Travel

Xcaret Trip

We roughly spent $6,000 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Tuesday – Sunday. That does NOT include airfare. We did upgrade our room to a swim up room. We booked in Nov for March travel and there were having a kids stay free at that time.

*I’m not sure if it is always this way or just during the March/April for Spring Break. We got 2/5 nights of our dinner reservations. It would have been really nice to have gotten a true restaurant dinner every night. Next time, we will force this issue harder. We did use a travel agent, not sure what or how often they tried to confirm but everything I read online mentioned you need to stay on top of it. You can’t submit more than 30 days out. There is a form you email. 

Tuesday- took a direct flight to Cancun. We landed around 11am and did not check a bag. That helps SO much with time. We carry on almost every chance.

Xcaret offers transfers and they have a nice big shuttle bus. It is said to leave every 30 min from the airport. Xcaret has a “lounge” area you can wait around/in. It is at the very end of the airport exit/outside almost to all the buses and over by the right side. We had to ask to find it. It’s beyond all the people holding signs. Again, its almost the last building on the right side.

They told us to get off at lobby 2 because that is where our room is. When we got there, there wasn’t a room ready for us. They did hold our luggage and we were able to go find somewhere to eat. We chose a buffet at La Xentral – which wasn’t bad. We stayed there for a while (and they have a coffee bar) because our room wasn’t ready until around 3pm and it was raining. They do have complimentary umbrellas around the restaurants and there are 2 in the room. 

When we went back to check in/check on our room. We were given 3 options of Casas or “buildings” That was kind of funny because we put in a request a few weeks prior and then couldn’t remember what we requested. We ended up picking Casa Viento, confirming we got a swim up room. We picked 1 king and 1 queen pull out couch. The couch worked for the kids but it takes up a lot of room. The rooms aren’t large and they are almost sleeping on the ground. 

Casa Viento was a perfect “middle” between the beach/main pool and lobby 2. 

Wednesday was cloudy. We spent a lot of time on our room balcony and swimming out of there. 

We watched the waves hit the rocks on the beach. This isn’t a true beach resort, but they did a great job of trying to bring the beach inside. They have sand and places you can still play and feel the ocean. There is at true beach area that you can swim if you’d like. It was red flag the whole time we were there. 

They had daily snack carts by the main pool (A1 or the Infinity) I think the time is 2-4pm. Anniston was able to get a large mango on a stick! Have your phone with you when you go, you might need to google translate. The carts were to the left of the main pool when facing the ocean/ next to the restaurant there.

Our kids loved Xinema. It is food carts and they have a ball pit (it isn’t super deep so don’t jump in like a crazy person like Smith did) and a large TV screen. It is right under the big water slides. I’m shocked our kids didn’t do the slides more, but the water was cold. 

We did kayaks up towards the spa/ Casa Luna (E15) and it was a lot of fun. Yes, you do get wet but you don’t fall in. We made reservations in person at the kayak place and came back later.  You can also paddle board or kayak by the beach.

We also swam the river all the way to the beach. We started towards lobby 2 as well for that. Inside Casa Luna around T4 on the map. There are life jackets and you will need to swim it. The kids tried to use their innertube floats but still needed to swim. There wasn’t a current pushing us. We did wear our swim shoes, helpful at the walking spots. The water was very cold but you got used to it, it was neat to swim through caves. It took us about 45 min.

We found some hidden water slides throughout the park. You would drop down into the river. 

There are smaller slides too (beyond the octopus pool outside of Casa Viento (by A7 on the map) but the other slides were close to A15 on the map) We stumbled upon an ice cream shop around that area too, on level 3 under lobby 2.

Most of the resort is on the 3rd level. Lobbies are on level 5. The app was helpful but sometimes it would say level 1 and it really wasn’t. We asked staff often trying to make sure we were going to the right places. 

We found the retro bar. It was really fun. They have some games to play for the kids too. It was on level 5 in Casa Vida close to R13 on the map. It’s outside is painted pink.

They had a really neat teens club in Casa Eclipse. You can see it from outside with a purple slide. You truly have to be a teen 13-19 and they know by the color of the kids wristbands. We went in just to look. 

There are no night shows. Everyone is basically dead at night ;)

We only did the XPLOR park. Why? It was cold and I was worried about being wet the whole time while cold. Especially Anniston who doesn’t enjoy being wet. There was a bus that takes you. It leaves every morning at 10:40am. I would be there by 10:15/10:20 to get in line. It’s right outside La Xentral around the old bus that you can shop inside of).  It also comes back from the park every 30 min. The lines were long in some places, but worth it. We didn’t get to zip line but that’s okay. We walked and walked and walked there. A lot of it is underground cave walking. I think we did 5/6 miles in total at the park. You will want water shoes. Some people said they were fine in crocs. They just need to have a strap at the back. You will get a locker to hold your stuff. We probably should have brought towels form the hotel, but I couldn’t remember. Bring a bag and youll get a bigger locker to hold it. When you go on the big big water slide, you can’t take anything with you, not even your phone in the water proof case. Just sun glasses. You will lock everything up. We bought the photo package here for the $99 and then they do the resort pictures too. You can charge it to your room. It was worth it. 

We had a lot of fun just walking around the resort, walk like you’re going to the spa and you end up by the chapel and see really fun nature. We saw monkeys and iguanas and some other animal.

There is a boat you can take to the Xcaret park. It takes only 15 people and leaves every 30 min. There was a line when we walked past. It’s just outside the tennis court area. We didn’t do it since we didn’t go to that park, but a neat way to get there I imagine. 

There are endless towel carts everywhere. It looks like a bike is pushing a cart. You put the dirty in the back and grab a clean one that is rolled up. They often run out of towels by the main infinity pool. People did reserve those chairs early! I’d bring more than just a towel to reserve. 

They have top shelf liquor. Just make sure you mention the name of the alcohol that you want when you’re ordering your drink.

Breakfast we did Mercado for the buffet. Lines were longer after 8am but it moves fast. It was the kids favorite. I loved the fresh squeezed orange juice!

We also enjoyed Las Playas for lunch. It’s under the infinity pool. Food was great and awesome views. 

Things to buy:

Water proof phone cases - click here
Blister Prevention Tape - click here
Towel Clips - click here
Travel air pump - click here
Bring floats!