Aktun Chen — Attraction in Quintana Roo

A hidden gem. The park itself is very large, but the activities are restricted to a few areas within the park. So the money spent helps preserve the entire area. I did the cenote/underground river, and the caves. If I had more time, I likely would have considered the zip line, but I got there in the afternoon, with only enough time for two activities. There was a 10% discount for booking two activities. You can pay at reception and do not need to book online. The collectivo drops you off and picks you up right in front of the park. The collectivo drivers are AMAZING, and it is very cheap to use. There is no official "bus stop" when you leave, but there is a business or something on the other side of the road, and as a female traveling alone, I felt safe. Sometimes the collectivos are full, so you might have to wait a few minutes for one with room to stop. Just keep putting your hand out when they go by, & eventually one stops. I only waited about 5-7 minutes. The shuttle takes a few minutes to pick you up from the front entrance, as it is about 5 km or so to get to the reception area in the park and the road is dirt and windy so they drive slowly and slowed down a couple times for wildlife on the road. Let security know you need the shuttle if not driving your own car.

The staff are some of the friendliest people I have met. My guide- Jamie- for the cenote was excellent, patient while we got ready, and was more than happy to take lots of pictures. I am a good swimmer, so I found the life jacket a little annoying, but understand for safety why they require them. There are areas that are not deep, and you can stand, so even if you are afraid of water, and cannot swim, you can go to the area where you can just stand in the water. The cenote was not busy at all, which was really nice, and the water was clear. You are required to take a shower/wash with water before entering to help preserve the ecosystem and reduce the chemicals entering into the system- so that was good to see that they care about such details.

My guide- Alfredo- for the cave was also amazing. I was really lucky and it was just me and him, so I had the entire cave to myself. He was quite passionate about the cave, and had a sense of humor. There are a few areas where you have to bend some to make it through, but as long as you do not have mobility issues, it should not be an issue. The cave tour actually took awhile to make it through particularly if you are picture happy like I am. Alfredo was also kind to take pictures for me.

I am rather surprised by the comments regarding the price, as I found it reasonable in relation to other activities I have been on in Mexico. There is no group discount though- so if you are travelling with a large family, the price does add up. They have a guard at the front entrance, staff at the reception and at the activities, and between the shuttle driver, and another driver to take you to the cenote, as well as the tour guides, there are a lot of staff to have to pay. Also, animals to feed, and it is a large reserve area. The cost of dinner and a drink - something you rarely remember- or an experience that lasts for years in the mind, to me, it is kinda a simple choice- experience that lasts for years! I would recommend bringing a few smaller pesos (10, or 20s) or US bills (1 or 5) for tips- as the drivers & the guides deserved tips, even though it is not required.

The monkeys were in a caged area, but there was one with a very small baby- likely just a few days to a week or two old- so that is a positive sign, & none looked like they were in poor health. With the exception of two monkeys at the front area, they were caged in an area with natural vegetation- trees & shrubs, rather than some zoos where animals are kept surround in a cell like environment. There were also wild monkeys hanging around- I saw two. People in the southern region still eat monkey (shame on tourists for doing that), so sometimes these areas can help educate & preserve the species. The deer walked...

This was one of the most beautiful natural attractions I've experienced ever! My partner and I chose Aktun Chen because there were multiple activities at the park- cavern tours, cenote exploration, zip lining, atv rides, and a animal sanctuary you can visit. We chose the cavern tour, cenote, and spent time walking through the animal sanctuary.

We had the pleasure of going through the cavern with Jamie, a very knowledge, kind, and funny guide that works at the park. Because we arrived early (about 10:30, opens at 10), we avoided crowds and ended up with a private tour. I learned so much about the ecology of the cavern, how it was formed, and the interactions of the Mayan people with the cave. The tour lasted about an hour.

After spending time in the caverns we walked about 7 mins to the reception area, learning about different animals in the sanctuary along the way. We were then given driving directions to the cenote, which was about a 5-7 min drive. The cenote was beautiful ! The underground fresh water river was full of natural formations and marine life. Our guide Nicole took us through the cenote once. After some pictures we were able to stay and swim for as long as we wished. We spent about two hours in the cenote all together.

With a two package discount we ended up spending a little over $40 USD per person, which included park access, cenote tour, cavern tour, hard hat for the cavern, life jacket and goggles for the cenote, and access to lockers. The park was not crowded which was another highlight. The staff were friendly and attentive. Shout out to Jamie who was super knowledgeable about the park ecology and history. I highly recommend a visit to Aktun Chen for families, couples, or...

The cave tour was the worst cash grab experience I've had in the entire peninsula. We were there basically to swim the underground river and I asked Jamie if we can swim right after the tour or we'd have to pay for it separately. He led us to believe that access to park "including river swim" was included. The cave tour is basically a 30 min walk through the caves with some unwitty remarks about leprechauns, and chupacabras. No information about the geological structures, the history, sciences behind it, any interesting discoveries and tidbits - none of that, I basically had to ask him for the most basic info. I'll admit the caves are interesting to look at and fun to walk around, but it's definitely not worth $550 pesos. Maybe 150 pesos (250 if you're really into rocks and geology) but the tour itself was short, underwhelming, uninformative and disappointing.

The worst part of this whole experience was them not even admitting to the miscommunication and insisting we pay for the river. The staff was discourteous, disingenuous and intentionally obtuse. Made no efforts to actually address our concerns. I really wanted to check out the underground river, because it sounded fascinating. I would've been happy to pay extra if they made any efforts to own up to their miscommunication (intentional or otherwise) and tried to fix it. But it just left a very poor taste, I wouldn't recommend this place based on my experience.

If the owner/manager is reading - Fix your website, make it very clear what is included and what is NOT. Train your employees to not be...