Visiting Rio Secreto
The best way to get to know Rio Secreto is by taking a guided tour. There are 30 guides who take groups of 10 or less to the underground river system. Your guide will keep an eye on you and explain the natural landscape. You can swim in an underground cave, admire stalactites, and explore the underground river system. You can go rain or shine. The tours are inexpensive and you will have a great time.
If you'd rather stay dry and indoors, you can also take a tour of the cave in Xplor park. The basic tour lasts approximately an hour and a half, and includes a briefing on cave formations and safety. The 7.5-mile long river caves contain over 100 species of animals and innumerable varieties of plants. The original inhabitants of Rio Secundo worship the ceiba tree, which is the largest tree in the world.
The tours are well organized and the staff is friendly. After signing a waiver, you'll be taken to a cave about 5 km from the entrance. You'll be outfitted with wet suits, water shoes, helmets with attached lights, and life jackets, and be given a traditional Mayan blessing. The guides will teach you about the geological history of the area and how it formed. You can visit the Rio Secreto Underground River any time of the year.
If you're traveling by car to Rio Secreto, you can rent a car and drive through the reserve. Your vehicle will stop at the entrance of the park. You'll sign a liability waiver and watch a video about the cave. After that, your driver will take you seven kilometers deep into the jungle. You'll be awed by the beauty and tranquility of this magical place. You'll be glad you did.
The most popular tour in Rio Secreto is the one that takes you through a cave system. Visitors will spend about one hour swimming and exploring the river below. A boat trip is the only way to reach the deepest parts of the reserve. If you don't have time to walk or drive, you can take a bus to the top of the hill and explore the rest of the caves. Afterwards, you'll take a boat back to the park entrance to enjoy the view of the jungle from above.
If you're traveling by car, you'll probably want to visit Rio Secreto on a tour. The tours are the only way to explore this reserve. The buses begin at the entrance of the park, where the guides will explain the cave and the water. When you're ready to get into the water, the guides will take you through one kilometer of the cave. There, you'll swim through the pristine blue waters to reach the other side. Get more details about tourism at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism.