Rio Secreto from Playa del Carmen: Underground river swim
Wade Through an Underground River in the Yucatan Jungle
You wade through a 1km underground river past stalactites while a guide explains the geology and Mayan history. Equipment, lunch with regional cuisine, and a Xtabentun toast are all included. If you book transport, pickup from your Playa del Carmen hotel is handled, and you're back by early afternoon or late morning depending on which option you choose.
Options for this experience
6 optionsSee 3 more options
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Río Secreto and enjoy lunch
- Arrive at reception area
- Watch welcome video and transfer to reserve
- Receive safety briefing and equipment
- Walk nature trails and receive Mayan welcome
- Walk and swim through underground river
- Return equipment
- Toast with Xtabentun
- View tour photographs
- Enjoy buffet of regional food and fresh waters
- Return to reception for transfer or own transport
- Rio Secreto 10m
- Rio Secreto 20m
- Rio Secreto 15m
- Rio Secreto 1h 30m
- Rio Secreto 10m
- Rio Secreto 10m
- Rio Secreto 10m
- Rio Secreto 30m
- Rio Secreto 15m
- Tulum Ruins 1h 15m
- Puerto Morelos 1h
What’s included
Your day includes a professional guide, all necessary equipment (wetsuit, helmet, water shoes, life vest), a buffet lunch with regional Mayan cuisine and fresh water, a Xtabentun toast, locker and towel use, and photographs taken during the tour. If you select the transport option, hotel pickup and drop-off from major Playa del Carmen hotels are included.
- Every day 07:30 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00
Information
Wade through cenote waters on a 1km underground route with geology and Mayan history. Includes wetsuit, helmet, lunch, and hotel pickup.
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Traveler reviews
The experience
You're standing in Playa del Carmen with a free afternoon, and the idea of another beach feels flat. Then you hear about Río Secreto: an actual underground river, five minutes from town, where the water is so clear you can see the limestone floor beneath your feet. It's not a cenote you jump into and climb out of. It's a 1km walk and swim through a cave system with stalactites hanging overhead and a guide pointing out things you'd miss alone. The whole thing takes about three and a half hours if you go just for the cenote, or six hours if you add the hotel pickup and want to move at a steadier pace.
The day starts at the reception area on the Cancun-Tulum Highway, where you watch a quick safety video and get fitted with a wetsuit, helmet, water shoes and a life vest, all provided. Then it's a fifteen-minute ride deeper into the reserve, and before you enter the water, you walk the jungle trails where a guide gives you a Mayan welcome and explains what you're about to see. Once you're in the cave, the guide talks you through the geological formations as you wade through the turquoise water, pointing out small fish and the way the light hits the mineral deposits. It's not rushed. The pace lets you actually absorb what's happening instead of just moving through it.
After you climb out and return your gear, there's a buffet lunch with regional Mayan food and fresh water, followed by a toast with Xtabentun, a local anise liqueur. You'll also get to see photographs of yourself from the tour before heading back. If you booked transport from your hotel, your driver is waiting. If you came on your own, you leave whenever you're ready. The whole experience (water, food, guide, equipment) is included in the price. Cameras and phones don't go into the caves, so you're not juggling gear while wading, and the photos they take are part of what you get at the end.
There are add-ons if you want more: a bike ride and zip-lines before the cenote, a guided trip to the Tulum ruins afterward, or a snorkel trip to the Puerto Morelos reef combined with Río Secreto. But the core tour (the underground river, the lunch, the guide) is the same either way. You need at least moderate fitness and should weigh under 250 pounds. Kids as young as four can go (seven if you're doing the plus version with rappelling). The minimum time commitment is three and a half hours if you're driving yourself, or six hours with hotel pickup included.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.
How long is the actual time in the water?
The cave walk and swim is approximately 1.5 hours minimum. The full experience, including the jungle trail walk before entry and equipment return after, takes about 3.5 hours for the cenote-only option.
Is hotel pickup included?
Hotel pickup is included if you book the "Río Secreto + Transport" option. The admission-only option does not include transport. The reserve is about 5 minutes from Playa del Carmen on the Cancun-Tulum Highway.
Can I bring my phone or camera into the cave?
No. Cameras and cell phones are not allowed inside the caves. The tour operator takes photographs during your visit, which you can view and purchase at the end.
What's included in the price?
Professional guide, all equipment (wetsuit, helmet, water shoes, life vest), lunch with Mayan regional cuisine, fresh water, a Xtabentun toast, lockers, and towels. Hotel pickup is included only with the transport option.
Is there an age limit?
The minimum age is 4 years for the standard Río Secreto tour. For the Río Secreto Plus (with rappelling and zip-lines) and snorkel options, the minimum age is 7 years.
Can I do Río Secreto and Tulum Ruins on the same day?
Yes. The "Río Secreto + Tulum" option combines both. The full day is approximately 8 hours and includes the cenote tour, lunch, and a guided tour of the Tulum ruins.
What if I'm not a strong swimmer?
You wear a life vest throughout, and the guide is with you the entire time. The water depth varies, but you're never alone. A moderate level of physical fitness is required.
Is there a weight limit?
Yes. Passengers must weigh less than 250 pounds (113 kg).
Operated by Cancun Vacation Experts. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Rio Secreto from Playa del Carmen: Underground river swim
3h–8h · EN · ES · at your hotel
from US$ 89 per person
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