Xenses Park

Xenses is the most creatively weird park in the Riviera Maya, and kids who visit it tend to call it their favorite of the entire vacation. Created by Grupo Xcaret (the same company behind Xcaret, Xel-Há, and Xplor), Xenses is a sensory experience park that's designed to trick your perceptions, challenge your senses, and get you wonderfully dirty in the process.

The park is organized into two paths: the Path of Feeling and the Path of Doing. The Path of Feeling includes experiences like the Xensatorium (a sensory journey through different scents, temperatures, and sounds), a touch-based labyrinth navigated in darkness, and the underground river float where you drift through a cave blindfolded while experiencing different water temperatures. The Path of Doing includes zip lines, water slides, the famous mud river, and the tilted 'Town' where gravity seems broken.

The Town is usually the first place families head, and for good reason. Every building, street, and surface is constructed at a 15-20 degree angle, creating the disorienting sensation that you're about to fall over. Your brain knows you're on flat ground but your eyes are screaming otherwise.

The photos and videos you take here look like impossible physics — kids standing sideways on walls, water flowing uphill, chairs that seem to defy gravity. It's social media gold for teens and genuinely baffling for younger kids.

The mud river ('Sludge' experience) is the other crowd favorite. You slide and wade through a river of warm volcanic mud, emerging covered head to toe. Kids who normally hate getting dirty suddenly love it when it's officially sanctioned mess-making. Showers and a cleaning area are provided afterward.

The zip line soars over the jungle, and the water slides include a tunnel ride and open-air drops. The underground float requires participants to wear a blindfold while floating on their back through a cave — this is incredible for kids who embrace it, but younger or more anxious children may find the blindfold uncomfortable. Ask about it before committing.

Xenses is located at Km 282 on the Chetumal highway, adjacent to Xcaret Park, about 75 minutes south of Cancún. Transport from Cancún hotels costs about $25 per person round-trip. The park is open Monday through Saturday (closed Sundays), 8:30 AM to 7 PM.

Admission runs $77/adult and $58/child (ages 5-11), with kids 4 and under free. The price includes all activities — no additional per-ride charges. Lockers, showers, and changing rooms are available. Food and drinks are extra unless you upgrade your package.

Xenses hits the sweet spot for families with kids ages 5-14. It's too conceptually complex for toddlers and might feel too 'theme-parky' for cynical teenagers, but for the 5-14 age range, the combination of mind-bending illusions, messy play, and adventurous activities creates a uniquely memorable experience. Plan for 4-5 hours to do everything comfortably.