Xel Ha Park
Xel Ha is an eco-park located about 30 miles south of Playa del Carmen. Activities include:
- Snorkeling in a natural lagoon.
- Drifting down the Xel Ha River on an inner tube.
- Exploring caves and cenotes along paved walking trails.
- Swim-with-Dolphins Program. *additional fee of 115.00 per person for one hour.
For information regarding Captive Dolphin Swims see: www.freethedolphins.org
View More: Photos of Xel Ha
Xel Ha is a nice park for a family-oriented day trip. There are several restaurants and a couple of bars on the grounds.
Xel Ha is open every day, year round, from 9 AM to 6 PM.
All Inclusive Admission Prices
|
Daily Admission |
|||
| Adults | Children | ||
| 75.00 | 50.00 | ||
Children's Promotion: Children under 40'' receive free entrance. Children between 40'' to 50'' pay only 70% of the adult price.
Purchase your ticket online through Xel Ha's Website and receive a 10% discount
.Transportation to Xel Ha
You can take a bus from Playa del Carmen, but will be limited by the bus schedules. If you're staying in Playa del Carmen, or at any of the resorts between Playa and Tulum, the easiest and most economical way to get to Xel Ha is to take a collectivo.
The collectivo will drop you off at the front entrance to Xel Ha. It's about a five minute walk up the road from the highway to the park entrance.
Guide to Xel Ha
- When you get the the main entrance there is a ticket booth. If you haven't purchased your ticket online, you can pay your entrance fee with cash or a credit card.
- After you get through the turnstile you will be inside a gift shop. If you forgot any essentials, such as film, you may purchase it here.
- After exiting the gift shop you will follow a short walkway to another turnstile where you will hand over your ticket.
- When you first enter the park you will go down a walkway. To the left is the dolphin area. You may also see some of the park's parrots and spider monkeys lounging about in the trees-supervised by park guides.
- There are more gift shops around this area along with a small stand selling biodegradable suntan lotion. To preserve the ecology of the park, you must use biodegradable sunscreen. Nature's Gate is the sunblock they sell at Xel Ha and XCaret. Kiss My Face is another popular alternative. You can buy it at the park for about 15.00, or you can order it online ahead of time for about 1/2 the price.
- Pocket maps are available. Pick one up.
- There are several restaurants in this area. You may choose to eat a buffet, or have a sit-down meal at any of these restaurants. Choices include Mayan dishes, seafood, burgers, and there are two bars if you'd like to just grab a beverage.
- In front of the lagoon you will find the lockers/bathrooms and snorkeling rental. My recommendation is to go ahead and get your locker and towels.
- You must leave a small deposit for the locker. When you get to the locker room, you will also be asked to leave a deposit for a towel.
- You may leave cash, photo id, and hotel keys as deposits.
- After putting your personal items into the locker, you might want to keep your camera out and proceed to use your map as a guide to take a walk around the park trails.
- The trails are usually fairly empty if you get there early in the day. There are lots of exotic, native birds and iguanas around the trails. Along the paved trails you will come across cenotes, caves, a floating bridge, the hidden beach and there are lots of small areas with lounge chairs with nice views of the park to take a rest.
- After your walk around the park, you might want to go back to the locker and put your camera away. Near the locker areas you can rent snorkeling equipment and get a life vest. You will be asked for another deposit for the snorkel equipment.
- Snorkeling is pretty good at Xel ha, with lots of colorful fish to see. If you are a novice snorkeler, be careful when entering the lagoon. The stairs leading down to the water can be slippery. Explore the areas near the sides of the lagoon and around the rocks to see the most fish.
- After snorkeling, you might want to grab some lunch.
- Next you can use your map to find the tram to the top of the river. You can also walk or use a bicycle.
- If you need to use a rest room, go before you get to the top of the river. The only restroom available at the top is an outhouse.
- Soda and water are available for purchase. (Included if you paid the All Inclusive Entrance Fee).
- There is a stand where you can get either single or two-person inner tubes. Sometimes there is a short wait while they have to gather more tubes.
- If you have anything you don't want to carry down the river, you can put those items into a bag, and it will be waiting for you back where you return the inner tubes at the bottom of the river.
- Don't abandon your tube along the river. It causes delays for other people waiting for a tube.
- It can be a little tricky getting onto your tube at the entrance to the river. Take your time. You will go through a beautiful mangrove area, and then out onto the river.
- The river is calm. Relax and enjoy.
- Along the way, there is a place where you can jump off of a cliff into the river.
- You will be photographed by park employees once during your ride down the river and once if you jump off of the cliff.
- You may purchase the photos at the end of the day, after you exit the park. At least stop by the display area to take a look at your photo. The price is around 10.00.
- When you get to the end of the river you may return your tube in the same area you got your snorkel equipment.
- At this point, you can shower, do more snorkeling, eat or drink more or explore more of the parks shops.
Packing tips for Xel Ha
Some things you might want to bring along with you:
- Biodegradable sun tan lotion.
- Camera, film, underwater camera, camcorder.
- Bathing suits.
- A T-shirt to wear around the park. The sun is intense. You should wear a t-shirt the entire day to protect yourself from the sun, even if you are already tan.
- Money.
- Hairbrush.
- Comfortable walking shoes.
Xel Ha Review
I have gone to Xel Ha four times as of this update. The price is a little steep, but I think it's a very nice park. There is a lot to do and see. It's very beautiful and the park does a great job of maintaining the park. Xel Ha has a first aid station and an ambulance nearby for emergencies. The snorkeling is pretty good for both the experienced and inexperienced.
The water seems a bit chilly at first, but you get used to it quickly. I can spend hours snorkeling around. The color of the water is breathtaking, changing throughout the day from various shades of bright blue turquoise to deep, emerald green.
The food is alright. Some of the more expensive seafood dishes, such as grouper are quite nice. There seems to be enough variety for families. I enjoyed the breakfast buffet which included fresh orange, honeydew and watermelon juice. For lunch, I'd suggest going to one of the sit-down options.
I think the price is getting a bit steep, but I've always had such a great time there.
View photos of Xel Ha.
Xel Ha Frequently Asked Questions
- Xel Ha or XCaret?
People have often referred to XCaret as being "Disney-like" and I've recently heard a few people claiming this about Xel Ha. Since I haven't gone to XCaret, yet, I cannot compare the two. Xel Ha is a large park, but there aren't any teacup rides or anything like that. One of our forum members posted a nice XCaret Review. - Is the Park Overcrowded?
I often read people think that the park gets too crowded during the afternoon. I have gone to the park twice on weekdays and twice on a weekend, and have never found the park to be overcrowded. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but that I haven't personally experienced that. There was ample space in the lagoon, which is quite large, for snorkeling and the trails were almost empty. - Should I do the Xel Ha/Tulum Tour Package, or do them separately?
It's a matter of preference. I think that to get the most out of both places, they should be done separately. - My kids want to swim with the Dolphins. Is Xel Ha a good place for this?
I cannot answer this because I do not participate in these types of programs. Google it.
Alternatives to Xel Ha
A less expensive alternative to Xel Ha is Yal Ku Lagoon in Akumal. Yal Ku is a beautiful lagoon for snorkeling without the extras you find at the large eco-parks. You won't find a beach at the lagoon, or hammocks to lounge on, although you might get to encounter sea turtles.
Yal Ku is open every day from 9AM-6PM. You can take the collectivo to Akumal, but the walk from the highway to the lagoon is a bit far. You can usually get a cab near the road off of Highway 307.
The entrance fee to Yal Ku is 5.00 for adults, and 2.50 for children. You may rent snorkel gear at the entrance.
