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Growing up in Florida means theme park standards are set pretty high. So you could imagine my pleasant surprise when Tim and I ventured to Xenses park and were BLOWN AWAY. This park is unlike anything you have ever seen before! Unsure of what we were going to experience, we came out feeling like we had just spent the day in Wonderland while Alice was away.If you are in the Cancun/Playa del Carmen area this is a MUST. After we explored the local area and made our way to Tulum, we were really excited to see the theme park! A perfect half day park for everyone in the family with SO MANY photo spots, I promise you will love it. Here is some of the photo-fun from our day at Xenses.

 

Xenses Park

 

A place as fun as it is magical, as amazing as it is enigmatic, and as crazy as it is rational you will find great photo spots all over! The pictures are all saved for you, via your bracelet sensor, which means you are able to enjoy without having to lug around a camera.

 

Here are some of our favorites from the trip… The park has a really cute cafeteria with some ah-may-zing burgers that is your entrance to the park and where you can take some of the day’s first photos.

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
Hold on tight!

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
Getting ready for adventure

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
Converted bus cafeteria that has AC, perfect for lunch or a snack

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
The cameras are sometimes tricky to find until you get the hang of it

 

As you make your way to the restrooms and lockers you are in for a surprise! You walk through a trippy moving tunnel that plays with your perception, the first of many times you will second guess what your body thinks is happening. And because nothing is really quite what it seems at Xenses…

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
Move over bathroom mirror selfie, there is a mosaic toilet chair here to dethrone you!

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun

 

Xenses, like some of the other parks in the area, has a central pinwheel-like design. In what is known as the heart you will find how to access each of the spokes like the bathrooms and lockers and other areas of the park. But the heart also houses the gift shop and multiple places where you are able to take pictures that defy optics and distort reality.

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
One of the many photo ops inside the pinwheel

 

My favorite part of Xenses is probably the hardest to describe and show because of how big the optical illusion aspect is. The town, as it is called, is what I imagine the world would look like if we could step into the world of Alice’s Mad Hatter- what seems is not what is, and what isn’t isn’t quite true. The town is built at an angle and with perception distorting architecture you think you are walking up a hill but in reality, you are walking down… It shows you how powerful your mind really is!

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
All the open houses in The Town have a surprise…

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
You can see one of the photo sensors under the window. They are activated by your bracelet!

If you really want to experience Xenses at its core, you HAVE to do the Xensatorium. A different and fun experience, that shows you how much we rely on our sight. You walk through different ecosystems among the flora and the sounds of animals that represent each one… Jungle, desert, forest, mountain… among others. In complete darkness, you use your sense of touch and sound to make your way through the attraction. Nothing moves, nothing scares you… you just make your way through and experience something incredibly unique!

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
Feeling my way through the jungle
Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
Tim in the Savana

 

Other things to experience at Xenses include:

Slip

A refreshing descent full of sensations, which may have a slow start, but little by little the speed increases and takes you on a thrilling and exciting ride where water and a dark tunnel will lead you to an unexpected finale. A very cool water slide, so make sure you wear a swimsuit.

Bird Flight

Like a bird, go through the sky on a zip-line peacefully admiring the landscape and truly appreciating what flying feels like. A waaaaaay more comfortable way to zipline if you are part of the #thickthighclub like I am.

Riverlaxing

Test your relaxation abilities, guys! Let go with the soothing tranquility of floating on a river in which you can’t sink, inspired by the Dead Sea. The current slowly moves you along as you forget about your troubles!

Sludgerie

Your sense of touch has a new experience to live, being covered by mud! From head to toe, your skin grabs all the attention wrapped with a refreshing and moisturizing secret mud recipe that is silky to the touch. At the end of the activity, you’ll wash off in underground waterfalls and feel the effects of your new and smooth skin.

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun
Your skin feels amazing after this!

 

Xitric Garden

Take a little break to taste a delicious beverage directly from a lemon tree, exactly like something out of Alice in Wonderland!

The Eden

Exactly like what you imagine a peaceful paradise to be like! You can appreciate the beauty of a heavenly place as you admire the waterfall, the lake, the macaws and flamingos that welcome you to this lovely place.

 

Xenses, Xenses Park, Riviera Maya, Tim McKenna, Ess McKn, CircaWanderlust, Mexico, Cancun

 

Rain

Streams of water will surprise your from above, below, left, right, diagonally, in front and behind you!

 

Wake up your sense at Xenses and experience something completely new. And this park is a perfect half day option too that is perfect for all ages. Looking for more things to do in the Riviera Maya? Check out Xcaret Park, Xplor and Xel-ha. For more information about trip planning in the Riviera Maya go to VisitMexico.com.

 

Special thanks to Xcaret Parks for inviting us to the Riviera Maya on an all expenses paid trip. This in no way shaped our opinions in this article.

 

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Author

Nia is an Associate Editor at The Fairytale Traveler and self diagnosed travel junkie. Having traveled to 5 of the 7 continents, her love of good food and culture is a force to be reckoned with. When she isn't off adventuring with her husband, which she writes about on her blog CircaWanderlust, she can be found with a good cup of tea cuddling her pups and taking pictures of her food. She loves black and white movies and could listen to Elvis on repeat.

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