Xel-Ha, Cancún

Been to both several times. Although Xel- Ha is very nice ( owned by the same paople ) Xcaret has 10 times more to do and see. Xel- Ha is almost entirely water activities while Xcaret has more water activities, a zoo, an aquiriam, smaller shows during the datime, a great night show and more restaurants. Yes wait untill you get down there to book.

All inclusive (all you can eat ice-cream), beautiful location tons to do. You can snorkel all over, there is a place to sit in a tube and let the current move you from one end to the other, even in caves I beleive (I didn't have time to do this), you can cliff jump (not really high but high enough for me). You can sit on the beach or in a resturant, or it is expensive but you can swim with the dolphins. Trust me you will want a whole day here, don't split your day up between a few places (I think they do packages to Tulum on the same day, we didn't do that and we still didn't see everything).

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Snorkeling in the main area is amazing as there are many schools of fish and turtles swimming about alongside you. It's a wildlife reserve and is very clean. If you go further up the trail, you can go cave hopping, ropeswinging and cliff diving (HIGHLY recommended). You can also rent out an inner tube and float down the lazy river all day. There is also dolphin swims for a fee. These need to be reserved a couple of days before you go.

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Almost a two hour ride south of Cancun (we took a tour bus that we booked through our hotel). Natural Eco-Park with very good snorkeling!! Best spot we found was near the floating bridge. Saw a large sting ray, and a huge barracuda (see pic), as well as tons of other types of fish. Cenotes were closed do to Hurricane Emily. Also has a Mayan Cave, Cliff Jump, Lazy River (long and lazy), Swim With Dolphins (an extra $100 a person - we didn't do it), and Beaches to relax.
We opted for all-inclusive tickets which includes food (breakfast & lunch) and drinks (beer & frozen drinks) as well as a life jacket and snorkel gear (free snorkel to keep), towels, and a locker. There were a few different restaurants to choose from. Well worth the extra $25 a person.

Our bus drove about 15 minutes and we were in the middle of a beautiful fantansy land. There is alot to do here. We snorkled (a barracuda actually swam right past me)! Many swam with the dolphins or just relaxed by the many pools. There are alot of places to grab snacks. I highly recommend!!

Xel Ha was the second destination on our trip to Tulum and it was one of the nicest eco parks I have ever visited. It just reminds me of being trapped in the Washington Zoo, with a sense of security and amazement. It is so unique to see the animals in their daily habitat and be part of the experience. Xel Ha is approximately 75 miles south of Cancun and within 8 miles of the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum. Xel Ha is a natural aquarium with lots to see and do. David and I went snorkeling here and had a blast. It was the first time I had been snorkeling but with David as my teacher I caught on fast. I loved looking down in the water at all the fish and seeing the real pretty reef. I had an undescribeable sensation snorkeling here. I also got a chance to swim with the dolphins. David's mom was hilarious because when the dolphins picked her up out of the water she screamed really loud and we all laughed so hard. She was okay though. After snorkeling and swimming I would recommend taking a walk along the myriad of paths through the mangrove forests or maybe take a trip along the underground river. This was a really fun experience because the forest is just so overwhelming. Other fun things to do is to feed the fish from the floating bridge. This was just an overall great experience that was fun for all of us. We got this as a deal through the Moon Palace. I would definetly recommend that to save some money.

I was stupid!
I found that the all-inclusive fee is US $45.81 (Internet fee) only! in its official site! though not including transportation from and to cancun hotels.
I paid USD98 in Cancun! though including transportation from and to cancun hotels.
:(
the park is great! great for snorkelling beginner! many fishes!
i like the plant nursary tour too! very informative to me! (i know nothing about plants)
floating on the river can be very tiresome! not that relaxing! but i still like it!
food so-so.
but no time to enjoy food anyway LOL unless u don't want to do anything LOL

The word Xel Há is a combination of Maya terms which mean " water entrance " or "where the waters are born" in reference to the geography of this place. This also wonderful park is full of things to discover and enjoy. The main attraction at Xel Há Park is precisely its cove or inlet. Because of the combination of sea water with fresh subterranean currents of sweet water, the site is a natural aquarium hosting hundreds of marine species and tropical fish. So you can't resist to spend some time under the water snorkeling.
Here you will find:
Turtle and dolphin sanctuaries
Spa
Aquatic adventures
Eco tours
Maybe at the end of the day you are gonna be wishing spend all your life in a place like this.
You have to visit it!!