Quote: Originally Posted by Sehausle
We LOVED Xcaret! Funny story- we went there completely by accident. We tried to go to Xplor which is very close and the bus just dropped us off and drove off too fast- but it was closed (it was a Sunday- work of caution, check hours). We ended up walking the 2 miles down the road to the attraction I just happened to notice was close by (Xcaret). It turned out to be an awesome day! This is a place for everyone (all ages, all activity levels) - they have tons of amazing animals, swimming with dolphins (costs extra), snorkling through cenotes, a mayan village, shows, music, museum, rotating scenic tower, aquarium etc. etc. there is literally too much to do in one day. I won't say it's super cheap- but besides the ruins they are all about the same price range (80-100 USD) I have also been scuba diving in Cozumel which was great as well. The ruins are very cool but I could see kids getting bored after awhile (we went to Coba which is neat because it's the only pyramid that you can walk up...but it is VERY steep.) I will say this would be the most cost-effective outing. (8-10 USD to get in + ~30 if you want to add a private tour). My least favorite excursion we did was shopping at playa del carmen. It was dirty, hot, and basically every vendor sold the same things over and over again. This is very much the "city" area but I prefer the jungle and serenity of Riviera Maya.... we did visit a Mega which is their Walmart (on steroids) which was kind of cool...but I would have skipped it in a heart beat for any of the other places. This year were doing Rio Secreto which looks really awesome & the ruins at Tulum/Tulum Beach. Good luck - you are going to love Palladium - I thought it was very scenic especially at night- don't miss the spa, even if you don't get a service the pool is awesome. I also LOVED feeding some of the cute little animals around the resort. I will say it was worth the upgrade to stay in the Royal Suites- if you haven't done so already. Thank you so much Sehausle! This is very helpful! Xcarat sounds pretty fun! We have about 30-40 guests, so for us to cover, it might be costly. Maybe we can throw in ruins trip. Thanks!!