tandem ziplines which allowed Jake and I to ride together on certain runs (including through the ring of fire).
Adventure Activities
While we didn’t experience all six of Xplor’s adventure activities, we did take the amphibious vehicles and subterranean rafts for a spin. And both were a blast. Scarcely lit by the occasional torch here and stray fireball there, darkness had completely fallen by the time we hit the amphibious vehicle course, a narrow dirt road that winds and dips through lush vegetation and puddle-laden caverns. The experience was isolating yet exciting and left me feeling like I was in an Indiana Jones movie.
Later, after enjoying an abundance of delicious eats (more on that later), we returned to the depths of Xplor’s main cave system to El Corazón where we navigated to the underground river for some unforgettable rafting. Powered by tiny paddles affixed to our hands, Jake and I awkwardly steered our way through the park’s illuminated caverns which are over 65 million years old. While this event did feel a little spooky due to dim lighting and tight spaces, we were never far from other thrill seekers — something we were reminded of as we collectively struggled to avoid collision and getting completely turned around on the course.
The Food
Adventuring is hard work. Luckily, with two snack stations — Oasis and Manantial — and one full-sized restaurant — Troglodita Restaurant —, we never went hungry during our time at Xplor. Upon arriving at the park, Jake and I stopped at Oasis to fuel up on quick bites like bananas, smoothies and cookies. And while the snacks were tasty, my favorite thing about Oasis was the variety of smoothies and flavored waters, both of which were available on tap.
When it came time to get down to some serious dining, aka after the heart-racing zipline course, we made our way to Troglodita Restaurant to sink our teeth into some of Xcaret’s famous cooking. The restaurant featured a wide selection of buffet-style food alongside select made-to-order menu options, and with something tasty to suit every mood, we left with all our cravings satisfied.
As a side note, something I unexpectedly loved about Troglodita Restaurant was the absolute vibes it was serving. Surrounded by lush vegetation, the restaurant’s large wooden tables and warm lighting were a total mood, perfect for our jungle adventure.
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