Xcaret or shel-ha?

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shileetz

i went to both when i was in cancun, so you might want to consider both =].
xcaret gives a bigger taste of mexican culture and the likes. while xel-ha is more of a huge water park. they both have snorkeling and stuff though. so consider what kind of vacation you're looking for. strictly water park or a little info on culture.
have fun!

Catita

Although popular, both parks mentioned are very touristy and pretty artificial, to be honest. What is it that you want out of your excursion? Xel-Ha is more geared towards snorkelling and that type of thing, whereas Xcaret is more of a zoo. Both parks are a nice day out for what they are.

There are lots of other places in the area you might want to consider, though. My personal favourite (I live in the RM) is Hidden Worlds Cenotes Park. That's always the first place I take anyone who comes to visit me and they always rave about it. The cenotes located there are the most beautiful I've seen, and by now I've seen a lot. In the underground river at Hidden Worlds you will see natural unspoilt geological formations (stalagmites / stalactites) that are utterly breathtaking. It's low-impact tourism, as opposed to tour bus filled pandemonium! They really care about preserving the natural wonders, whilst still making them available to visitors. As well as cenote snorkelling and diving they have some really cool zip lines, a rappel and a skycycle (a cable bicycle where you cycle through the treetops and get to experience the jungle and all of it's tropical wildlife and lush foliage living and breathing around you - awesome!) They also have 3 rescued domesticated spider monkeys who are very cute and friendly - if you take a few pieces of fruit with you you're sure to make some cheeky monkey friends! It's just a great day out at a very reasonable price - lots of fun, educational too and suitable for everyone. I've taken lots of visitors there, from my toddling nephew to my 20-something year old buddies to my 76 year old Auntie Millie (she even did the zip lines, bless, how cool is she?! :D) - they've all loved it!

And there are lots of other places you should consider too. Check out www.intheroo.com for other activity ideas in Playa del Carmen. Also Trip Advisor is good, because you get to read unbiased real travellers' reviews. You'll find reviews of both Xel Ha and Xcaret on there, as well as Hidden Worlds and others. A new one to look out for is Manzano's Expeditions - they are a new company made up of experienced local guides who take you to some great places (Coba, Ek-Balam, etc.). I still haven't done any of their tours but I know some of the places they go and I've done tours with those guides in the past - they are fab!

Have fun, enjoy and respect this beautiful paradise! :)

letstry

I prefer Shel-ha. Xcaret is nice, but Shel-ha is incredible. Theres so much to see and do, it's not as crowded. Xcaret is a little more "touristy" and is not quite as natural as Shel-ha.

KTprincess

For about the same price we did a private snorkling tour through Mayan Adventures. They took us to an inlet in Akumal, an inland cenote, and a private underground cenote. There were only six people on the tour so it was more personal. It was amazing. This area is so beautiful.

beecher

I have been to Xel-ha (correct spelling). It was awesome. Ally 3 is correct with all she has said. There are also shops, if you want to browse around. You could bike ride trails also, but the water activities are so great. You could have ample time by going, maybe 10:00 til' 5:00.

I have not been to Xcaret, but hear, it too is awesome. MUCH larger than Xel-Ha. You would need a complete day for that , and you should stay into the night, because there is an evening show that is not supposed to be missed.

So, depending on your time, both would be great.

Ally

I went to Shel-ha when I went to cancun.
It's so pretty there, you can snorkel around really pretty fish, swim with dolphins, or relax in a inner tube in the water. There is a really good resturant, with a very good dessert bar.
I loved it, and I'm gonna go back there when I go back to mexico, whenever that maybe.

Don't forget your ecological suntan lotion!
Have fun!

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