Memories from My First Mexican Trip

This spring break marked the third country I have visited for the first time. A five-day vacation at two hotels in Cancun, Mexico, one of the most iconic vacation spots, especially for our family of Canadians getting away from the brutal, long winter season. This trip to Mexico was worth escaping the snow and lived up to its reputation as one of the world’s best vacation spots.

First Stop: Hotel Xcaret

We stayed in the Hotel Xcaret Mexico, an all-inclusive resort with activities, food, and 13 pools. The design of the hotel were fascinating, as you can see the beautiful views of the ocean on balconies and bridges. This resort is perfect for first-time visitors to Mexico who want to see the country’s beautiful nature and culture. 

Dining

The food was delicious with different themes in each restaurant and a variety of food to choose from. Some restaurants lined the perimeter of the pool; other restaurants had colourful piñatas hanging on their ceilings.

One unique restaurant called “Las Cuevas” was built inside a cave and designed as an underground restaurant. It features a very dim atmosphere as the only light sources are candles on the walls.

Their specialty foods were meats served on large wooden plates in a large tower shape. The waiters would carve the meat in front of you and serve it with many sauces. It was unique to see the different food options served by waiters compared to a basic menu in most restaurants. 

Two Quite Different Park Experiences

The next morning, we explored the hotel’s largest park, Park Xcaret Mexico, and enjoyed rides and activities. There are three different coloured paths to follow–black, white, and red–each with different attractions. We followed the black stone path, leading us to many architectural structures, such as the Mayan Ruins. After, we took the red path, which has a little boat we rode for a tour of the backside of the park, where you can see the different pathways connecting to the resort. You could also see so many beautiful murals, shops, and little cafes alongside the pathway. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore the other paths during our two-day stay, which truly shows how many attractions there are.

That night, we saw the famous “Xcaret México Espectacular Show” about Mexico’s history. The show displayed multiple dancing and singing performances. The performers wore traditional clothing that was made with vibrant coloured fabric. Each city would show a paragraph on the screen about certain landmarks, artifacts, or special things that make them unique. Also, each act was unique and showcased the music of their region. For example, performers played soccer with balls lit on fire, climbed the Danza de los Voladores, and rode horses. The eventful showcase revived us with energy after a long day of walking around. 

The next day, we went to Park Xplor, an adventure-themed park with activities located through a cave-like structure that the park is built on. The park features many ziplines and water activities. Our favourite activity was riding ATVs, which took about 45 minutes to drive around a rocky terrain path going in and out of caves filled with puddles of water. It was fun to see all the nature of the forest and experience the ups and downs driving through waterfalls. There were cameras throughout the path. You could purchase the photos and look back on the experience forever. It was a fun day filled with first experiences for my whole family.

On the third day of our trip, we officially said goodbye to all the Xcaret resorts and parks. 

Next Stop: Hotel Hyatt Ziva

During the second half of our trip, we spent our time relaxing at another hotel closer to the ocean with a large beach. This next all-inclusive resort, called the Hyatt Ziva in Quintana Roo, Mexico, is famous for its ocean views and long beaches. It has a strong boardwalk vibe and is quite different from the nature and greenery-oriented vibe at Hotel Xcaret. 

Hotel Activities

Instead of exploring all the features and attractions in-depth, we decided to only pick the ones we thought would be most memorable.

My favourite was the dolphin interactive program, where you sign up to swim with the dolphins. The dolphins were very friendly and playful, and we learned fun and simple tricks from trainers to interact with them.

For example, the trainers made them go around and squirt water or jump through hula hoops. My mom took a lot of great photos of us, too, like when the dolphin would hold our hands. I recommend trying this  as it’s something you may never try again. 

Dining

There are many shops for souvenirs, cafes, and restaurants with many small plazas. We spent two days at four of the eight restaurants located in the resort eating various foods like Italian, French, and Japanese hibachi. My favourite was the taco restaurant where you’re seated on a large open patio with access to a beverage bar. It features a row of swing seats that you can sit on while you wait for your table. You can look at the ocean and sip a cool drink. This restaurant, with its casual vibe and loud music was a great place to have a quick bite for lunch. 

Final Thoughts

As the trip came to an end, I was very grateful for the amazing memories I had made on this vacation. We loved it so much as a family that we’ve already started planning to go there again next year during spring break! I can assure you that anyone who has the slightest interest in going to Mexico will love it there for the variety of fun activities to explore every day.