Location: Playa del Carmen – Mexico
Classification: 5 star hotel
Official website: xcaret.com

Rated as one of the top Riviera Maya destinations, Hotel Xcaret Mexico in Playa del Carmen truly is a unique place with a fantastic location! I was so excited to visit this resort and it didn’t disappoint at all! Right from the moment we entered the resort, we were in paradise! It is such a quiet and romantic place. Staff made us feel welcome right from the beginning. Actually every staff member I met here was very kind, professional and nothing was asked for too much.

First of all, Xcaret Mexico is a large resort with a hotel and several nature parks. I explored Hotel Xcaret and Park. Both places blew me away… Let me tell you why!

When you book a holiday at Hotel Xcaret, you book an ultra all inclusive holiday. Food, drinks, access to the parks… everything is included, even the airport transportation. How convenient is that? I was surprised that even day tours such as a visit to the legendary Chichen Itza and many others are included in the rate as well. If you needed to pay all those facilities and services separately, you would stay ‘free’ at the hotel. It’s such an interesting and convenient package they offer.

As mentioned before Xcaret Resort has several parks which are all located near the hotel. When you are staying at the hotel, there’s complimentary transportation to/from the parks. Xcaret Park is their largest and most famous park, which I will write more about later. Other wonderful parks are Xel-Há Park, Xplor Park, Xavage Park, Xplor Fuego Park, Xoximilico Cancun and Xenses Park.

I visited Xcaret Park and thoroughly enjoyed it! What a wonderful tropical dream world… There are so many adventures waiting for you! With more than 50 attractions, it is impossible to get bored here and there’s something to do for anyone! Let me share my favorite attractions: the underground rivers are amazing! Mexico has a lot of cenotes and many can be found here at Xcaret Park. It is so much fun to swim around the park in caves and just enjoy the beautiful nature on our planet. Xcaret Park has 3 underground rivers: the Blue River, the Mayan River and the Manatee River. All of them flow into the Caribbean sea. Is it safe? Absolutely! We needed to wear life jackets even though the water isn’t that deep, but it’s just comfortable to be able to float around. Floating next to coral formations fossilized on the rocks truly is spectacular!

If you don’t want to get wet, you can enjoy the Paradise River: a river boat trip that takes you through the jungle and the underground rivers. We also saw some wildlife during this wonderful relaxing boat trip such as flamingos and other tropical birds. So nice!

There are several shows included in your ticket. During the day, you have different chances to see the spectacular ritual ceremony of the Papnatla Flyers. This typical Mexican ceremony is a must see when you are in Mexico! Do not miss it! At night, Xcaret México Espectacular and the Pre-Hispanic Performances are not to be missed! Each show was professionally done and very enjoyable. The live music and dancing were amazing. The national costumes were nice to see. Thumbs up, Xcaret Park!

Everything at Xcaret Park is maintained very well. The whole place looked impeccably clean. Just walking around this park is an adventure on itself. Walking at Xcaret Park is walking in paradise. The crystal clear water, the trees, the animals… it’s all there and it is so beautiful. There are even architectural wonders in the park as well: Hacienda Henequenera for example, a typical 19^th-century Mexican mansion is worth a visit.

There’s so much to do here! Unfortunately I only spent a few hours at this park, but I’ll be back for sure to discover other attractions at this wonderful park. No wonder Xcaret Park is rated as the best park in the area and even maybe of the whole country! We had an unforgettable day here!

After a visit to the park, we explored the recently opened (December 2017) Hotel Xcaret. This luxury hotel only offers the best to its guests and as mentioned before, this is an all inclusive resort. Even access to all the parks and tours are included. That’s why they call it ‘All-fun Inclusive’, you don’t have to worry about anything during your vacation!

There are no regular rooms at Hotel Xcaret, just suites. Each suite is spacious and very well maintained. The balconies offer the best views over the resort. The couch in the suite is perfect for reading a book while enjoying the wonderful scenic views. Bathrooms are great featuring separate shower and jacuzzi bathtub.

The pools are one of the nicest (if not, the nicest) pools I have ever seen! They are surrounded by hundreds of palm trees. There’s also a variety of spectacular infinity pools. It literally took my breath away and I could have spent hours there. Plenty of sun loungers too, by the way. Hotel Xcaret offers 11 (!) pools… I must also highlight the soft white sandy beaches nestled amidst rivers and coves. Kayaking and paddle boarding are included. Just go and explore it yourself! You will love it too!

Hotel Xcaret has several dining options. There are many restaurants and bars at the resort, each night you have the chance to explore another wonderful restaurant. We had lunch at Le Trajinera. Trajunera offers the best land and sea fare in the Caribbean. This buffet style restaurant near the sea is a must visit when staying at Hotel Xcaret. The sea food is fresh and tasted amazing.

At night we had dinner at the restaurant. Every Friday night they organize this traditional Balinese evening with traditional dancers and music. It was a great night and the dancing was fun. Also, very romantic… There were candles all over the place making it even more special. We could hear the sounds of animals in the jungle while enjoying our drinks at the bar. Breakfast is served here too. They offer several types of breakfast all at the same rate. No buffet here, they will serve you at your table. The food was delicious and healthy.

No wonder that Hotel Xcaret is rated as one of the most beautiful resorts in the Riviera Maya. Hotel Xcaret isn’t just a hotel, it is a destination.