A must see destination: the suprise of Xcaret

by Christina Mooney (Canada)

A leap into the unknown Mexico

My journey to the unknown all starts when my parents decided they were going to take us on vacation to the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Upon landing in Mexico, I ate piles of salsa (if I could live off authentic Mexican salsa I would). We went to our all-inclusive resort, relaxed by the ocean and swam beneath the palm trees, but the climax of the trip was when my parents said they were taking us on an excursion to a place called Xcaret. Xcaret is a big park located in the Riviera Maya with many things to do including a butterfly garden, a sea turtle center, underground rivers, a Mexican cemetery and much, much more. The Mayan history envelopes you as soon as you enter the park with the smell of the authentic tortillas being cooked, as well the salt of the ocean blowing through the jungle that covers the entirety of the park. At the end of the night there is a show that displays the vibrant Mexican culture called Xcaret Mexico Espectacular. If a day trip to this park doesn’t seem like it would be enough for you, I don’t blame you because I also thought I needed more time to really explore every inch of this park. You can actually stay at a resort on the park grounds called Hotel Xcaret Mexico. I have never stayed there but if its anything like the park it resides on, it is absolutely paradise. They have beautiful beaches where you can lounge if you’re tired from all your activities. This happened to my family after many hours exploring the park. I had decided to jump into the beautiful crystal blue water and ended up stepping on a fish by accident, the sensation of the slimy body wiggling past my toes was not very pleasant (not to be worried, the fish survived and swam away). Although I did feel like I had disturbed enough of the aquatic life, I said my apologies to the little fish and got out pretty quickly after. Despite this experience, I was in a good mood to go on and keep discovering what the park had to offer. But the part that was by far the most awe-inspiring in my opinion, were the many cenotes and underground rivers that Xcaret boasts. Before I had travelled to Mexico I had never heard of a cenote or had even a remote idea of how beautiful they are. You can very much see why the Mayans would go to these cenotes for rituals and saw them as a spiritualistic place to connect with the great beyond. The caves exude mystery and wonder. After I got past the initial astonishment that there is actually a river that flows underground, my family and I had decided to go in the cenote without flippers as there is a natural current that allows you to move at a gentle speed without much effort on your part. I honestly felt like I was in a whole new world, almost like I had been swallowed into the earth. I had no idea what I was getting myself into after jumping into the water and swimming into the pitch-black caves but it ended being a discovery that I will always remember. Honestly, I think Mexico has so much culture that everyone needs to experience. If you have ever wanted to try something new and unique and unlike anything you would find in North America, I strongly suggest visiting Xcaret. It was by far the most magical experience I have ever gone through in my 23 years.