Xplor Park

Last updated
Parque Xplor
Route 307 (Xplor adventure park), Quintana Roo, Mexico 2.jpg
Entrance of Xplor
LocationKilometer Marker 282 Chetumal-Puerto Juárez Highway, Municipality of Solidaridad, Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Coordinates 20°34′41″N87°07′09″W / 20.57806°N 87.11917°W / 20.57806; -87.11917
Opened2009
Website Xplor Park

Xplor Park (Spanish : el parque Xplor[ clarification needed ]) is a privately owned and operated theme park located in the Riviera Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The park's signature offering is its ziplines, and it is the most-visited zipline attraction in the world. [1] [2] The park's attractions are built into the landscape of the Yucatán Peninsula and bring visitors into natural caves, rivers and cenotes.

Contents

Xplor is a part of Xcaret Experiencias Group and was the second park to open after the original Xcaret Park. The group also owns Xel-Ha Park and Xenses Park, as well as the Xichen, Xenotes, Xavage, and Xoximilco tours and activities. Xplor is situated approximately 75 kilometres (47 mi) south of Cancún, and 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) south of the nearest large settlement, Playa del Carmen, along Highway 307.

History

The park opened in July 2009. It is only 20% manmade and took several years to construct. [3]

In 2017, Xplor welcomed its 2.5 millionth park visitor and proclaimed to be the world's most-visited zip-line attraction. [4]

In 2018, Xplor welcomed over 2,000 zip-liners per day. [2]

Attractions

A cave at Xplor Park Xplor, Mexico - panoramio (2).jpg
A cave at Xplor Park

The park is nestled into the existing jungle terrain and its attractions use caves and underground rivers consistent with the region's unique features. Park visitors are required to wear helmets at all times besides in the dining areas.

Zip lines are the park's main attraction. The park features two circuits of seven zip-line segments each that total 3.7 kilometers [5] and raise up to 60 feet above the tree canopy. [6] The Deer circuit features two water landings. The Jaguar circuit features higher and longer zip lines for those seeking extra thrill. The Hammock Splash is a beginner zip-line where visitors splash into a cenote with one shorter and lower zip line.

The park features an All-terrain vehicle track labeled as Amphibious Vehicles. Up to four visitors share a vehicle and navigate around a 5-kilometer course [5] that includes both land and water components including portions through caves.

Xplor features several water-based attractions through cave rivers in crystal clear illuminated water amidst stalagmite and stalactite formations and dangling tree roots. Visitors can hand paddle through a cave river in one- or two-person rafts.. The Underground Expedition opened in March 2020 and allows visitors to wade through a cave river, take on a number of obstacles both in and out of the water and go down two body slides. [7] An Underground River experience allows visitors to swim through a cave river.

On the 21st of March 2024, Toboganxotes opened, [8] the world's only 5-in-1 four person raft slide, marking the parks biggest expansion. The new slide, constructed by Pro Slides, was opened alongside a new wave pool. The slide is 41m tall, with a length of 320m and a experience length of 75 seconds. [9]

The park closes in the late afternoon and reopens in the early evening for Xplor Fuego where the same attractions are offered under different lighting and the night sky. [10] All attractions are the same in both versions of the park, but only one of the two Zip Lines circuits runs at night.

A tract of ziplines at Xplor Vista Parque Xplor desde torre escenica.JPG
A tract of ziplines at Xplor

Dining

One of Xplor's drink and snack locations Xplor, Mexico - panoramio (4).jpg
One of Xplor's drink and snack locations

The park labels itself as "all-inclusive", including dining. Park admission includes unlimited stops at three drink and snack stations that include a wide variety of fruit-based smoothies and infused waters and juices as well as snacks.

Park visitors also get a meal included at the park's main restaurant, a buffet-style outdoor establishment featuring an array of cuisines.

Awards

In 2018, Xplor received the "High Vertical Recognition" as the most-visited zip-line park from Petzl.

In 2017, Xplor earned "Best Adventure Park in the World" status from the Association for Challenge Course Technology.

In 2017, Xplor also earned "Best Adventure Park in Mexico." [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quintana Roo</span> State of Mexico

Quintana Roo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 municipalities, and its capital city is Chetumal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cancún</span> City in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Cancún, often spelled Cancun in English, is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez. The city is situated on the Caribbean Sea and is one of Mexico's easternmost points. Cancún is located just north of Mexico's Caribbean coast resort area known as the Riviera Maya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playa del Carmen</span> City in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Playa del Carmen, known colloquially as 'Playa', is a resort city located along the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is part of the municipality of Solidaridad. As of 2020, the city's population was just over 300,000 people during 2020, a small yet thriving portion of which are foreign immigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solidaridad Municipality</span> Municipality in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Solidaridad is one of the eleven municipalities that make up the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Its municipal seat is the town of Playa del Carmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moody Gardens</span> Zoo in Texas, United States

Moody Gardens is an educational tourist destination, with a golf course and hotel in Galveston, Texas, which opened in 1986. The non-profit destination, established by The Moody Foundation, [5] uses nature to educate and excite visitors about conservation and wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hocking Hills State Park</span> State park in Ohio, United States

Hocking Hills State Park is a state park in the Hocking Hills region of Hocking County, Ohio, United States. In some areas the park adjoins the Hocking State Forest. Within the park are over 25 miles (40 km) of hiking trails, rock formations, waterfalls, and recess caves. The trails are open from dawn to dusk, all year round, including holidays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zip line</span> Transportation system

A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by holding on to, or being attached to, the freely moving pulley. It has been described as essentially a Tyrolean traverse that engages gravity to assist its speed of movement. Its use is not confined to adventure sport, recreation, or tourism, although modern-day usage tends to favor those meanings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riviera Maya</span> Tourist resort district near Cancún, Mexico

The Riviera Maya is a tourism and resort district south of Cancun, Mexico. It straddles the coastal Federal Highway 307, along the Caribbean coastline of the state of Quintana Roo, located in the eastern portion of the Yucatán Peninsula. Originally the name applied narrowly, focusing on the area of coastline between the city of Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The designation has since expanded up and down the coast, now including the towns of Puerto Morelos, situated to the north of Playa del Carmen, as well as the town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, situated 40 km (25 mi) to the south of Tulum. This larger region is what is currently being promoted as part of the Riviera Maya tourist corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cenote</span> Natural pit or sinkhole that exposes groundwater underneath

A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting when a collapse of limestone bedrock exposes groundwater. The term originated on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where the ancient Maya commonly used cenotes for water supplies, and occasionally for sacrificial offerings. The name derives from a word used by the lowland Yucatec Maya—tsʼonoʼot—to refer to any location with accessible groundwater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yucatán Peninsula</span> Peninsula in North America

The Yucatán Peninsula is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the Caribbean Sea to the east. The Yucatán Channel, between the northeastern corner of the peninsula and Cuba, connects the two bodies of water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast</span> Water park on the Gold Coast, Australia

Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast is a water park situated in Oxenford, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, owned and operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks. In 2019, the park received 1,120,000 visitors making it the most visited water park in Australia and the 19th most visited water park in the world. Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast is located adjacent to Warner Bros. Movie World, a movie-related park also owned by Village Roadshow Theme Parks. The park remains open all year with some seasonal ride closures and maintenance periods in winter. It is one of several water parks operating under the Wet'n'Wild brand globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sistema Dos Ojos</span> Flooded cave system in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Dos Ojos is part of a flooded cave system located north of Tulum, on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The exploration of Dos Ojos began in 1987 and still continues. The surveyed extent of the cave system is 82 kilometers (51 mi) and there are 28 known sinkhole entrances, which are locally called cenotes. In January 2018, a connection was found between Sistema Dos Ojos and Sistema Sac Actun. The smaller Dos Ojos became a part of Sac Actun, making the Sistema Sac Actun the longest known underwater cave system in the world.

Sistema Nohoch Nah Chich, is located 16.5 kilometers (10.3 mi) south of Akumal in Tulum Municipality of Quintana Roo state, southeastern Mexico. It is part of the Sistema Sac Actun underwater cave systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weeki Wachee Springs</span> Natural tourist attraction located in Florida

Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, where underwater performances by "mermaids," women wearing fish tails as well as other fanciful outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spring of the Weeki Wachee River. A waterpark, Buccaneer Bay, river boat rides, kayak and paddleboard rental are some of the other activities offered at Weeki Wachee Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xel-Ha Park</span> Theme park in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Xel-Ha Park is a commercial aquatic theme park and ecotourism development located on the Caribbean coast of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, in the municipality of Tulum. It is part of Xcaret Experiencias Group which also owns the Xplor Park, Xcaret Park, and Xenses Park; as well as the Xichen, Xenotes, Xavage, and Xoximilco tours and activities. It is situated within the "Riviera Maya", a region promoted as a tourism corridor along Highway 307. It is approximately 240 kilometres (149 mi) to the north of Chetumal, and 122 kilometres (76 mi) south of Cancun. The park is named after the site of Xelha, an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, part of which is located within the lands leased to the park. The Maya site of Tulum is nearby, some 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yenokavan</span> Place in Tavush, Armenia

Yenokavan is a village and summer resort in the Ijevan Municipality of the Tavush Province of Armenia. The village is located a few kilometres to the north of the regional capital of Ijevan, close to the main highway. The canyon near the village is lush with forests, rivers and has caves with ancient carvings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xcaret Park</span> Theme park in Mexico

Xcaret Park is a privately owned and operated theme park, resort and self-described ecotourism development located in the Riviera Maya, a portion of the Caribbean coastline of Mexico's state of Quintana Roo. It is part of Xcaret Experiencias Group which also owns the Xplor Park, Xel-Ha Park, and Xenses Park; as well as the Xichen, Xenotes, Xavage and Xoximilco tours and activities. It is situated approximately 75 kilometres (47 mi) south of Cancún, and 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) south of the nearest large settlement Playa del Carmen along Highway 307. It is named after the nearby archaeological site Xcaret, a settlement constructed by the pre-Columbian Maya some of whose structures lie within the boundaries of the park's 81 hectares of land holdings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Volcano Bay</span> Amusement park in Orlando, Florida, United States

Universal Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, or Volcano Bay, is a tropical-themed water park at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. It is owned by Universal Destinations & Experiences, Volcano Bay. Owned and operated by Universal Destinations & Experiences, Volcano Bay replaced Wet 'n Wild as Universal Orlando Resort's only water park, and it was the first water park constructed by Universal Creative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecotourism in Mexico</span>

Ecotourism in Mexico is tourism that sustainably experiences fragile, pristine and relatively undisturbed natural areas. Tourism is a large sources of revenue for Mexico Ecotourism has received mixed responses, but organizations such as the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) stressed its importance in the long-term economic health of Mexico.

References

  1. TSV-Rebecca (2017-04-24). "XPLOR: The most visited zipline park in the world". TravelSmart Blog. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  2. 1 2 3 "Xplor Becomes World's Most-Visited Park". www.travelpulse.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  3. "Fort Worth Star-Telegram 21 Oct 2012, page Z6". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  4. dmendozav (2017-05-16). "Xplor: The most visited zip line park in the world". Grupo Xcaret. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  5. 1 2 Currie, James Henry (2023-06-27). "This Playa Del Carmen Attraction Is Trending Massively Among Americans - Here's Why". Cancun Sun. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  6. "Star Tribune 15 Nov 2015, page Page G4". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  7. David (2020-03-06). "New attraction launched at Xplor Park, Mexico". InterPark. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  8. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  9. Merca2.0, Mesa editorial (2024-03-22). "Xplor inaugura el Toboganxote, el primer tobogán 5 en 1 del mundo - Revista Merca2.0 |". Revista Merca2.0 (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. Slyke, Michelle Van (2023-02-23). "3 Parks Near Cancun Offering Unique Nighttime Experiences You Won't Forget". Cancun Sun. Retrieved 2023-07-13.