During our time in Rivera Maya, we booked an excursion with Alltournative to check out Coba ruins…read moreand the Mayan area. First, we started off in a Mayan town where we began our adventure. We did 2 ziplines, canoed, swam in the Cenote, and ate a delicious meal. Our tour guide Tonica was outstanding, explaining to us the culture of the Mayans and the history of the area. No phone are allowed during this portion, but there are lockers available to store your things. Our 2nd stop was at the Coba ruins, where we saw the Mayan temples in the town of Coba. It was a long walk to the main temple, but it was a cool experience and beautiful architecture to see. The whole trip was an all day adventure, but well worth it! Definitely recommend if your looking to learn about the culture of the area and the people who live here! :-)

This excursion was the highlight of the trip for myself and my 3 girlfriends. We were staying in…read moreCancun and it took us about an hour and half to get to Alltournative but it was so worth it! Our guide, Erik, could not have been more of a delight. He was so friendly and made the whole experience that much more incredible. His knowledge of the site and his safety tips helped us at each event. While we were there we went through several ziplines, snorkeled through ancient cenotes, rappelled, and got to eat some delicious and authentic Mexican food. I absolutely recommend this excursion for anyone looking for something exciting on their trip.

5/5 Highly Recommend…read more We booked two private tours with Absolute Adventures: first the Tulum Ruins, Swim with Turtles and Mexican Lunch on a Monday and then the Two Cenote and Mexican Lunch on Wednesday. For Tulum and Turtles our tour guide was Luis and our driver was Rodrigo. For the Cenotes, our tour guide was Arturo and our driver was Enrique. Both guides were exceptional and both drivers took good care of us. Booking online was simple and their communication about the tours, both confirming the tours before we left home and same day communication about pickup, was excellent. Our hotel turned out to be a headache about letting outside tour companies onto the property, and we ran into some real meet up issues because of it, but the team was super responsive and got it sorted quickly. It all worked out in the end, and honestly that kind of responsiveness under pressure told us a lot about how they run things. We started our Tulum tour early to beat the crowds and heat (highly recommend!). Luis guided us through Tulum and made sure we stayed hydrated the whole time, which matters more than people think when you're out in that heat. His knowledge of the area, the flora, the fauna, the history, was genuinely impressive, and he had this rare ability to be educational and entertaining at the same time without ever feeling like a lecture. At our turtle excursion he schlepped our gear and made sure we didn't forget anything, none of which was his job, he just did it because that's who he is. I was also practicing my broken Spanish throughout the trip, and Luis never once made me feel dumb or embarrassed when I got it wrong, which I really appreciated. For our next tour, Arturo took us to the cenotes. When he picked us up, he suggested we visit a different cenote than what we'd originally booked. I was a little skeptical, figured he just wanted a shorter drive. I was completely wrong. The cenote he picked instead allowed us to have two totally different types of experiences that we would have missed entirely otherwise, and I'm glad we trusted him. At Cenote Jaguar, Arturo gave our kids real time and space to jump and play, which ended up being a highlight of the whole trip for them. At Cenote Dos Ojos, claustrophobia was a real concern for us. But Arturo's tour through the caves was informative and calm enough that we felt genuinely safe the entire time. Between the logistics, the guides, and how they handled a hiccup that wasn't even their fault, these two tours were one of the best parts of our trip.

Arturo and Cristina were great tour guides! They tailored our cenote experience based on the fact…read morethat we had a group with mixed swimming abilities so we visited cenotes that had no moving currents. As one of our group who can't swim, I was very grateful for that! I was able to participate to my comfort level. Water was provided in the van and the lunch at Juanita restaurant was light, but satisfying and delicious after all the activity. Extra info: Life jackets are required and provided, but if you don't fit a standard size XL life jacket you may want to bring your own. There's not a ton of walking but you will be on a lot of uneven natural surfaces. I recommend swim shoes with grip as the bottom of the cenotes is very rocky, and flip flops are easy to lose balance on on the stairs.

This was booked for us via Delta Vacations and we selected the ATV's and cenote. The whole…read moreoperation was well run and our hotel pickup was on time. Thankfully it was only about 20 minutes from our hotel so it didn't take half a day just to get there. In total the whole experience was under four hours. There were 4 other people in our group we didn't know, staying in hotels much farther away. Lots of waiting around when you get there. There are free lockers to store your things and clean restroom and changing facilities. If you have an underwater camera pouch, bring it. It's the only way you're allowed to have a phone on the ATVs (around your neck) and you can use it both above and under water at the cenote. It was our first time doing ATV's and didn't know what to expect. I had no interest in driving one myself so I decided to ride as a passenger with my bf. This was the worst decision EVER! Granted I am a small person and struggled to get both of my feet firmly planted, so I basically held onto the back handlebars for dear life while I was thrown around like a ragdoll. My back was literally bruised from hitting the seat with the abrupt motions. I felt like I had whiplash and at one point the plastic shield on my helmet came off because my head crashed into my bf's helmet. We would have enjoyed it more if the speed was higher and more in the jungle but you're basically on a narrow trail with lots of bumps and bottoming out constantly. The ride was advertised as 45 minutes but was less than 40. I did like how there's a guide with you the entire time both at the front of the pack and back. On the flip side, it also made it so that you couldn't necessarily go the speed that you wanted. After that harrowing experience we were offered a buffet lunch (nothing special but nice that it was free) and then taken to the nearby cenote. That was really the highlight of the experience. You do have to rinse off all of your sunscreen (even those that are reef safe) in a cold shower before you enter... not sure how effective this was because most people did a half assed job. I liked that you were provided a life jacket so you could also just float without having to worry about supporting yourself. The guide was very knowledgeable. And the water was very clear. I've been to caves before but none that were under water. Very cool! Be prepared for many money grabs, but that's Mexico. We were basically bullied into buying the additional insurance, felt like a huge scam. But ultimately it was $25 for the two of us and because of the manmade holes on the course I can see how an ATV can get damaged even if you drive responsibly. We thought they would be jerks at the end about every little scratch but there was barely an inspection. They also take many pictures of you throughout the experience which you are not obligated to buy. We even declined being photographed in the first place. If you have your camera pouch you can take pictures of yourself everywhere you go.

Yesterday we went on a real Mexican Adventure! Bus ride from our hotel (beware that not all…read moredrivers are multilingual). We went to atv ride 10 km, pretty hard ride for a 70 year old. Of course we were the fastest group! Next was the zipline. I did 7! My watch said 34 flights of stairs. Better not be afraid of heights. Lunch was the typical Mexican fair. Nicely done. A cenote snorkel, complete with bat cave and a ride to Tulum with tour guide. Excellent. It was a full day. Hats off to Isaac at Atv/zipline/cenote place. Oh did II mention tequila tasting. Ya that too at Tulum market. 6 checks on my bucket list

My wife and I visited the park yesterday, and started with the subterranean portion of the park,…read morewhich was an amazing experience. We dropped in the cool water and began walking through the underground waterway, with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites surrounding us. (Quite refreshing, from the hot and humid summer heat of the jungle surroundings). Later in the evening we climbed the top of the large water slide. I was not ready for the twists and turns, along with the stomach to the mouth unexpected downward plunging sections. At the end of the ride, I was both exhilarated and exhausted! One of the park employees, Issac, who is now my hero, noticed how fatigued I was and went out of his way to help me out. Leading me to a nearby hammock, where I spent a few hours getting my equilibrium back under control. At the end of the night, Issac unexpectedly returned and presented me with a few complimentary gifts, a beautiful embroidered tote bag and a stone night light with the Heart emblem with the Xplor logo on the front. It truly touched my "corazon". Shout out to Issac!! From the old guy on vacation from Texas. I'll always remember you and will add this to one of stories I tell my friends and family.

The zip line course was a highlight, my family would definitely come back for that alone. All…read moreactivities we did were great fun. Minor criticisms - *It was a little confusing to get around, as signage was a bit inconsistent and occasionally conspicuous until you got your general bearings. *Food was pretty meh, if you're staying at an Xcaret Hotel I'd try to eat before/after your visit, if possible. *The water slide rider thru put isn't great, so I imagine wait times on very busy days can get out of hand in a hurry. I also complained about the helmets all day long until I soundly wacked my head and was 12/10 glad to have it on .

What an amazing trip with Limbert and Luis. My wife is not…read morea confident snorkeller but with help from Luis and Limbert she went out into quite a rough sea to see the turtles and then snorkelled over some deep water in the cenote/caves. We both thoroughly enjoyed the half day trip and would recommend it to anyone. Limbert was a very knowledgeable guide and told us a lot about the history of Mexico on the drive down. Both were quite close to Playa Del Carmen/ Playacar so the longest drive was around thirty minutes. I got some great photos and at the end of the trip we were sent a Google Drive of the photos that Limbert had taken.

¡Un tour inolvidable gracias a Rod y Limbert!…read more Tuve la fortuna de vivir una experiencia única con el servicio de custom tour ofrecido por Rod, el propietario, y Limbert, nuestro guía turístico. Desde el primer momento, la atención fue impecable, personalizada y cálida. Limbert no fue solo un guía: se convirtió en un verdadero amigo que nos hizo sentir como invitados especiales en su propia casa. Su conocimiento sobre la cultura maya es impresionante, y visitar las ruinas con él fue como viajar en el tiempo --una experiencia educativa y fascinante que no habríamos tenido con nadie más. Además, nadar con las tortugas fue una experiencia fuera de este mundo. Limbert se encargó de que todo fuera seguro, organizado y, sobre todo, mágico. Nos llevó también a restaurantes maravillosos con auténtica comida mexicana, alejados de lo turístico y llenos de sabor local. Gracias a Rod y Limbert, mis vacaciones fueron mucho más que excelentes --fueron absolutamente memorables. Recomiendo este tour a cualquiera que quiera descubrir La península de Yucatán con profundidad, autenticidad y un toque personal inolvidable. An Unforgettable Tour Thanks to Rod and Limbert! I was lucky to experience a truly unique custom tour organized by Rod, the owner, and Limbert, our tour guide. From the very beginning, the service was impeccable--warm, personalized, and incredibly thoughtful. Limbert wasn't just a guide; he felt like a true friend welcoming us into his home. His knowledge of Mayan culture is outstanding, and visiting the ruins with him felt like traveling back in time--an educational and fascinating experience we wouldn't have had with anyone else. Swimming with the turtles was also absolutely out of this world. Limbert made sure everything was safe, smooth, and above all, magical. He also took us to amazing restaurants with authentic Mexican cuisine, far from the tourist traps and full of local flavor. Thanks to Rod and Limbert, my vacation was more than excellent--it was truly memorable. I recommend this tour to anyone who wants to discover the Yucatán Peninsula with depth, authenticity, and a personal touch you'll never forget.

Went on our adventure just a couple days ago. Had an AMAZING experience with Alex and Lalo…read more We chose the Akumal and Tulum snorkeling, plus cenotes. Tulum waters were clear and there were so many different varieties of fish! Took underwater photos and videos and they came out clear as day! Was nervous we might not see any sea turtles, but we saw 6 turtles at Akumal! And a stingray! Alex and Lalo definitely made the adventure better with their knowledge, great sense of humor and excellent service. This was my first time seeing the cenotes, and hey were beautiful and full of culture/history. Even got to do a cliff/cenote dive! Would definitely recommend this package for someone looking for snorkeling/cenotes experience.

Last October, our timeshare resort (the Sun Palace) set us up for a bus ride that included a tour…read moreof Chichen Itza, swim in a cenote, and visit a little town called Valladolid. We had used hotel credits to basically pay for the trip. As the only thing I actually paid for was the Mexican taxes. Here's a few highlights: ~ Started our day early around 7am, as the tour groups from several hotels gathered the tourists. ~ As the tour began, our guides introduced themselves as Walter and Fernando. Both bilingual and really nice guys. ~ Breakfast consisted of two types of tamales and a traditional balché Mayan drink. ~ On our way to Chichen Itza, Fernando and Walter referenced many historical facts about the Maya people and how they live today. They passed around artifacts as well. ~ We visited their local gift shop that they specifically support. And they do take credit card, even though I only carried cash. ~ Watched a video in a dome theater, about the Mayan culture and how it all began. ~ In the heat, Walter showed us all around the Chichen Itza grounds. Simply amazing! ~ For lunch we all met up at The Lodge at Chichen Itza (beautiful hotel btw). It was a buffet filled with freshly made tacos and other time-honored traditional dishes. A bit salty for me though. ~ After that, we trucked along to the cenote. Now this was probably my favorite highlight of my entire trip. To swim and relax in a natural pool of fresh water was just exhilarating! I loved seeing it, taking pics of it, and just disconnecting from that thing called "work". ~ On our way back, our final stop, we went to the town of Valladolid. Here we checked out the Cathedral of San Gervasio and bought some last minute gifts at the local shops. Tips: ~ They serve you bottled water, but I'd still bring some just in case. October was still hot and humid, yet bearable. ~ Bring a hand towel. Again, just in case, you'll thank me. ~ Sandals for the cenote. ~ Extra battery for your camera, or a charger. Overall: ~ Although the tour company seems to want to cater or sell you something from their local partners, it didn't really bother me. I enjoyed it, and still would recommend going with these guys.

Lola was amazing, very patient guide! Cannot recommend this business enough. Will be coming back…read morefor sure. Sean

Agua Clara Cozumel for the win! Lola was a great guide! We did two dives and a lovely lunch on the…read moresandbar in between. Saw all kinds of fish, rays, a turtle, a sea anemone, multiple colors and varieties of coral plus the white sand and turquoise water of the Caribbean. Crew was professional, helpful, and engaging. Highly recommend Agua Clara Diving for your scuba adventures on Cozumel.

Our group of 8 friends booked the excursion with the cenote and sea turtle snorkeling recently…read more Booking was easy through Viator, a bit pricey but worth the experience. We were picked up from our resort right at 7 am and then we made our way to the Cancun Adventures office to wait for two other couples from other resorts. This ended up taking quite a bit of time, but thankfully there is a coffee shop next door where we got some caffeine and a snack. They did offer us cold bottled water and bananas on the bus (I would bring extra snacks because by the time we finished at the cenote I was starving and had to pay $6 for a small bag of chips at the cenote). The bus was pretty crowded with 12 people, and driving back into the jungle to the cenote was VERY bumpy. Be sure to take some dramamine if you get car sick! Omar was our guide and he was amazing. He told us about the area of Mexico we were in, and talked about the cenotes and what we could expect at each stop. Once we got to the cenote, we were offered a Mayan blessing, showered off, and headed into the cenote. They do not allow any photos or devices in the cenote. (They provide a locker for your stuff.) Once you get into the cenote they take your photos, which was kitschy and VERY expensive ($50 for one photo), but I get it's part of the tour. I absolutely loved the cenote experience itself - it was so cool to learn about and Omar's background in biology made it very informative. This part was about an hour, then you could shop a bit (they are pretty pushy but you can politely decline). Then we headed on to the snorkeling portion. I personally don't really love snorkeling, but it was fun to see the turtles! We saw about 4 or 5, but it was a bit chaotic with other groups everywhere. Then we headed to the beach club for lunch. This private beach was peaceful and the food was delicious. I personally loved the beef burrito. Mix the hibiscus and lemonade half and half for a tasty beverage. There are some areas to relax and changing rooms, so bring dry clothes to change into if you want. Pack a towel! Overall the tour took much longer than I was expecting, so be sure to plan for that if you have a dinner reservation or other evening plans. But I loved the experience and Omar was awesome.

Catamaran tour! This was so much fun! Cancun Adventures…read morecame and picked us up at the hotel, drove us waaay across town to a beach, where we boarded a catamaran, which took us to and from Isla Mujeres, while they jammed American rock music, and served up free beer and tequila shots. Along the way, we stopped at the underwater museum, where we snorkeled up to some of the artwork, and took in the sights of bright, vibrant coral reefs and amazing fish. On board, they served up sandwiches, and sweets, and snacks. The staff was super friendly, and got through the drunk as touristas as fast as possible. They provided all the equipment needed for snorkeling. There were more people on board than expected. I'd say maybe 65 people on board each catamaran. It wasn't exactly a private tour.

I don't give out that fifth star easily... but these guys EARNED it!…read more My wife and I tend to avoid pre-packaged ANYTHING. We choose AirBnB's over hotels, never stay at resorts, eat where the locals do, and avoid tourist traps like (place your favorite cliché here.) That said, we also want the skinny on what makes a World Heritage Site a... well, World Heritage Site. So after lots of soul-searching (and Web browsing), we opted to give these guys a shot ....and they hit it out of the park! First: Communication. Emails were plentiful and articulate. Important information (what to bring, where to meet, etc.) was highlighted in yellow. Second: Customer service. From the moment we met at the pick-up point (two minutes before the appointed time) until the drop-off, the staff was absolutely gracious, knowledgeable, helpful and just nice to be around. Third: The ambiance. Everything about the tour (this one to Chichén Itzá) was outstanding. There were 15 tourists and two staff in a late-model, well-maintained 21-passenger van. The air conditioning made the ride very comfortable (as did the shock absorbers!). Edér, our guide and a native of Tabasco, was clearly well-versed on the history of the Yucatán Peninsula, the history of the Maya, and the cultural artifacts that really add "color" to a tour. His English was accented but flawless... and he spoke at a volume that really made everyone WANT to listen... modulating his voice the way I do in my classroom, and I teach 6th grade! ;-) The extras. Our trip included, beside the stated objective of visiting Chichén Itzá, a sandwich on the way to the site (yummy!); a visit to a cenote (a flooded sinkhole where you may swim in a cave - we went to one called "Xkeken"), a luncheon (an over-the-top buffet at a hacienda near the cenote) and some free time in the colonial city of Valladolid - where we had been promised no pressure to shop anywhere - and were rewarded with a drop off in the city plaza, and 40 minutes to wander aimlessly (or do whatever called to you, even if it was to go shopping). The necessaries: Many Americans are advised not to drink tap water in Mexico... to stick to bottled water. These guys had enough 1/2 liter bottles on board for each of us to have a dozen apiece, if we'd wanted! (Soft drinks, too) ...and that water has got to go somewhere - so please pardon my indiscretion, but the restroom stops were strategically located as often as necessary, and even several were skipped simply because no one had needed them. So don't worry about being trapped in a van, having drunk your fill with no relief in sight! These guys have planned it WELL. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our driver, José: the consummate professional. He negotiated every speed bump, every parking lot and every tight squeeze with aplomb. Kudos to José, and to Edér! WELL DONE, YUKATREKS! We'll certainly use your services the next time we visit the Mayan Riviera!

My hubby and I have been to Mexico before, and once took a 40 person bus to the Tulum Ruins…read more.. never again! My review closely resembles Ruben G, so take a look at his review. It was an intimate group of about 12 or so, and we learned so much from Eder. The ride to the ruins felt like nothing since we were so entrapped with all of the information he provided to us about Mayan culture on the way there. This trip was well worth every penny! I know many people recommend to rent a car and drive to the ruins, but our history lesson made all the difference. And we obviously don't know the roads that well, so this made us feel safer. This was the best tour company I've ever used in Mexico and would recommend them to anyone!

I thoroughly enjoyed birding with Steven. Such a great birding environment and some nice locals we…read moremet along the way. And of course, his excellent knowledge of the local flora and fauna, combined with the patience and respect he had all around, made for easily one of my favorite moments of my visit to Riviera Maya. I'll definitely look him up again on my next trip!

We took three tours with Steven. He is highly knowledgable and could easily identify birds by call…read moreand song. He picked us up at our hotel very early each morning and made stops for coffee and morning snacks. His van is very nice and comfortable and there is always cold bottled water available. The sandwiches he provided were fresh and delicious and he was so accommodating to me as a vegetarian. Steven, who moved to Cancun from the Netherlands over 20 years ago, knows the best spots for birding and we always felt very safe wherever we went. I am a novice, but my husband is an avid birder and Steven made it fun and enjoyable for both of us. We saw between 65 and 80 species each day we went! I am not a morning person at all, but Steven made it so worthwhile! Highly recommend!!