Xenotes Oasis Maya

Vamanos Chicos!!! This was my second time taking this tour, and all I have to say is… Just as cool as the first time! I went with my woman the first time a few years ago, this time I took my nephew and Brother in law… What more can I say than the tour, guides, Cenotes and staff are all top notch! Best tour in the Yucatan. The team building you do with people you meet on this tour, the knowledge gained and the pure serenity mixed with some good old fashioned adventure and great food make this a must do!

We recommend this excursion 100%!! We had the funniest and amazing tour guide Jose Guadalupe who participated to fullest with our group!!! There 4 Xenotes, zip lines, snorkeling, repelling and kayaking with beautiful, natural surroundings and amazing scenery!!! We plan to come back again and again. Our photographer was Alberto Martinez who took photos of each activity and took any extra you asked for with no hesitation. Can’t wait to come back!!!

Pros:
You can do so much in the beautiful nature of Mexico. My favorite is the first zip line that falls down to an underground cave. The water is crystal clear and refreshing.
I know it sounds scary but definitely jump off the 15 ft (5meter) cliff in the second xenote. I am so glad I did it despite my fear and the rush of massive amounts of adrenaline rushing though my whole body. It was worth it!!!
Cons:
You can buy pictures at the end of the tour. However, they are so expensive. It’s about $ 90 for the photos…
The picnic food is not that great. The food is so bland and I felt like I was stuffing my face due to hunger rather than the food being delicious.
The roads to the xenotes are extremely bumpy… It’s like riding the Indiana jones ride at Disneyland. Expect this car ride lasts for over 30 minutes. The whole car shakes as you hold on for your dear life…
Overall, it’s worth the money and time away from your resort. My hubby and I paid $ 260 for the both of us! This included transportation to the caves!

Worth every penny!
I don’t know what your bucket list entails, but mine includes swimming in xenotes/​cenotes. With this tour which is a part of eXcursions Xcaret, you can experience 4 xenotes and perform different activities in each one.
Of note: I cannot swim, and have a minimal fear of heights. However, this was still on my bucket list (along with cage-​diving with sharks). This tour can be enjoyed by all, except with the usual issues such as back and heart problems etc, as it is not THAT strenuous and life jackets are mandatory.
PRO-​TIPS:
Invest in a good waterproof camera or cover. You get in the water every time. And though I would have loved to bring my SLR, it would’ve been a pain to try to keep safe.
Wear water sandals. Tennis shoes and slippers are just unwise.
Don’t use sunscreen. They make you wash it off anyway.
Don’t bring a lot of stuff. Most of the time, you will leave it in the shuttle.
Lunch and drinks are provided, so you don’t have to bring any.
It took about 2.5 hours before reaching our first xenote destination. That includes pick-​ups of other clients from different hotels, no traffic, and the driver’s stop to pick up the photographer and itinerary. It also includes the 35 – 45 minute bumpy ride on unpaved dirt road. I get carsick easily, so TIP: sit up front if you can. And suck on some candy, it helps. What I’ve learned though, from previous trips to Costa Rica and El Nido, Philippines, unpaved dirt roads are a good thing. It leads you to untouched and pristine landscapes and destinations.
Our first stop was the xenote Iik where we enjoyed zip-​lining over water. There is NO dry finish. You HAVE TO land in the water. Either jump or let the water drag you to a stop.
I liked this xenote due to the 2 types of zip-​line available: seated or hanging (think pull-​up bar)
There was enough time to zip-​line 4 times per person and even a ‘Mayan Sacrifice’ jump from the platform, if you wanted. My husband did that, of course!
The 2^nd xenote was the least enjoyable of all due the fact that there was not much to see snorkeling. The water was also cooler than the first. GERMOPHOBE TIP: The snorkel gear provided appears new, with a plastic-​covered mouthpiece. And they offer u to take the mouthpiece at the end if u wanted. So, it makes me feel better that I am not using a used mouthpiece.
The kayaking made for great pictures, but the water is calm and it is no Colorado River-​rapids.
The 3^rd xenote Luum was the assisted-​rappel one. It was the most beautiful one of all, in my opinion. It was the most enclosed one, very cavey, making the water look very blue. But the cave was dark and good pictures were hard to capture.
A few bats were heard but the cave does not stink of guano. The water was also the coldest here, be warned!
A snack of pastries and drinks were provided earlier. Lunch was mediocre with make-​your-​own sandwich, and some salad. The fudgy brownies were surprisingly good. Red wine and beer was also available. I would’ve wanted a more Mexican or Mayan-​related meal.
The 4^th xenote was another zip-​line, only a bar this time, so I had no choice but to do it! More enjoyable swimming.
Our driver and guide was Gabriel. His English was not bad (there were only 4 people he needed to translate to, the rest (10 – 11 guests) were from Mexico and Colombia) but at times, I cannot tell if he was saying «can» or «can’t». I also liked that he did not stress tipping and only memtioned it once at the end. That deserves more tips.
The photographer’s skills were not that great, but he had better pictures than my 5-​yr-​old underwater camera which takes crappy regular photos. THIS IS WHERE THEY GET YOU. $ 89 for all your pictures in a USB. Le sigh.
But the experience was great. I mean, come on, it’s only a little bit more than what they offer you to zipline in Catalina Island — which is a joke, btw.
I don’t know how they are scheduling guests, but it’s amazing. NO LONG LINES. There was one group always before us, but they were usually halfway done, giving the xenotes all to just our group! No group after us either. This is NO THEME PARK. Everything seems natural. The way it should be.
Why did I choose this instead of Selvatica which offers ziplining too? Because I have ziplined the longest and highest in Costa Rica, which is super amazing, as well as all their skywalks, swing and ATVing. So I wanted a different experience, making it a water-​involved one. I hope that helps you with your decision, if you have done Costa Rica’s Monteverde zipline.
First full day in Cancun. Xenotes Oasis Maya has made it amazing.