Tulum vs Xcaret ~ Need advice

[trishy]

We are preparing to book our excursions for the July Western cruise. For Cozumel, we are trying to decide between the Tulum ruins excursion or the Xcaret Eco excursion. It will be me and my dd12 (a history/geography wiz-kid) while dad snorkels with the younger ones. They both sound good to her and I, but has anyone gone on either one of these trips that could give us some feedback/pros or cons between the two... The replica of the Mayan village - is the actual ruins authentic? Thank you in advance for what I'm sure will be lots of valuable information, again.

 

[stormkrow]

Our family has also struggled with this same choice. We stated from the beginning that we wanted to see a real Mayan ruins. The excursions for the other cruise lines went to Tulum AND somewhere else. But DCL limited to just Tulum.

When the family saw everything offered at Xcaret, we changed our minds and are planning to book Xcaret this week for our July 6th cruise.

Good luck!

 

[prymsu]

so you may want to take that into consideration. From what i have researched, Xcaret should be highly considered as the thing to do. I spent a couple of weeks in Mexico around the 4th of July one year, and let me tell you, it was awfully hot.

 

[AnnMorin]

we are trying to figure out the same thing. With all the wonderful reproductions my son has seen (ie:disney) would he appreciate the tulim ruins enough to outweigh the log day? A friend of ours went and said the bus ride was long and hot and it was not as great as she had hoped. The one to go to apparently is Chichen Zira (I am sure this is spelled wrong) but disney does not offer it, I believe you need to take a puddle hopper to get there. So I am leaning towards Xcaret but have no idea if that is the way to go.

 

[jagmeister]

When we were in Cancun last summer we visited both places on the same day. Tulum is interesting but you WILL sweat alot. Xcaret was a great way to cool off after trudging through the ruins. But if I were to choose between the two I would highly recommend Xcaret over Tulum. It is a whole day of refreshing fun. You even have the option of swimming with dolphins.

Rob

 

[Diznut84]

If you want GREAT Mayan ruins, then the place to go is Chichen Itza. It is quite a way inland so you'll have to see if you can swing it. I would never go to Chichen Itza during July, however, because the heat is OPPRESSIVE. They are in the order of the Egyptian pyramids!

Personally, I would recommend that you combine Tulum with Xel Ha. For more info on Xel Ha, see:

http://www.xel-ha.com.mx/ingles/ing_principal.html

Xel Ha is another ecological theme park. It is also widely popular and commonly combined with Tulum. Tulum's ruins are extraordinary in that they are right on the coast.

Personally, my family didn't care as much for Xcaret (although the show at night was extraordinary). We were staying at a world class resort with an incredible beach, so the beach wasn't as important to us. We probably would have enjoyed it more if we were hopping off the Magic. There were some fun things to do there (underground river, snorkeling, etc.). There are also some Mayan ruins at Xcaret. (although nothing compared to Chichen Itza or Tulum).

JMHO!

 

[4crusinransiers]

The Tulum Ruins are a must see! But trust me, it is hot so unless you can get there at opening (which you will not) skip it for another time and go with Xcaret where at least you can swim!
I have been to Tulum 6 times and Xcaret 2 times.
Any questions?....fire away....

 

[jennifersmith23]

My family is doing the Xcaret excursion on our May 11th cruise. I will let you know what we thought on our return.

 

[trishy]

It appears the Xcaret excursion is the best choice - considering the July heat. Tulum sounds interesting, but dd12 might be uncomfortable after a short while. Thanks for the info on the Xel-ha - I researched it and found a few excursion operators, but they leave at 9 a.m. and we don't dock until 11 a.m. - bummer!
Same with Chichen Itza. I'm sure we'll have a great time no matter which one is chosen. Thanks to all

 

[prymsu]

with more info...

http://www.xcaretcancun.com/

 

[Psiklops]

We're also on the 5/11 Western with jennifersmith23. I've booked the Tulum excursion (couldn't find anyone willing to share a plane to Chichen Itza).

We'll definately post our experiences when we return.

- Jim

 

[trishy]

Prymsu - thanks for that great link!

Jim - What was the determining factor in your decision to do Tulum? (just curious - I've got to book mine tomorrow)

 

[Psiklops]

Well, I wanted to go with authentic ruins and lots of them. They are the major attraction on the Yucatan Peninsula and I didn't want to miss them. All of the books that I have on the subject say that after Chichen Itza, Tulum is the best, archeologically speaking. Also, it's the only city the Mayans ever built on the coast.

(Just my 2¢ )

- Jim