Aktun Chen on Riviera Maya
There is a cave hike full of surprises, rated as one of the 10 Best Dry Caves in The World by National Geographic. It greatly exceeded our expectations. Our guide was knowledgeable in Spanish and English, and hastened to explain that the ceiling-roosting bats were of the fruit-eating variety. And, when the guide turns on the lights, it’s perfect for quality travel photography.
The zip lines were somewhat tame, but safe. (A bonus for older and only semi-adventurous travelers like myself, as well as the 7- and 10-year old children on tour with us.) It was completely uncrowded. We had the cenote swim and zip line area virtually all to ourselves.
Zoo Travel
There is also a small zoo at Aktun Chen with reptiles, a margay (the cat pictured on the right), parrots, javalina, deer etc. All wildlife residents are well-cared for rescue animals that are no longer able to survive in the wild.
Where’s the Bathroom?
Aktun Chen has extremely clean bathrooms and changing facilities. Their customer service is personal and outstanding. We even gave Jaime, one of their guides, a ride back to Playa del Carmen. He shared a lot about local wildlife, including his encounter with a jaguar. Very exciting to know that there are still a few jaguars in the populous Riviera Maya! Have I mentioned that I travel with a wildlife biologist??? —->
An Intimate EcoPark
It seems that on the Yucatan Peninsula, there is an EcoPark boom. These parks usually offer zip lining, a swimming opportunity, natural jungle, and native animals. Aktun Chen is sort of like the “Mom and Pop” version of the EcoPark.
Beautiful Cenote
The cenote is in a limestone cave. It was cool and a very refreshing swim after walking through the extremely hot and humid cave. Bring your bathing suit and a towel. Be sure to allow plenty of time to relax in the cool, crystal clear waters. This cenote draws a sharp contrast to Cenote Manatee, an above ground mangrove cenote, just a few miles down the highway. Try both!
Aktun Chen is highly recommended for those who don’t particularly enjoy the more commercial and crowded EcoParks. From the main road, the entrance is a long drive in on a dirt road, which might intimidate city drivers.
Each part of the experience is priced separately or you can purchase a complete package (inexplicably called the Indiana Joe !?) which includes transportation to the park, cave tour, zip lining, zoo, cenote swim, and lunch at their restaurant for about $100 for adults and less for children.
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