Río Secreto — Attraction in Quintana Roo

We were disappointed by our visit to Rio Secreto and would strongly recommend for those considering Rio Secreto to opt for an experience such as Sac Actun instead.

There were several main issues with the Rio Secreto tour, but key among these was that the groups are randomly selected with no focus on the different goals and language capabilities that guests may have. As a result, my partner and I were assigned to a group with two children and individuals who had limited mobility. I speak Spanish but my partner does not, and everyone else on the tour spoke Spanish.

Because we had a group with limited mobility, we were taken on the easiest tour, which for us was underwhelming. This included a walk through the jungle, a Mayan ceremony (I did enjoy this part), and a short circuit through the caves which doubled back upon itself (the other circuits are round-trip, which sounded a lot more interesting). We walked for most of the time and barely got to swim in the caves, which is what I really wanted to experience. The guide primarily spoke Spanish and I was disappointed for my partner that the presentation in Spanish was much richer and more interesting than what was said in English - I did try to translate for him whenever possible, but I felt he got a subpar experience. I feel that because this experience is so popular, you should be able to choose your activity level and language when you first book, so that nobody is disappointed.

As many have mentioned, cameras of any kind are not allowed in the caves, which I'm honestly okay with. There are many surfaces which could pose a danger to unaware walkers and I can see how cameras are a liability. However, what I found insulting was how intrusive the photographer was with taking FLASH photos of us constantly (in a pitch-black cave - so much for safety!), how blurry and terrible those photos were, and how much they tried to charge us for them (more than the cost of the tickets themselves!). If they truly cared about safety, they could limit photos taken whilst walking and lower the price of the photos, but this of course is an opportunity to get extra money. It also seriously bothered me how the drivers and guides were constantly reminding us to tip them - our first driver actually had a sign that said: "this driver lives on tips," which was disturbing because why isn't he getting paid by the company that hired him??

The equipment provided was also disappointing. A member of our group had a headlight that didn't work, and the wetsuits were so stretched out that they really didn't provide much warmth. The watershoes were riddled with holes and provided no real safety.

The buffet at the end was thoroughly disappointing, with bland food that was lacking in variety.

Initially, I was going to leave a 2-3 star review... and then we visited Sac Actun! This is also a cave network that can be visited in a tour group. First of all, the cost to visit is much lower. You do have to pay extra to bring your camera in, but the cost is negligible - and our guide used my camera to take amazing pictures of everyone within our group, which I forwarded to the other people on our tour so everyone could have a photo! You spend most of your time swimming and the guide illuminates both the cave walls and underneath the water, so that you can see just how amazing these cave systems are. The equipment we received for our tour was in fantastic working order. Our guide spoke fluent English and we were never pressured to tip (though of course we did!). Sac Actun was easily one of our favourite parts of the trip - and by this comparison, it's difficult to rate Rio Secreto any higher since I would not recommend it at all!

In short, this experience is cool insofar as you get to be inside a cave. This of course is wonderful and I won't deny that the caves and jungles are beautiful. But there are better, cheaper experiences out there and I'm sure Sac Actun is just one of them. Save your time and money and check one of these...

This was one of my favorite adventures on our trip! Rio Secreto was only discovered around 20 years ago. It's a giant system of underground rivers and caverns and it was incredible to visit one of them. There are 5 caverns that tourists are allowed to enter with a guide. We got to visit "Enchanted" but our guide, Allen, told us that "Supreme" is his favorite. I don't know if you can request a cavern or not but since it was our first time, it didn't matter to us.

There are wetsuits, water shoes, helmets with headlamps, life jackets, and walking sticks provided. Life jackets, water shoes and helmets are the only required items but trust me. Use them all. The water is pleasant but after you've been inside for awhile you could end up cold. And the walking stick provided so much help over the slippery uneven terrain.

Allen was an incredible guide, with the wonderful Pato along as our ninja photographer and second guide. They were so much fun, informative, knowledgeable, environment-conscious, patient, and friendly. Helped us every step with lights on the right spots, warnings about rocks to avoid, places where we were allowed to hold on, and a hand or arm for added support. They were incredible.

Being on the cavern was magical. Gorgeous formations, pristine water, and even a few creature sightings: small catfish, tiny bats, lizards, and the coolest little bugs that look like spiders but aren't. Don't worry. None of these creatures were even close to us (except the fish) but all along the walls where were weren't allowed. The guides pointed them out with flashlights and it added to understanding the cave ecosystem.

As for the terrain, the guides go very slowly, guiding every step. Sometimes you walk through shin-deep water, sometimes you're floating and swimming. The ground is sometimes rocky and uneven, and sometimes silty. The water is so clear and lovely to float in. And there weren't any really small spots to fit through. Ducked heads, bent over a couple of times, carefully around low hanging stalactites, but nothing truly squeezy. Until a choice at the end. We could have gone out of the cave the easy way but we voted to go a little more adventurous and go around the corner through a smaller spot but it wasn't really small and we could see the exit clearly through the space.

I don't want to spoil the best part, but just fyi, there is a moment when the guides had us hold hands on a circle, float on our backs, and turn out all the lights so we could truly experience the essence of the cavern. It was my favorite part but just know that's part of the tour if any of that would bother you.

But honestly, it was incredible. From beginning to end. Attention to detail, customer friendly, safe and environmental-conscious, with a great meal afterwards. There were 7 of us on the tour and by the end we were family, ate lunch together and were sad to say goodbye.

You can purchase your photo package afterwards. Buy one photo or the whole package, but know you can negotiate the price a bit. And it was one of the least pressure situations we've experienced on Mexico.

All in all, an amazing day. And...

This was my daughters favorite excursion of the whole cruise! What a unique experience to explore these magnificent caves. We booked our excursion through Carnival, and everything was incredibly organized and easy! We took a tender to the main land (about 45 minutes and a fun ride). They served drinks and snacks for a price on the boat. If you get seasick, be prepared ahead of time, the water can be a bit choppy. We personally enjoyed it :) Jerico then escorted us to our bus...he was super friendly and fun, excellent customer service. The bus ride was only about 15 minutes, and it was super plush with soft seats and air conditioned and cool! To get to the location, you drive through this amazing thick jungle with butterflies everywhere. The ride is a bit bumpy, but again the seats are super plush, so it was fun. (Our mountain roads are much more washboardy and bumpy, so we didn't mind it at all). Once you arrive they suit you up with wetsuits, a helmet and water shoes. Everything was clean and neat. Our guide, Luis, was incredibly knowledgeable about Mayan culture and the flora and fauna surrounding us. We hiked in a short way to get to the cave and stopped along the way several times to talk about the jungle. Super fascinating! Then we were blessed by a Mayan Shaman before entering the cave, for a safe passage. (This was one of my daughter and I's favorite parts). The caves were so magical and amazing! It was really hot that day, so it was nice to be in the cave. The water was refreshing and at one point where the water was totally deep we all shut off our lights and floated in total darkness...WOW! You are in the caves for a total of 1 1/2 hours, but it goes by so quickly. There are four different cave circuits, we did the Supreme circuit. So if you go a second time, you may get a different tour....but each tour is unique in its own way. At the end of the tour they drive you to the entrance to get some food. The food was INCREDIBLE!!!! SOOOO GOOD!!! They had fresh made corn tortillas, a cactus vegetable that was super tasty, rice, beans, bbq pork or bbq chicken, and two types of pasta dishes. The food is part of the tour, but you can purchase beers and soda to enjoy along with the meal. We were offered a complimentary shot of Xtabentun to toast our cave adventure with Luis. Definitely worth a try and I am wishing I had purchased a bottle while I was there. There was a tiny gift shop, and there were computers for you to view the photos and decide if you wanted to purchase any. I always expect the cost to be a bit pricey, so I'm not shocked when they tell you how much ($99.00)....besides, its totally worth it! If you are on the fence about this excursion, I highly recommend it! If you are worried you might not be able to keep up, I will say that Luis was incredibly patient and kind and illuminated/shared every bump and rock outcropping to keep you from hurting yourself. It really wasn't bad at all, and our small group helped one another when needed. Excellent customer service all around and a truly magnificent trip! Thank you for the memories of...