The Chacah´s garden is a space in Xel Ha Park , where during the past three years important personalities surrounded by extraordinary mysticism have planted a native tree called Chacah, leaving a personal thought or message with the purpose of creating consciousness for Earth´s natural resources care. So that society may join in the endeavor to preserve the environment, for the benefit and enjoyment of coming generations. Each tree that is planted in Xel Ha Park stays as a living testimony that will help other people understand the essence of this movement.

This event takes place in Xel Ha Natural Park on the first Saturday following the world Tree Day every year, this year it was held on July 11th. It is a ceremony that is framed by the local legend of Kinich (sun’s face) and Dzic (fury), two Mayan princes who fell in love with the same princess: Nicte Ha. They fought each other for the princess’s love, but the gods doomed them to live forever next to each other, turned into trees. Chechen and Chacah are the names of these two trees that grow always together and can be found all over the Yucatan Peninsula.

Earth is a shared responsibility and everyone can contribute to reverting natures’ deterioration. What do you think? When you visit Xel Ha Park, with Xel Ha Entrance Tickets you are actually contributing with the environment’s care. Ask your travel agent for Xel Ha Tours. There ares some diffrent available options.

Floating Bridge-  At the mouth of Xel Ha Natural Park Inlet lies a combined feat of Nature and engineering uniting the main service area to the jungle paths that lead to the river. The Bridge consists of interconnected buoyant sections resting upon the water, thus separating the inlet from the open Caribbean Sea.

Trepachanga- Adventurous visitors will be eager to live a thrilling challenge in Xel Ha Park. There are two platforms constructed more than 50 yards apart from each other, bridged only by parallel ropes that hover above the River below called “Trepachanga”, where crossing is a feat that requires balance, flexibility, coordination and strength to resist not to plunge into the cool waters below.

Cliff of Courage- Another thrilling challenge for the fearless are the “Cliffs of Courage”, along the banks of the Xel Ha Park River, accessible from the water and from the footpath, from which adventure craving visitors show off their diving skills crashing into the turquoise waters below.

Children’s Playground- Xel Ha Park has built a special place for the little ones, keeping in mind their safety, amusement, and education in turn. Children’s area includes a wading pool, a playground area with swings, slides, rope ladders, a rope maze, and a wooden playhouse, painting and drawing activities hosted by the Xel Ha Park skilled staff. There is a hammock resting area for parents very close by.

Mo´s Flight- In Xel Ha Park there are several freshwater pools, fed by underground currents that gradually flow out into the Xel Ha Park River. From a raised rock, a rope swing emulates the flight of the legendary macaw guardian, Mo. A leap off this rock sends one skimming over the deliciously cool, blue surface of the pool, until splashing into waters below.

Tickets to Xel Ha do not include all activities. Ask your Travel Agent for different Xel Ha Tours and schedules.

Jungle Train- The Jungle Train takes you to the beginning of Xel Ha Natural Park River from the main service area running back and forth in brief minutes. It is the fastest, most refreshing, and relaxed way to reach the River on these vehicles which are colorful real works of art.

Bicycles- Another fascinating alternative to reach the Xel Ha Park River’s starting point is the bicycle trail that measures about a kilometer in length. A healthy pace should travel the route in ten to fifteen minutes. Mountain bicycles are available for adults and children with no rental fee. Only a few steps away from the bicycle path, you will see coatis, porcupines, and tzereques approaching shyly to you.

Path of Consciousness- The “Path of consciousness“is located within Xel Ha  Park roads, transmitting to all visitors a collection of thoughts and reflections by different authors, inspired in Nature’s beauty. The purpose of this path is that by reading these messages engraved along the path, visitors make consciousness about respect for nature and its conservation.

The organic aesthetic of the sculptures by Martha and David Gerstein was conceived with full respect of textures, shapes and colors already present in Xel Ha Park’s landscape. The inscriptions on each rock are numbered in the Mayan system, and written in Spanish.

Entrance tickets to Xel Ha do not include all activities. Ask your travel agent for the different options of Xel Ha tours.

Swim with dolphins- Xel Ha Natural Park presents two dolphin swim programs: Interax, where you know these wonderful creatures through contact and games, and Primax, a longer program that features several additional activities including “foot-foot push. Trainers at Xel Ha Park provide a safe environment for dolphins and visitors.

Sea Treak- The Sea Trek in Xel Ha Park is so easy. With the aid of a technologically advanced helmet, Sea trek requires no previous training, diving or otherwise. On the other hand, experts will be close at hand at all times during the activities, aiding every need and satisfying every curiosity concerning the magical, aquatic world.

Snuba- Xel Ha Natural Park offers all the liberty and ease of underwater breathing in one of the most wonderful scenarios imaginable with a sophisticated combination of scuba and snorkel equipment to admire the myriad of fish and marine creatures. Nothing more than snorkeling experience is needed.

Kayaks- The magnificent scenery of Xel Ha Park is great to live a lifetime adventure on a kayak. Vessels are available for individual and twin navigation. No experience is necessary, and there is no additional fee. The only condition is strapping on a life jacket and paddling with enthusiasm to explore the mysteries of an eon-aged monument.

Snorkel- Xe Ha Park is the world’s most beautiful Natural Aquarium, with no walls and no glass. It is a unique place for underwater exploration. Xel Ha Natural Park houses over 70 recorded species of different kind of fish. The endangered queen conch inhabits Xel Ha Park under careful monitoring and protection. Some temporary visitors to the inlet include sea turtles and manatees.

Xel Ha Park has six snorkel equipment distribution centers located around the inlet, and life-jackets at almost every pier. There is no cost for these services.

Snorkeling School- Xel Ha Natural Park offers a Snorkeling School teaching techniques, responsibility, and use of gear. If you are a fancy learner, you will be at the most beautiful classroom of the world.

Dolphin Treak- With the Dephinus Trek program, into the crystalline waters of Xel Ha Park you can admire the underwater world with the most amazing creatures, dolphins. You will be able to witness every one of their movements being immersed in the water with them.

Tickets to Xel Ha do not include all activities. Ask your travel agent for different option of Xel Ha Tours.

Xel Ha Natural Park is located in the Riviera Maya, 60 minutes drive from Cancun, 25 minutes from Playa del Carmen and 15 minutes from Tulum, Mexico. In the kilometer 240 of the highway Chetumal-Cancun.

If you are not taking any of the tours to Xel Ha You can rent a car or take public transportation that goes to the Xel Ha Park.

From Cancun: Go to the bus station located in the center and take a bus heading to Tulum. Ask the driver to drop you off at the Xel Ha Park, he will know. Xel Ha Natural Park is only a 5 minute-walk from the main entrance on the highway.

To return to Cancun: Get a bus on the highway or a public minivan towards the bus station in Playa del Carmen.

From the Riviera Maya: We recommend you to take a taxi or rent a car.

From Cozumel: Take the ferry towards Playa del Carmen. 

Cozumel ferry service: Beach Cozumel – Cozumel Beach
05:00 a.m. – 02:00 p.m. 06:00 a.m. – 03:00 p.m.
07:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m. 08:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m.
08:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m. 09:00 a.m. – 06:00 p.m.
09:00 a.m. – 06:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. – 07:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 08:00 p.m. 11:00 a.m. – 09:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. 01:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

The round-trip tickets to Xel Ha costs about $ 180.00 pesos. Schedules and prices are subject to change without notice, so we recommend you verify this information to avoid inconveniences.

From Playa del Carmen: two blocks away from the pier, there is the central bus station. The tickets to Xel Ha cost $ 40.00 per person and the bus leaves at 09:20 am and 10:30 a.m.
The bus will drop you off on the road,  a 5 minute-walk from Xel Ha Park Entrance. To get back on the bus, you have to take it at 04:45 pm on the same road.

You can take a taxi in front of the bus station back to your place of departure. The taxi charges about $ 350.00 to $ 400.00 pesos each way and carries from 3 to 4 passengers with luggage.

Xel Ha Park opens from 8:30 hrs. to 17:00 hrs.

Nowadays, ecology plays a very important role in Xel Ha Park, which facilities have been built with uttermost care for environment. Respect for nature is the axis of all projects.

As part of other Xel Ha Park programs, they care for wild birds and provide feeding for migratory birds on the 64 hectares of lowland tropical forest within the park.

The park does not practice harmful activities inside, like fumigating, burning or clearing land. One of the Xel Ha park’s on-going projects is the reforestation of all park areas with native plants. Also, fish and other marine species get special attention at Xel Ha Natural Park. They are not only protected and fed every day, but their population and health are monitored.

Some other additional projects include habitat and artificial reef construction, reforesting the sea bed and the creation of water quality monitoring systems. Xel Ha Park treats reprocesses gray water for use in vegetation irrigation. There are actually three plants working together to process gray water without chemicals. Process products are used to fertilize water and otherwise cultivate native plants in the parks conservatories and nurseries.

Where to start being environmentally friendly when so many problems are simmering under our eyes? Extinction of endangered species, garbage management, sea water pollution, global warming and more. IT’S ALARMING!

Let’s begin with the examination of our own conscience!

When you purchase tickets to Xel Ha you are being part of the eco-friendly minds, but your contribution may start from now on this site, leaving your comments of how can others others help to raise awareness towards the environment. Thank You!.

Ask your Travel Agent for different options of Xel Ha Tours.

Some evidences indicate that Xel Ha Park was actively occupied during Classic and Postclassic times, but most of the buildings were rebuilt in the Late Postclassic. It was probably not fully abandoned until the 19th Century. In 1841, the explorers Stephens and Catherwood discovered a stela with an Early Classic date of 9.6.10.0.0 (564a.d) from Xel Ha, Mexico.

Xel Ha, Mexico was an important merchant port of the Mayan city of Coba. It was likely used as an exchange point between the Maya and other sea-navigating people between the 7th and 12th centuries, and eventually was a beacon to which European colonial navigators were drawn.

In December 1526 one of Cortés’ party, the wealthy nobleman Francisco de Montejo, after persistently lobbying the Spanish crown for several years, was granted a royal contract to raise an army and conquer Yucatán. This involved three separate campaigns from 1527 to 1546.

Xel Ha, Mexico was used as a base by Spanish forces, during their first failed expedition (1527–28) led by the conquistador Francisco de Montejo, In his first attempt (1527-1528) he brought three ships with several hundred men to Santo Domingo from Spain, landing at Cozumel in September 1527 with two ships and about 200 men. They crossed over from the island of Cozumel to make landfall at Xel Ha and Xcaret, Mexico called Pole in colonial times.

Montejo pretended to be the first Spanish settlement on the peninsula, which he named “Salamanca de Xelha” like his birthplace in Spain, Salamanca. However, the supplies they had brought were not enough to sustain their task. Eventually Montejo’s forces stabilized and made expeditions, heading out with some 125 men north towards Ecab near Cabo Catoche while other 65 men stayed on these coastal lands. Early in 1528, after two months in Ecab, they fought a large battle at Aké, 10 miles north of Tizimin. There, while Montejo lost half his men, over 1200 Maya were killed. He returned several months later. The 65 conquistadores who had been left behind at Salamanca de Xel Ha fared no better, many of them perished from disease or had been  massacred in raids with Maya, leaving Montejo with only about a third of his original troop.

Returning to Xel Ha and Xcaret, Mexico  with only 60 of 125 men (some having died from disease), Montejo realized his men left there had been massacred and he headed South to explore Chetumal and determine the size of Yucatan´s region, receiving  information from Cortés. In 1524 he left to Honduras after failing to meet up with d’Avila at Chetumal as it was planned.  Montejo knew that Guerrero, the other Valdivia survivor, now an effective Maya war leader, was nearby. Montejo attempted but failed to make contact with him. Then he sailed as far south as the Río Ulúa, which he determined to be the southern portion of his administrative domain. Finally rejoining d’Avila at Xamanha near Xel Ha, Mexico Montejo returned to Veracruz.

Nowadays, Xel Ha Natural Park  is one of the most famous Ecological Parks in the world. It is know for its ecological ambiance and visted by millions of tourists each year. Ask your Travel Agent for Tickets to Xel Ha.