While in Cancun in February 2014 I spent my birthday with Aventuras Mayas, Tulum Extreme tour. https://www.aventurasmayas.com/
I stayed at the Grand Mayan resort http://www.thegrandmayan.com/riviera-maya 25 miles south of Cancun. A wonderful resort and a great experience outside of the metropolis of Cancun and closer to other attractions further south down the coast. My adventure started at 8:00 AM when the van picked me up at the resort. This company specializes in small groups of about 7- 9 people and provides a more personal experience as opposed to the mega tour bus companies that herd large groups on and off the big bus. The other people on the tour was a family from Wisconsin. We got to know each other quickly as our guide drove to our first stop at the Mayan ruins in Tulum. Eliu, our guide spoke fluent english and was very knowledgeable of the Mayan culture. We spent about an hour touring the ruins before we drove into the jungle down a long dirt road on our way to the zip lines. There were four towers set up overlooking the jungle with zip lines running between each. The longest line was 1,200 feet, (see the movie below.) Each tower had two staff members assisting in getting you on and off each line. Everyone was very professional, the gear and towers were maintained properly and I always felt safe.
Since we already had on helmets and gear, the 60′ rappelling towers were next. This was a wooden platform and with safety lines managed by the employees on the ground and on the tower. So for first timers there is zero chance you can screw up and fall. You can actually let go of the line completely and they will control your descent with the safety line. For myself and others on the tower with more experience, they allow you to fall as fast as you like. I got to make 4 trips before we had to move on to our next challenge.
Underwater cavern snorkeling! Whats not to like about snorkeling in an underwater cavern with crystal clear water. Absolutely beautiful, the lights and colors were spectacular and yes the water was little chilly. After 30 minutes in the cool water everyone was ready to get back above ground in the sun to warm up and change into dry clothes. By now everyone was hungry after a full day of adventure so we enjoyed a Mexican BBQ chicken lunch provided by the tour company. Lunch was under a large covered shelter in the jungle, the food was good and we ate our fill as we reviewed the days adventure around the picnic tables. The staff photographers were at each of the events to capture the action photos of our group. By the time we finished lunch they had transferred all the photos onto CD’s for purchase at a very reasonable price.
This is one of the best birthdays I have ever experienced, staying at a resort on the Mexican Riviera, the ocean waves splashing up on the beach, beautiful blue skies and 85 degree weather and best of all a truly great adventure filled day with really nice people. I’m planning on making this an annual trip, I love Mexico!
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