The Unofficial Palladium Resort Site

Our family of 5 went to XPLOR in mid-June and had an awesome time! My 3 young adult children, my husband, and I thoroughly enjoyed our day there. We purchased tickets online before arriving in Mexico and saved 10% off the regular rates. We did not get the transportation option, which would have been an additional $16 per person. Instead we took the collectivo from our resort (Grand Palladium), which cost $2 usd per person and was about a 15 minute ride. Upon arriving we got in the line for online ticket purchases and waited only about 10 minutes, with about 2 parties in front of us. The other line looked 4 times as long, You must show them the same credit card you used to order your online tickets and a photo ID. Everyone in your party must sign waivers. Then helmets, locker keys, and wristbands are distributed. You then proceed to the locker area.

Signage is good in all areas of the park. Water stations are available. Xplor's website explains all the 4 adventure activities (http://xplor.travel/) We arrived at 9:30 a.m. and after checking in and going to our lockers were were ready to zip line by 9:50. The park was not crowded, so our wait was about 20 minutes. This was all our first time zip lining, so we didn't know what to expect. The XPLOR staff are friendly and explain how to gear up and instruct you on how to land when you are nearing a tower. They give personal attention in helping you secure your gear and also check your helmet to see if it is on properly. I was the most anxious, being slightly afraid of heights. But once I conquered the first zip line, I thought, "This isn't so bad, and in fact, it is a great feeling flying over treetops!" You don't go at super high speeds, and there is always someone to "put on the brakes" for you as you come to the end of each line. You still need to remember to pull your knees up to a 90-degree angle as you are preparing to land. After finishing the first circuit, we ended up doing the 2nd one, which had higher lines, but overall it was shorter. Doing both circuits took us about 1.5 to 2 hours. Both have water landings and waterfalls to zip through. The first one also has a waterslide, which ends in shallow water. The splashdowns are great fun! I did see kids zip lining there that looked like they were about 8 to 9. They were zip lining attached to an adult. You can also ask to zip line with another person in your party. My son and I did it once. The zip lines were our favorite thing to do!

We had lunch at the buffet after zip lining. It was all very good and plenty of options and fruit juices. Then we proceeded to try the amphibious vehicles. The staff member told us you have to be 25 or older to drive. (The website says 18 and older) Everyone in my party was over 18, but my kids did not have IDs with us, so my husband and I ended up driving. You go through lots of jungle paths, some shallow standing water, a few dark caves, and a wooden bridge and navigate lots of sharp turns. Along the route, there are areas to go off the road a bit if you want to change drivers. The ride was bumpy and fun!

The rafts were next. My husband and I did the 2-person raft and each of the kids had their own. You have 2 routes to choose from and we all opted for the longer one with more turns. You paddle through caves with paddles attached to your hands, following the lights in the water. Having 2 people on a raft made it twice as hard to navigate, as we weren't the most coordinated. We hit rocks and veered off the river path more than a few times. Your shoulders/arms really get a workout.

Our last activity was the river swim. You get a lifejacket and the staff member explains the route to you. The water is COLD when you first enter, but you do get used to it in about 30 seconds. There are emergency exits along the swim route in case you get tired, or just want to stop for whatever reason. My husband exited about halfway through. The rest of us kept going to the end. A word of caution: there are many rocks and hard cave walls to navigate through. And the swim path is not always wide, so you will inevitably scrap your knee or arm against something hard or sharp. We all came out with a few scraps each. You cannot always see what is ahead of you under the water so you may bump into rocks that are under the water. Wearing water shoes is recommended! I am 5'4" and was able to touch the bottom on my tiptoes only in some areas. I could see taller people walking through at some points along the river. At the end you must swim through a thundering waterfall! What an experience! I did not think I would like the river swim, but I actually did (my kids did too), even though we incurred a few minor scrapes along the way. It is such a unique experience swimming through a stalactite river enjoying the cave formations. The hardest part of the day was climbing up the zip line towers (at least for those of us age 50+). A few of them are very high (especially on the 2nd circuit). You go up circular ramps, stairs, and ascend ladders. They did have water coolers in some towers for a quick drink (you will need it). We loved that the park was not crowded and we did not wait at all for the vehicles, rafts, or swim. We only waited about 15-20 minutes for the first zip line circuit, but just walked right up to the 2nd circuit to start as we were already in our gear. We arrived around 9:30 and finished everything by 3:30. The park is designed so that when you conclude each adventure, you end up in the locker area with the water station right there too. This is convenient. Before leaving, you will have a chance to view your photos that are taken of you on each attraction.

They were expensive and they do push for you to buy the whole package which is over $120 (at least for our party of 5) but some of the photos were of other parties and not us, and not all turned out that good. So, we just bought 4 of our favorite photos. (about $50 usd). They are put on a USB for you to take. I highly recommend XPLOR for adults, teens, and older children! A unique adventure park that is well designed! You will be talking about your experience long after you've left!