The Rio Secreto Tour was a high priority on our to-do-list while staying in Playa del Carmen. That’s why we booked the Rio Secreto Plus tour way in advance. I am so glad, that we took this unique underground river tour, during which we were able to observe natural history dating back millions of years, hike and swim through a route of about 1 km full of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. This tour was an amazing experience combining adventure and nature.
Here, we have just arrived to the Rio Secreto (Secret River) visitor center around 10 am and checked in.
We had some time before the beginning of our tour, so we enjoyed the grounds near the admission area.
There’s a briefing area that explains through video what to expect and what will happen.
A short video of us hanging out in the visitor center area created from iPhone live pictures.
Once the video and instructions were finished, we were ushered over to the vans. A mini-van took us 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) through an unpaved jungle path to the main Rio Secreto entrance. Our tour guide met us there and we started our tour with the walk through the jungle, learning some aspects of Mayan history and culture. All pictures below are taken by the Rio Secreto photographer, since personal cameras are not allowed on the tour.
Pixan is an indigenous conception of life force or “spirit/shadow”.
Keeping up with walking through the jungle.
Next, we spent some time in the dry caves. Here is an entrance to one of them.
The cave is really beautiful.
Then, we paid a visit to the Salón de la Paz (“Room of Peace”), where a spectacular light and sound show is projected on the natural formations. This experience is intended to transform visitors back in time to the very creation and evolution of the universe.
Another cool photo op in the cave.
From there we took a short mountain bike ride through the jungle to another part of the caves for the rappel activity.
We repelled a small crevice down about 50 feet into a large cavern, from where we hiked out and had lunch. Repelling to the cenote and exploring rock formations was fun. We were offered to repel an extra time, and we really enjoyed it.
Upon arrival at the changing station, we were provided with a locker key to store our belongings and offered water shoes and wet suits. Dave and I always bring our own water shoes, if we book tours like this one. We were also provided helmets and life jackets. Everyone is required to shower before entering the cenotes in order to remove any bug spray or sunscreen on their body, and there are no personal cameras or jewelry allowed in order to protect the water quality. Here is a group picture before starting our Rio Secreto adventure.
Setting off on a short hike through dense tropical jungle, we began our exploration of Rio Secreto with a blessing of protection from a Mayan shaman. The guide explained how important these cenotes were to the ancient Mayans, both as a source of potable water and as a sacred spiritual place.
At the entrance, ready to explore Xibalbá (the Mayan underworld).
Numerous expeditions in the Yucatan Peninsula over the past decade have uncovered objects and human skeletons dating back more than 13,000 years, which were believed to have been sacrificed to appease the rain god Chaac. Understanding this ancient history and mythology definitely lent an air of magical mysticism to the moment as we all switched on our headlamps and descended the stairs into darkness. We gradually made our way down gentle slopes of slick stone, ducking through narrow passageways, until we were around 100 feet below the surface. Our tour guide shows how much water the limestone absorbs.
We were offered walking sticks for cave walking, and I was so glad, that we took them. The floor of the cave is uneven, but it can be hard to see under the water so the walking stick helps you know what’s coming. The walking sticks were also handy while passing the narrow gaps between stalactites at Rio Secreto.
As we descended further into the cave system, the air grew cooler, the light grew darker. We went from wading in shallow streams to swimming in waters that glowed a brilliant blue as we shined our headlamps upon them. The water was crystal clear and “refreshing”, and we got to see tiny catfish swimming below. Our tour continued with a 0.6-mile hike and swim through the reserve’s beautiful natural glass galleries.
Swimming in the crystal clear water was fun.
Keep exploring the underground world.
Our tour lasted about 1.5 hours within the cave. During the tour we stopped to experience a minute in absolute darkness and a minute of silent meditation in the cave.
Perodically, we would stop to enjoy this serene beauty. Originally known as Pool Tunich, Rio Secreto was discovered in 2004 by local land-owner Don Cleofás Pool. He was hunting an Iguana and chased it into a hole in the ground. This led him to an incredible interconnected cave system and underground river, with stunning rock formations dating back an estimated 2.5 million years.
One of many gorgeous places we passed during our tour. The color of the water and the reflections off the ceiling were amazing.
At the end of our tour, we returned all the provided equipment, got a toast with Xtabentun, and enjoyed a delicious regional buffet lunch and non-alcoholic drinks. Xtabentún is an anise liqueur made in Mexico’s Yucatán region from anise seed, and fermented honey produced by honey bees from the nectar of xtabentún flowers (from Wikipedia). Our tour ended as we got back to the welcome area.
This tour was beautiful, interesting and fun! What we loved the most was the variety of activities: caving, bike riding, repelling into the cenote, and swimming through the cave surrounded by magnificent stalagmites and stalactites.
