Rio Secreto
Sun, Dec 3rd / Mon, Dec 4th / Tues, Dec 5th / Wed, Dec 6th
$119 USD per person
7:50am – 12:00pm / 11:50am – 4:00pm
Visit Rio Secreto in the Riviera Maya and explore a labyrinth of underground rivers and cenotes (freshwater sinkholes) dotted with majestic rock formations. You’ll descend to a subterranean cavern to discover stunning stalactites and stalagmites, which slowly developed over centuries, as you drift on a secret river.
Prepare to explore the Mayan underworld
Arrive to the mystical Rio Secreto aboard comfortable transportation from your Riviera Maya or Puerto Morelos resort, or make your own way if you’re staying in other areas. Knowledgeable bilingual guides will greet you and equip you with a helmet, wetsuit, lamp and water shoes, before clambering down into the underground caves.
The ancient Mayans thought of this underwater system as a portal to the underworld — and you’ll soon find out why. You’ll walk and swim on a guided journey to explore an 1,800-foot path through these silent and beautiful caverns. With no artificial lighting available, your handy headlamp will lead the way — twinkling off the waterways.
Float through a bright world of rock formations
Rio Secreto is a visual phenomenon, so keep your explorer eyes peeled for fossils, primordial stalactites and stalagmites, and an array of unique cave-dwelling fish that are completely blind because of the lack of light! Let the river’s current make you glide in the crystal-clear waters, and feel your connection to the longest semi-sunken cave system in the region.
Feeling brave? There’s no other way to appreciate the true wonder of these caverns than by turning off the headlamps. For a small part of the journey, your guide will ask everyone to switch off and just experience the magical underground world. You’ll be in absolute darkness, and the feeling is truly unique. The only sounds you’ll hear are those of waterdrops as they fall into the river from the stalactites.
Return above ground for lunch and refreshments
After you’ve gone with the flow of Rio Secreto’s magical waters, return to the surface and relax under the natural setting of the Riviera Maya jungle. You’ve surely worked up an appetite after channeling your inner geologist, so savor a lunch buffet that includes delicacies like chicken fajitas, cochinita pibil (Yucatan’s famous pork dish), beans, fresh fruit and natural flavored water. When you’re finished, head back to your resort as you reminisce about your adventure in the Mayan underworld.
