Villa Caracol
Relax at Villa Caracol; in the pools, on the roof-terrace, on the beaches at Villa Caracol or along the coast, both north and south within a five minutes walk. Have quiet time inside with TV, DVDs, internet and reading. Take our kayaks for coastal exploration.
Close to Villa Caracol
Villa Caracol is an ideal base for further exploration. Bear in mind that some resources will change and others develop. But at the time of writing:
From the highway to the coast, you will travel though peaceful mangroves full of herons and white ibises. At the coast, watch the pelicans flying overhead and diving for fish.
A kilometre south of the turning to Puerto Morelos is the Yaax Che-Jardin Botanico Dr Alfredo Barrera for native Yucatán plant life, spider monkeys and birds. Labels are in English, Spanish, and Latin. There is also a nursery, orchid garden, a reproduction of a chiclero, a Mayan house, and an archaeological site. A nature walk through the mangroves makes for excellent bird watching and occasional monkey sightings. A tree-house lookout also provides an sensational view.
Further south, take the Ruta de los Cenotes, though an orange archway, inland to Central Vallarta. Along the way are many cenotes, limestone sinkholes, some developed for visitors and other still hidden and unused. The Mayans considered cenotes to be scared gateways to the underworld. These are both underground and open. Swim, snorkel and scuba dive in them either as part of a tour or independently. Many of the cenotes have been developed with zip wires, All Terrain Vehicles and jumping boards. There is a charge for these.
Everyone has their favourites but we especially love Cenote de las Mujarras, Cenote Zapote and Verde Lucero. Zapote has three cenotes in one including a lovely cave cenote.
Further along the Riviera Maya
The great Mayan Ruins of Tulum, Coba and Chichén Itzá, one of the new seven wonders of the world are a day trip from Villa Caracol. Chichén Itzá is probably the most famous and best restored of the Yucatán Mayan sites. Tulum with its imposing location atop the rugged coastline has idyllic beaches for after tour indulgence.
Selvatica – Adventure Park offers canopy and bike tours of nearby jungle and mangalar. Home to the longest zip line circuit in North America, Selvatura allows you to see the dense jungle from above – a pretty awesome sight! They also have mountain bike paths and a cenote for swimming. Canopy, Bike, Cenote, Lockers, and Lunch is included with admission.
Xcaret – About 30 minutes south of Puerto Morelos, this is the Mayan Riviera’s most heavily advertised tourist attraction. Once a sacred Mayan city and port, Xcaret (pronounced ish-car-et) is now a 250 acre ecological theme park on a gorgeous stretch of coastline. Highlights include an aviary, butterfly pavilion, botanical gardens, aquarium/sea turtle nursery, replica Mayan village, stables, dive centre, small zoo, some Mayan ruins, and an underground river for snorkelling. Don’t miss out on the excellent buffet. There is an opulent evening show featuring folk dancers and Mayan ritual re-enactment – it’s worth staying to see. This is nothing like European or North American theme parks; tastefully designed and executed and efficiently administered, it’s well worth a visit without and especially with children.
At pretty much the same place is X-plor. This is another of the eco-theme parks but this one is especially great for teenagers and adults. The main attraction are the zip wires. You zipwire from one torre to another mainly above the trees. Great attention is paid to safety and it’s a lot of fun. There is a good buffet. Also at X-plor and worth going into is their raft experience. This is lower key but beautiful. You paddle yourself through a partly natural, partly constructed underground cenote/cave complex which is beautifully lit. Less adrenaline than the zipwires but lovely all the same. There are also some one gear cars to ride around a forest track. It’s a good day out.
Rancho Loma Bonita – This local ranch, just 10 minutes south of Puerto Morelos, offers horseback riding or ATV tours through jungle and along beaches.
Maroma Paradise Beach Club – This spectacular beach club offers: wave runners, speed boats, snorkelling, diving, ATVs, horseback riding, deep sea fishing, sunset cruises, and a restaurant. It is great way to spend an active day at the beach.
Aktun-Chen – These are great caves located near Tulum and are available for tour. Their name is Mayan and means “cave with a cenote inside”.