Playa del Carmen

Río Secreto Nature Reserve from Playa del Carmen

Badge of ExcellencePlaya del Carmen, Mexico

From $92.00

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 3 to 8 hours
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Embark on the ultimate eco-tourism experience: a visit to Río Secreto Nature Reserve, an incredible semi-sunken cave system located just a few miles from Playa del Carmen. Don a wetsuit, helmet and headlamp to explore this underground river's vast wonders, marveling at its impressive rock formations and splashing through the waters of its limestone tunnels as your guide identifies unique vegetation and tiny creatures along the way. Back on solid ground, savor a traditional Maya lunch and relax in the jungle before returning to your hotel.
  • Guided visit to Río Secreto Nature Reserve, multi-year recipient of TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence
  • Trek through underground tunnels and cenotes, and admire dramatic stalactites and stalagmites
  • Learn from an expert guide how the limestone formations developed, and take a look at the native vegetation
  • Feast on a delicious Mayan buffet lunch
  • All necessary equipment (wetsuit, helmet with headlight, water shoes, life vest) provided
  • Entrance fees, lunch, and optional hotel pickup and drop-off from Playa del Carmen included

What's Included

  • Professional guide
  • Use of all necessary equipment (wetsuit, helmet, water shoes, life vest)
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option selected)
  • Lunch
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option not selected)

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

  • Río Secreto, 77719 Q.R., Mexico

    Located on Hi way 307 on the Kilometer 283.5, 5 Minutes away from Playa Del Carmen 1 Hour away from Cancun, and 45 Minutes away from Tulum

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

If your hotel is not on the list above or you are staying at a BnB we will assign you to the closest meeting point. PLEASE CONSIDER: The duration of the Rio Secreto Admission tour is 03:30 hrs. Rio Secreto Tour + Transportation is from 05:30 hrs. Rio Secreto + Tulum Tour is from 08:00 Hrs. If you purchase the Rio Recreto+ Transportation our Rio Secreto + Tulum option, please call or email hotel information which is necessary to set the pickup time from your hotel on the tour date. E-mail : reservations@cancunvacationexperts.com The durations presented may increase due to the vehicular traffic that occurs in the transportation.

What To Expect

Rio Secreto

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rio Secreto

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rio Secreto

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rio Secreto

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rio Secreto

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rio Secreto

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Rio Secreto

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Rio Secreto

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rio Secreto

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Tulum Archaeological Site

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Carretera Federal 307

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Passengers must weigh less than 250 pounds (113 kg)
  • Minimum age is 4 years
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • The duration for the option Rio Secreto Admission tour is 03:30 hrs. (approximately)
  • The duration for the option Rio Secreto Tour + Transportation is 06:00 hrs. (approximately)
  • The duration for the option Rio Secreto + Tulum Tour is 08:00 Hrs. (approximately)
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Martin_B
It's an amazing tour, an experience we'll never forget. We can very much recommend it. The staff is super nice and welcoming. The only downside: Photos of the tour are rediculously expensive (25USD p.p. or 99USD for all).

Reviews

4.5
138 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 138 reviews
Fun but go private
Zachary_D, Apr 2024
Great experience Imelda was amazing . Caves were great only bad part was they stuck us with a group of 8 with mobility issues and our tour was short due to time limits.
Amazing time!
Jue_W, Apr 2024
My most memorable part of this excursion was the resilience and courage of our guide Mely! She was informative, very knowledgeable, extremely articulate, intelligent and a great representation of strength. We felt as though we were her relatives by her exhibition of care and compassion. Even more amazing, she led her group through navigating the caves at 8months pregnant! Mely is a tireless employee and a “super woman”! I’d recommend everyone take the trip if only to see her, be in her presence, and get to know her. Just an incredible experience with a phenomenal human being! #LoveMexico #MelyTheGreat
When we sat in the dark...
Tom_W, Apr 2024
When we sat in the dark and we we floated in the water. We had a wonderful time. The pictures were expensive and now I have to pay to print I.
Great Tour and our Guide was Exellent
Johnna_B, Mar 2024
Amazing tour of dry cave, repelling into a wet cenote, biking, and tour through a huge wet cenote. Added bonus we saw monkeys.
A great experience!
Michael_B, Mar 2024
Tour through the caves was good. Tour leader Hector made sure everyone was okay during the tour. Would have liked to have stopped for a little more at some points as seemed to walk through a lot and just stop for photos. Couldn't take photos but had to pay for them later. Price was a little high and photos were average but still got them.
Amazing cave tour
vvargas00, Feb 2024
Amazing tour! From walking through a cave to rappelling into a cave and ending with swimming in a cave, our entire day was an absolutely fantastic! We highly recommend!
An incredible experience
Michelle_P, Feb 2024
A very good experience. We were picked up from our agreed meeting point at 7.45 as arranged and taken to the reception area of Rio Secreto ( a very short trip as it is only 15 minutes from playa del carmen). We waited for an hour while other groups in buses arrived so that everyone could be put in appropriate groups of 8 (based on language) for a prompt start at 9. I think we were unlucky to be in a group picked up so early and would probably recommend getting a later taxi instead of purchasing the pick up option as there is little to do for an hour at the reception area. We were the put on another small bus with our group and taken for a 10 minute ride to the cave entrance. We changed into our swimming costumes and were given life jackets, wet suits, swim shoes, hard hats with headlamps and walking sticks then led into the cave after a quick cold shower! It is truly amazing. The ground is rocky and uneven so the walking sticks were useful. We walked single file led by our very good guide through the stunning cave which was only lit by our head lamps and felt like we were the only people in the vast cave. The accompanying photographer took photos of us along the way. There is a little swimming involved and lots of wading through water, some high, some low. It was an incredible experience and lasted a little over an hour. Quite tiring but totally worth it. We then got changed and were taken to lunch, which was actually quite nice and there was a lot of it. The photographs were great but expensive ($120 for all or $30 each) but good quality and there was no hard sell. I would highly recommend this trip and tour company if you are in the area. A once in a lifetime experience.
Excellent excursion
Dion_J, Jan 2024
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and answered any questions we had. Fantastic excursion
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you very much for taking the time to write these comments, we hope to serve you again soon.
Fernando was an amazing...
Lawrence_B, Jan 2024
Fernando was an amazing guide. The whole experience was awesome. It was more than I expected. The entire staff from the drivers to the guides were amazing. I highly recommend Rio Secreto.
Great experience, no photos due to the price
Irina_K, Jan 2024
We took the option of Rio Secreto + Plus that included 4 activities in total. We absolutely enjoyed all activities and the stories we were told by our guide. At the end of the tour we had a nice Mexican food in a buffet. The only downside was the price for the photo package ( you are not allowed to do your own photos): they wanted $120 US dollars for pictures. If they would sell them for half price, I believe they would have more success in selling those photos- otherwise they lose their money because not that many people are willing to pay that amount.
Awesome half day adventure.
Megan_B, Jan 2024
This is a fun-filled adventure that takes you into a beautiful underground cave system. The company was professional and the guide was very informative. Highly recommended it for any one traveling to that part of the Yucatan.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you very much for your comments, we are rhappy to see yo enjoyed the experience, as you mentioned this has became an experiece that must be done while you are in Cancun or Riviera Maya.
Great tour...best tour guide ever
Mike_L, Dec 2023
Beautiful awesome experience!! Entire tour was well organized. We had a tip notch tour guide named Sara. She was knowledgeable, passionate, and a whole lot of fun. I highly recommend this tour.
Rio Secreto A Must
Martha_K, Dec 2023
I’m giving 4 stars for the Rio Secreto part of the tour. And 1 star for the Tulum Mayan Ruins part, which I will go into in a moment. Rio Secreto: Pros- 1. It was absolutely beautiful and memorable. Once in a life time experience. So glad we went. And water wasn’t cold, as in some other cenote/river tours in the area. 2. It was organized- everything needed is provided (water shoes, towels, wet suits, head lamps, etc). 3. Friendly staff. Cons- 1. It was stated on the website that lunch was included (order mentioned was Rio Secreto tour, then we eat lunch, then onto the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, then hotel drop off). But once we got to Rio Secreto, they split the group into two-with one group (ours) heading down to Tulum first, then back to do Rio Secreto, THEN lunch at the very end of the day (which wasn’t until 3-3:30p)! We ate breakfast at 6:30a since we got picked up at our hotel for the tour at 7:30a. That is way too late to be served lunch (and we had kids with us). Misleading website description. 2. Our guide was nice but we could not understand very much of what she was saying. Her accent was too heavy unfortunately, so we missed a lot of information. Tulum Mayan Ruins- Pros: 1. Ruins are beautiful. Scenery, water/beach also lovely and historic. Cons: 1. Our tour was extremely short-about 30 minutes. Our guide did not tell us very much information, didn’t walk around close to talk in depth about any buildings, any particular notable people, or specific history/things that happened. Very disappointing. I’ve recently been on tours all around Italy and the quality was so good there-detailed, length of time, entertaining, etc. 2. Then after the 30 min group tour, we were given only 1 hour to finish walking the grounds, get back to the main area (which is at least a 20 min walk), get something to eat (if you pay yourself-again, the lunch was already supposed to be paid for with the tour and provided by them at Rio Secreto), and shop for souvenirs. There was not enough time to do any one of these things individually in under a hour, much less all three. 3. I was disappointed how touristy this historical site had become. You cannot get to the ruins without going through a gauntlet of vendors, restaurants, people yelling at you, people with monkeys/birds on chains (sad). This is a respectable, historical site-and all this cheapens it. Maybe have this market adjacent to this site, so visitors can go next door if they want to see any of these things. But to make you walk through it twice just to get to the ruins, is ridiculous. So my thoughts on both Rio Secreto and Tulum ruins are mixed. Definitely go see Secreto-the caves are a must see…but be prepared with snacks in case the switch up happens to you too. And as for the Tulum ruins, go through another company that just focuses on Tulum for the day…and be prepared for the circus once you get to the ruins.
Super Fun
Kimberly_L, Nov 2023
Super fun and different experience. When I read the reviews most complained about the camera not being allowed. Don’t let this detour you from going. Also none of our driver begged for tips to or back from the river cave. It is an experience of a lifetime. Our guide Thomas was fantastic. I’m older with two new knees this year. He was more than helpful in getting me over some harder spots. Floating more than swimming. Lunch was good too.. If you don’t want to buy to pictures don’t. They are pricey. We purchased one to savor the memories.
Mesmerizing
Hilda_P, Nov 2023
Diana was excellent tour guide. So careful and knowledgeable. She did an excellent tour, explaining and careful with the group and personable of people's limitations.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you very much for the time you spent sharing your experience. We are very happy to learn that your activity was a pleasant one and that you were highly satisfied with our service. We strive to deliver the most memorable experience to our valued guests. We highly appreciate your gracious comments here and have shared them with our team.
Recommend Rio Secreto PLUS Tour
Dale_T, Jul 2023
Going through the cave with only head lights and walking and swimming in chilly water was incredible. At the end everyone sat and turned off their light so TOTAL dark. We did the Plus tour that included biking, rappelling, and dry cave tour. We will do this tour again when return to Maya Riviera.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thank you for sharing your experience, it means a lot to us. It has been a pleasure serving you and we hope to see you again soon.
Amazing!
Monika_M, Feb 2023
A must see! It was such an amazing experience! Thank you very much Vicky, you did a great job and everyone enjoyed the tour trough your office ;-)
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Dear Monika, Thank you for sharing your tour experience, this is very helpful for us, and we agreed Vicky is one of the best and Rio Secreto is a must! We hope to see you soon. Kind regards
A unique experience
Jane_W, Feb 2023
The program is well thought out, our guide Daniela G was terrific. It’s an experience we’ll never forget.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Dear Jane, Thank you for sharing your tour experience, this is very helpful for us, and we agreed Daniela is one of the best and Rio Secreto is a must! Kind regards
Heaven on Earth 🌎
Randy_T, Jan 2023
This trip was simply AMAZING from start to finish! The best part of this trip was our guide Victoria. She was so knowledgeable about the Mayans, the land, & the caves. She was very energetic and a blessing to be around. Rio Secreto Nature Reserve was breathtaking. It you are a nature lover, this is definitely the tour for you!
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience on this incredible tour with us. We hope that you have been able to take with you an incomparable experience on your vacation. we will make sure to share your comments with Victoria. We hope to have you back with us very soon.
Excellent tour but must be physically fit.
Anitha_M, Jan 2023
This was one of the most memorable experiences. Make sure the body suit to protect you from the cold water fits well but not too tight. I got a small one that suffocated me and had to go back to change to a bigger one. Also this is definitely not for the disabled or elderly unless they are physically fit. Nunez was very knowledgable and helpful guiding us all the way through the caves.
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience during this incredible tour. We will send your kind comments to your guide. We hope you have taken with you an incredible experience.
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