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Natural Attractions
in Xel-Ha
 Tree
Nursery - Xel-Ha Riviera Maya
Rustic and built from the region's raw materials, the
Nursery has several projects intended for preservation
of the natural reserve as well as programs in our educational
forum intended to educate our visitors on the vast flora
we protect in Xel-Ha.
We pride ourselves by raising 40 different endangered
local species in the comfort of our natural reserve.
All the species have a rich historical background and
lineage dating to ancient Mayan times and still have
vital importance to the communities of the Yucatan peninsula.
In Xel-Ha we make it our priority to learn about ethno
botany making it our duty to protect the plants that
were once so precious and vital to the Mayans.
We also find that it is our duty to work on the reproduction
of these endangered species and are constantly working
on the reforestation of the reserve, which not only
helps the plant species, but gives refuge and sustenance
to the variety of mammals and birds which make of these
plants their homes. We can also say that we have successfully
cultivated and nourished over 20,000 plants up to date.
The Nursery is also the home of 11 varieties of orchid
which flower when they reach the mature age of 7 years,
after which they will re-flower in 2 year cycles. There
are also 4 varieties of mangroves and a series of palms
and medicinal plants grown in our nursery. We courteously
invite you to come and discover the enchanting personalities
of these beautiful plants that call Xel-Ha their home.
Price: Included in Entrance Fee
Cenotes - Xel-Ha Riviera
Maya
 Cenotes
are known for being the jewels of the Riviera Maya,
from ancient times they were considered sacred places
in which the Mayan priests would have the ability of
communicating with their gods in the underworld.
Cenotes are truly one of Mexico's most beautiful and
exotic landscapes and are unique to the Riviera. The
word Cenote comes from the word Dzonot which means water
cavity. Cenotes were of great importance because not
only were they sacred places but they were the only
way of reaching fresh water in the jungle. There exists
a whole variety of Cenotes ranging from pools of clear
water to underwater caves and passages that contain
the precious resource that is water. There have been
found remnants of the Mayan culture inside Cenotes and
thus are considered archaeological sites as there have
been found abundant quantities of jewels from offerings
thrown into the water after human sacrifices; and there
have also been found traces of ceramics and special
utensils used in religious ceremonies.
In Xel-Ha we have one of three varieties of Cenote;
the "Wet Cenote" fed by underground streams
and rivers and a steady vertical current.
The bridge that spans the Xel-Ha River connects to
jungle paths, caves and rocky tropical outcroppings.
Following the paths you will find two Cenotes; Paradise
and Adventure. This rich, varied environment provides
for a diversity of plants, including orchids, palms
and fruit bearing plants, like the chicozapote, or chicle
'rubber' tree.
Without a doubt you will live a totally new experience
when visiting the clear blue water of the Mayan Cenotes,
finding the magical world that reveals the untamed beauty
of the Riviera Maya.
Price: Included in Entrance Fee
Mangroves - Xel-Ha Riviera
Maya
Mangroves make up one or the most unique ecosystems
on earth because they are the only trees in the world
that live in salt water. They serve as refuge and nursery
for a large portion of marine and terrestrial life,
and cover about 25% of the coastlines in the Caribbean.
Mangroves are amazing trees because they have the ability
to adapt to salt water, some mangroves avoid the salt
by having trunks and roots impermeable to salt, but
all mangroves display a unique reproductive method called
viviparity. Instead of releasing the seeds which would
die in the salt water, the seeds germinate whilst still
attached to the tree and when fully developed they are
dropped off the tree and float until they find a place
to take root.
Mangroves play an important part in the Xel-Ha ecosystem
as they are natural biological filters, and they provide
barriers between land and the delicate wetland lagoon
habitat.
Mangroves provide both shelter and food source to an
enormous diversity of life and are also considered protectors
of the coast as they serve as important buffers for
wave action and weather. The mangroves protect the sand
bars by taking root in them and grow as little islands
by grouping.
Unfortunately mangroves are under threat because of
the lack of consideration of man kind as they are gravely
affected by pollution and deforestation.
In Xel-Ha we try to educate our visitors into realizing
how important the mangrove ecosystems are and giving
them the appreciation they deserve as their strong roots
and trunks make them ideal.
Price: Included in Entrance Fee
Mayan Cave - Xel-Ha Riviera
Maya
The
Mayan world was upside down. Heaven was below ground
in an 'underworld' of caves, guarded by fantastic beasts
and gods. The religious beliefs of the ancient Mayas
always represented a sort of cyclic duality which was
explained to them by nature itself. Caves had a very
significant importance in their culture because they
were considered to be a portal of communication with
their gods, a characteristic true of many ancient Mesoamerican
cultures such as the Maya.
The Mayan Cave in Xel-Ha was created due to the proximity
of the sea and a phenomenon called thermo cline which
consists of the separation of two bodies of water due
to their different densities. The caves are made up
of calcium carbonate rock formations which are very
common to the Yucatan Peninsula. Limestone is also present
in many caves which made rock carving easy for the Maya
which decorated them.
The Mayan Cave is considered to be a covered cenote
which is unique to the Riviera Maya. It is a rare spectacle
that gives the Riviera its enchanting poetics providing
the beholder with a true banquet of nature.
Entering the Mayan Cave is an incredible experience
as it was once considered to be a sacred place the water
still transmits the energy and mysticism of the Riviera.
Experiencing the luminous characteristics and the peaceful
acoustics of the Mayan Cave is a must for anyone who
wishes to fully enjoy what the parks' natural beauty
has to offer.
Price: Included in Entrance Fee
Grotto Ixchel - Xel-ha
Riviera Maya
 Goddess
I of the codices, she is said to be Goddess of the Moon,
Wife of the Sun and a High Deity of Reproduction. Ixchel
was the greatest Mayan goddess, her numeric and symbolic
ascendancy refers to a variety of sacred nuclei in terrestrial
and celestial orders.
The 15th century historian Friar Diego de Landa tells
that during Lent in 1517, Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba
sailed out of Santiago, Cuba with three ships guided
by the pilot Alaminos hunting for slaves to work in
the mines.
Others say he set out to find new lands and eventually
reached an island filled with statues of women which
he named Isla Mujeres "Island of Women". The
statues, bare-breasted and dressed only from the waist
down represented the Mayan goddesses Aixchel, Ixbunic
and Ixbunieta.
One of the sacred rites attributed to Ixchel says that
"At childbirth the priestesses went to the mother's
side and told their lies while putting an effigy of
Ixchel underneath the bed saying she was the goddess
of making children."
Still according to Landa, on "zip", the sixth
day of the month, Ixchel was worshipped in an important
ceremony that praised her powers as the patron of medicine
and magic. On the day before the ceremony, her worshipers
performed a dance called okot uil cuya which means "dance
of the moon" and illustrates Ixchel's lunar relationship.
Some historians view her as "a decrepit old woman,
who stood by during the great flood that destroyed the
world". She is identified as Goddess I and the
"embodiment of water as the destructive element
in floods and torrential rains". Paintings and
carvings of Ixchel almost always show her surrounded
by the symbols of death and destruction- a twisting
serpent on her head and crossbones embroidered into
her skirt. But it seems Ixchel had a good side too.
She was the consort of Itzamna, Lord of the Skies,
and in harmony with his image as God of the Sun, she
was seen as Goddess of the Moon, Protector of Pregnant
Women and Inventor of the Art of Weaving.
It is said that the Goddess of the Moon was the first
weaver and that as she sat working one day she attracted
the attention of the Sun who made her the patron of
that trade. However, Ix Chebel Yax is generally considered
to be the "real patron of weaving because her Glyph
contains the image of a spool of cotton".
Friar Landa closes his research saying that the lowland
Mayans believed she was the Sun's wife, the Protector
of Women in General, deity of pregnancy, childbirth
and reproduction, goddess of medicine and disease. She
was associated with lakes, fountains, subterranean waters
and the sea.
According to some historians her origin is among the
Putunes of Cozumel who kept a sanctuary there and dominated
the island. Their capital city in another era, before
they split from the Acalanes tribe, was named Tixchel
"The Place of Ixchel".
Rank of the Lunar Goddess among the Maya with respect
to her main characteristics:
Celestial Rank: Wife of the Sun, associated with the
cardinal points, the rainbow and rain.
Terrestrial Rank: responsible for the fertility of plants
and the harvest.
Aquatic Rank: rules over water in general and in particular
over the ocean, lakes and cenotes (deep jungle pools).
Human Attributes: associated with sexuality, childbirth,
health and death.
Specific Qualities: patron of weavers and embroidery
associated with magic.
Price: Included in Entrance Fee
Grotto El Dorado in Xel-Ha
Riviera Maya
 Five
million years ago, the 84 hectares that encompass the
park were below sea level. One-hundred and twenty-five
million years ago, the Wisconsin Glacier ground the
sea bed into the exotic and fascinating formations we
see today, compressing the rock and limestone beds and
creating the Inlet.
The Inlet's gentle currents will take you adrift on
a refreshing and beautiful natural tour. It will surely
amaze you to discover the magnificent beauty that encompasses
our natural reserve.
Live a new experience as you float along the Inlets'
current on an inner tube relaxing in the warm tropical
sun.
Discover the magic that Xel-Ha has to offer with the
truly astounding beauty of Grotto El Dorado. You are
personally invited to live a dream as you snorkel along
the Inlet and find that around every reef lies a piece
of paradise. Play in the soft current and taste the
beauty of the sea as you are granted the privilege of
sharing the home of a wide variety of colourful fish
that refract the light under the turquoise beauty of
Xel-Ha at the Riviera Maya.
Come and join the celebration of life as you rest at
your leisure in the exploration of seawalls, docks and
tiny beaches that await your presence. Follow the enchanting
beauty of the Surgeon, French Angel and Parrot fish
as they guide you through their natural habitat and
share with you the secrets of the Caribbean.
Renew your spirit and refresh your soul in the soft
embrace of the Inlet at Xel-Ha.
Price: Included in Entrance Fee
Floating Bridge - Xel-Ha
 The
80 meter floating bridge is an opportunity to get face
to face with nature and to relax in the calm breeze
that enters from the sea. Our Floating Bridge at Xel-Ha
is an engineering masterpiece and we are proud to say
that no other water park has such a spectacular bridge.
The bridge grants viewers a spectacular view of the
Inlet as it opens into the turquoise Caribbean, not
to mention the enormous, and curious fish (up to 1.5
meters) nuzzling up to the bridge for a hand out.
Enjoy the spectacle of feeding these majestic creatures
as you are marvelled by their speed and graceful movements
as they competitively lunge themselves for food. Come
and relax as the rhythmic buoyancy of the bridge opens
your perception as you gaze into the unmatched beauty
of the Riviera Maya.
As it is our priority to preserve the natural beauty
of ecological reserve we had to make use of technology
to build a bridge that would leave no trace of man on
our precious Inlet, the floating bridge was an innovative
idea that would ease the impact on the environment and
give us the comfort of crossing from one side of the
Inlet to the other.
So come and visit the floating bridge of Xel-Ha and
transport yourself into the jungle on the path to finding
the beautiful Cenotes an the amazing Mayan Cave.
Price: Included in Entrance Fee
Mayan Wall - Xel-Ha
A remnant from the days as a port of Xel-Ha, the Archaeological
Zone displays the products that made Mayan commerce
flow making the Mayan empire thrive and become one of
Mexico's cultural jewels.
The wall marked the limit for the port of Xel-Ha in
ancient times and was constructed with the typical limestone
used in Mayan architecture.
In this journey you will find that the mysterious wall
of the ancient Mayan port will lead you to find several
important places such as the archaeological ruins and
La Quebrada.
Watch carefully as you explore the path of the ancient
wall as it will also lead you past some cenotes and
take you to the mystic Mayan Cave.
In the port of Xel-Ha the Maya traded goods such as
salt, precious stones and cacao beans and it was also
considered a sacred site as it was used for sacrifices
and ancient rites for governing citizens that passed
away.
A Mayan legend says that the gods joined their wisdom
and their love in order to create the place that would
unite the most beautiful and amazing natural attributes
of the Caribbean in one place and thus they gave birth
to Xel-Ha, and once satisfied with their work the gods
permitted the entrance of mortal beings into their paradise.
Come and see why the Mayan folklore gave Xel-Ha its
magical attributes and be amazed by the best ecological
reserve you can encounter.
Inlet Xel-Ha Riviera Maya
 The
Inlet is one of the most amusing places you can take
advantage of during your visit to Xel-Ha. Come and enjoy
the fresh caress of the clear blue water under the hot
Mexican Caribbean sun.
You can decide to lounge on the peaceful current atop
an inner tube, or you can decide to make your own adventure
in the Inlet's flow. Feel free to explore the underwater
treasures that the Inlet at Xel-Ha has to offer, ranging
from a myriad of multi coloured tropical fish, featuring
our own guardian of the waters Kay-OP, the rainbow parrot
fish, to an incredible diversity of reef formations
and exotic flora that inhabit the ecological reserve.
At Xel-Ha we wish to offer you the comfort of experiencing
the underwater adventure of the Inlet by renting full
snorkel equipment, including: mask, fins, safety jacket,
and with the rental of the snorkel equipment the park
gives you a brand new snorkel, just for you.
The Inlet adventure is one for everyone to enjoy, even
our less experienced swimmers who can float along the
current with the protection of a safety jacket and a
mask and snorkel that will reveal the true nature of
Xel-Ha.
The Inlet is formed as the Xel-Ha river flows into
the Inlet that is surrounded by walls, wharfes and small
beaches that are ideal to sunbathe and relax, and you
may resume your underwater adventure at your leisure.
Come and discover the beauty that the underwater Inlet
adventure has to offer!
Price: Included in Entrance Fee
XEL-HA
WATER ACTIVITIES
XEL-HA
SWIM WITH DOLPHINS
XEL-HA
ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES
XEL-HA
CONSERVATION
XEL-HA
SEA TURTLES
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