Tropical Jungle Trail: a walk around Xcaret ecological park

Xcaret ecological park is proud to offer you this ecological tour along the Tropical Jungle Trail, where you will be able to admire an attractive sample of the typical Cancun and Quintana Roo flora at Xcaret ecological park. In this natural depression grow more than 100 species of native plants, including fruit trees, timber trees, ornamental and medicinal plants, bromelias and orchids. Xcaret ecological park wants you to learn more about our regional flora, that`s why each one of our plant species is tagged with its scientific name and its common Mayan name.

Along the Xcaret ecological park walk in the Tropical Jungle Trail you will find the Orchids Greenhouse and Xcaret ecological park Bromelias, the germination beds where thousands of native species seeds are cultivated daily. In Xcaret ecological park Tropical Jungle Trail you will also learn about the compost elaboration process, made solely of organic residues generated inside the park.

Xcaret ecological park`s Tropical Jungle Trail includes a very relaxing raft ride on Paradise River of approximately 20 minutes. In this Xcaret ecological park ride you will admire some representatives of the regional fauna such as white-tailed deer, peccaries, macaws and tapirs. The sound of water, the exuberant vegetation and the animals along the path make of this ride a unique experience at Xcaret ecological park.

Further on along Xcaret ecological park Jungle Trail you will arrive to a chicle or chewing gum camp, where you will learn the process the Maya used for harvesting gum from the zapote tree or Sapodilla. Taste the flavor of the original chewing gum!

Our Xcaret ecological park tours show also some of the products that are made from regional plants like:  latex, hemp, coconut sweets, cinnamon, vanilla and annatto spice, amongst others.

The large production of seeds from native plant species led Xcaret ecological park to launch a wild plant propagation and rescue program for plants whose natural environment has been altered. Our more than 60,000 plants, distributed throughout Xcaret ecological park nurseries, include endangered species—like the Sergeant`s Palm, Florida Thatch Palm and Cuban Wax Palm— and rare species like the Contrayerba, used in traditional Mayan medicine as an antidote for snake bites.