In 1785 Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez ordered the construction of a stately home for himself at the highest point of Chapultepec Hill. Francisco Bambitelli, Lieutenant Colonel of the Spanish Army and engineer, drew up the blueprint and began the construction on August 16 of the same year.

After Bambitelli’s departure to Havana, Captain Manuel Agustín Mascaró took over the leadership of the project and during his tenure the works proceeded at a rapid pace. Mascaró was accused of building a fortress with the intent of rebelling against the Spanish Crown from there. Bernardo, the viceroy, died suddenly on November 8, 1786, fueling speculation that he was poisoned. No evidence has yet been found which supports this claim.

Lacking a head engineer, the Spanish Crown ordered that the building be auctioned at a price equivalent to one-fifth of the quantity thus far spent thereon. After finding no buyers Viceroy Juan Vicente de Güemes Pacheco de Padilla y Horcasitas intended the building to house the General Archive of the Kingdom of the New Spain; that idea was not to prosper either despite already having the blueprints adapted for this purpose.

Alexander von Humboldt visited the site in 1803 and condemned the sale of the palace’s windows by the Royal Treasury as a way of raising funds for the Crown. The building was finally bought in 1806 by the municipal government of Mexico City.

Chapultepec Castle was abandoned during the Mexican War of Independence (1810–1821) and for many years later, until 1833. In that year the building was decreed to become the location of the Colegio Militar (Military Academy); as a sequence of several structural modifications had to be done, including the addition of the watchtower known as Caballero Alto (“Tall Knight”).

On September 13, 1847, the Niños Héroes (“Hero Children”) died defending the castle while it was taken by United States forces during the Battle of Chapultepec of the Mexican-American War. They are honored with a large mural on the ceiling above the main entrance to the castle.

The United States Marine Corps honors the Battle of Chapultepec and the subsequent occupation of Mexico City through the first line of the “Marines’ Hymn,” From the Halls of Montezuma. Marine Corps tradition maintains that the red stripe worn on the trousers of officers and noncommissioned officers, and commonly known as the blood stripe commemorates the high number of Marine NCOs and officers killed storming the castle of Chapultepec in 1847.

Several new rooms were built on the second floor of the palace during the tenure of President Miguel Miramón, who was also an alumnus of the Military Academy.

The castle, now known as Castillo de Miravalle, started to acquire its current look during the Second Mexican Empire, when Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and his wife Empress Carlota chose it as their residence and the seat of their Court in 1864. The Emperor hired several European and Mexican architects, among them Julius Hofmann, Carl Gangolf Kayser, Carlos Schaffer, Eleuterio Méndez and Ramón Cruz Arango, to design the several projects, which followed a neoclassical style and made the palace more habitable. European architects Kayser and Hofmann worked on several other revival castles, including Neuschwanstein Castle – built by Maximilian’s Wittelsbach cousin Ludwig II of Bavaria twenty years after Chapultepec’s renovation.

Botanist Wilhelm Knechtel was in charge of creating the aerial garden located on the roof of the building. Additionally, the Emperor brought from Europe countless pieces of furniture, objets d’art and other fine household items that are exhibited to this day.

At this time, the castle was still located on the outskirts of Mexico City. Maximilian ordered the construction of a straight boulevard (modeled after the great boulevards of Europe, such as Vienna’s Ringstrasse and the Champs-Élysées in Paris), to connect the Imperial residence with the city centre, and named it Paseo de la Emperatriz (“Promenade of the Empress”). Following the reestablishment of the Republic in 1867 by President Benito Juárez and the end of the Reform War (Guerra de Reforma) the boulevard was renamed Paseo de la Reforma.

The castle fell into disuse after the fall of the Second Mexican Empire in 1867. in 1876, a decree established it as an Astronomical, Meteorological and Magnetic Observatory on the site, which was opened in 1878. However, the observatory was only functional for five years until they decided to move it to the former residence of the Archbishop in Tacubaya. The reason was to allow the return of the Colegio Militar to the premises as well as transforming the building into the presidential residence.

The palace underwent several structural changes from 1882 and during the presidency of Porfirio Díaz. The other Presidents who made the palace their official residence were Francisco I. Madero, Venustiano Carranza, Álvaro Obregón, Plutarco Elías Calles, Emilio Portes Gil, Pascual Ortiz Rubio and Abelardo Rodríguez. It was used for a time as an official guest house or residence for foreign dignitaries.

Finally on February 3, 1939, President Lázaro Cárdenas decreed a law establishing Chapultepec Castle as the seat of the National Museum of History (Museo Nacional de Historia) with the collections of the former National Museum of Archaeology, History and Ethnography, (now the National Museum of Cultures). The museum was opened on September 27, 1944. President Cárdenas moved the official Mexican presidential residence to Los Pinos, and never lived in Chapultepec Castle.

• In 1996, the castle was a film location for the Academy Award-nominated movie William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Many views of the castle as the Capulet Mansion can be seen throughout the film.
• In the 1954 American war film Vera Cruz starring Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster, Chapultepec was portrayed using elaborate sets and decor.
• In the 2006 video game Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, a level existed in and around the castle.
• Chapultepec Castle has been used as a model of castle architecture to design buildings such as the 13th Regiment Armory (Sumner Armory), in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, US.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

Chapultepec Park is the second largest city park in Latin America, after the Santiago Metropolitan Park in Chile, measuring in total just over 686 hectares (1700 acres).

It is classed as one of the world’s largest and most visited urban parks, along with Bois de Boulogne in Paris, the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, and Central Park in New York City.

The name “Chapultepec” means “at the grasshopper hill” in Nahuatl and refers to a large rock formation that is the center of the park’s first section.

Originally, this area was a forest outside of Tenochtitlan, once considered sacred in pre-Columbian times, but today it is entirely within the city (mostly in the borough of Miguel Hidalgo), surrounded by some of its primary business and commercial districts.

The park is divided into three sections, the first and oldest surrounded by fence and shut at night, and the other two left open.

It contains nine museums, amusement parks, winding paths, commemorative sculptures, lakes and fountains.

Paseo de la Reforma passes most of the park and cuts through a portion on the north side.

One of the park’s main functions is to be an ecological space for Greater Mexico City. It is considered the first and most important of Mexico City’s “lungs”, with trees that replenished oxygen to the Valley of Mexico.

It is a large unpaved area that allows for aquifer recharge, ameliorates the “heat-island” effect, and attracts rain. It is a refuge for migratory birds from Canada, the U.S. and other regions of Mexico, including the red-tailed hawk, the Harris’s hawk, wild ducks, geese, and others.

Anywhere from 38 to 60 species of birds can be found here, including some native non-migratory species such as the Yucatán canary and a type of heron called the “water dog”.

There are also more than a dozen species of reptiles and amphibians, and a number of species of various types that are in danger of extinction, including the axolotl, Goodeidae, alandrias, the carpenter bird, and the white-tailed hummingbird.

The park is home to a large number of Montezuma cypress, locally called “ahuehuete” trees, with some hundreds of years old. Many of them were planted by the Aztecs.

There are also 165 other species, mostly in the third section. It is estimated by city authorities that MXN$100 million are needed annually to maintain the ecology of the park.

For Mexico City residents, the park is valued as a cultural and historic area as well as green space. The area has vestiges showing human presence as far back as the Toltecs with a number ruins from the pre-Columbian through to the colonial period.

Archeological studies have unearthed and identified tombs associated with Teotihuacan, a Toltec altar on the summit of Chapultepec Hill, remains of a colonial era aqueduct, paths associated with Nezahualcoyotl, and an area where Aztec priests ingested peyote as part of religious rites.

One notable site is the Baths of Moctezuma, which was a systems of tanks, reservoirs, canals and waterfalls constructed by the Aztecs.

The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia has the park, as well as the Castle of Chapultepec on the hill, listed as Mexican heritage sites. They submitted the area for consideration as a World Heritage Site in 2001.

The park received an estimated 15 million visitors each year, and daily visits exceed 250,000. Sunday is the most popular day to visit because the museums are free, and visitors may spend the entire day in one or more sections viewing the attractions, picnicking, or grilling.

Despite its local popularity, however, foreign visitors usually only see the small fraction of the park near the museums.

The park is easy to get to via public transportation. Metro Lines 1 and 7 have stations at park entrances to the east and south respectively. Several bus lines along Paseo de la Reforma.

The oldest and most visited portion of the park is called the “first section”. It is the most developed area, and it has a wrought iron fence and gates that extend around its perimeter.

It contains most of the best known of the park’s attractions, such as the Lago Menor (Small Lake), the Nezahuacoyotl Fountain, the Fuente de las Ranas, the Quixote Fountain, the Templanza Fountain, the Altar a la Patria, the Niños Héroes Obelisk, the Monumento a las Águilas Caídas (Monument to Fallen Eagles), The Ahuehuete, and the Baths of Moctezuma.

The best known museums in the park are in this section, including Museo Nacional de Historia-Chapultepec Castle, the Casa del Lago, the National Auditorium, the Centro Cultural del Bosque, the National Museum of Anthropology, the Rufino Tamayo Museum, and the Museo de Arte Moderno (Modern Art Museum).

It also contains the Chapultepec Zoo, the Jardín de la Tercera Edad, and the Audiorama.

These are connected by various paved paths, many of which have names such as the Avenue of the Poets, which is lined with bronze busts of famous literary figures. The pathway also has trees that are hundreds of years old.

This section of the park also contains the geological formation that gave the park/forest its name: Chapultepec Hill. It is a formation of volcanic rock and andesite, which is common in the Valley of Mexico and contains small caves and sand deposits.

“Chapultepec” in Nahuatl means “grasshopper hill” but it is not clear whether the “Chapul” (grasshopper) part refers to the shape of the hill, or the abundance of grasshoppers in the surrounding woods.

This hill was considered special during the pre-Hispanic period from the Toltecs in the 12th century to the Aztecs up to the time of the Conquest by the Spanish. Remains of a Toltec altar have been found at the top of the hill, a number of burials and its use was reserved only for Aztec emperors and other elite.

After the Conquest, a small chapel dedicated to the Archangel Michael was built on the hill by Claudio de Arciniega in the middle of the 16th century.

In the 18th century, the Spanish built the Chapultepec Castle, which initially was a summer retreat for viceroys.

After the Independence, the Castle remained for the elite, becoming the official resident of the Mexico’s heads of state, including the Emperor Maximilian, who had the Paseo de la Reforma built to connect this area with the historic center of the city. During this time, the Castle and the gardens around it were enlarged and embellished a number of times, giving the Castle a floorspace of 10,000 square m. The most outstanding of the patios and garden is the Alcázar.

In 1940, the president’s residence was moved to the nearby Los Pinos complex and the castle was converted into the National Museum of History, under the auspices of the federal government, along with the rest of the hill.

The museum contains twelve rooms which are open to the public, many of which as they were when the Emperor Maximilian lived there.

It also contains a collection of furniture from the colonial period to the 19th century, utensils, suits, coins, manuscripts, sculptures in clay ivory and silver, and many other art works.

A number of items belonged to figures such as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, José María Morelos y Pavón, Agustín de Iturbide, Benito Juárez, Emiliano Zapata, and others. In addition, there are murals by José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Juan O’Gorman.

At the foot of the hill, there is a large monument to the Niños Héroes (also called the Altar a la Patria), who reportedly threw themselves to their death at the Castle rather than surrenderring to invading U.S. troops in 1847.

This monument consist of six marble columns surrounding a mausoleum with the remains of the six cadets, and a figure of a woman who represents Mexico.

The Chapultepec Zoo

The Chapultepec Zoo is the most visited attraction of the park, especially on Sundays. It is estimated that half of all park visitors come to the zoo.

The zoo was established by Alfonso L. Herrera, a biologist, and opened in 1924. Herrera’s intention was to reestablish the zoo tradition of the old Aztec emperors and improve upon it. He began with species native to Mexico and then added others from the rest of the world. He modeled the zoo after the Bioparco di Roma in Rome, Italy.

Between 1950 and 1960, the zoo expanded and added new species. In 1975, the zoo obtained two pandas from China. Since then, at least eight panda cubs have been born at the zoo, making it the first institution outside of China to breed the species.

From 1992 to 1994, the zoo was completely remodeled, categorizing exhibits by habitat rather than type of species. Some of the most important Mexican species at the facility include a rabbit native to only a few volcanoes in Mexico, zacatuche (or teporingo), the Mexican wolf, ocelot, jaguar and ajolote.

Today, it has 16,000 animals of 270 species, separated into four sections according to habitat: tropical forest, temperate forest, desert and grassland. About one third of the animals are native to Mexico.

National Museum of Anthropology

Most of the museums in the first section are located along Paseo de la Reforma.

Of all of the museums in the park, the most famous is the National Museum of Anthropology, considered one of the most famous archeological museums in the world. The museum has a number of antecedents beginning from the colonial period, but the current institution was created in the 1960s with the building and grounds designed by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez.

This museum has an area of 44,000m2 and 25 exhibit halls with sections devoted to each of the major pre-Hispanic civilizations in Mexico, including the Aztec, Maya, Toltec and Olmec. The permanent collection is quite large, and many visitors spend several hours seeing it. There are also temporary exhibits displayed year-round.

Rufino Tamayo Museum

The Rufino Tamayo Museum is in the first section on Paseo de la Reforma. The permanent collection mostly focuses on the namesake, but there are also works by other Mexican and foreign artists that Tamayo donated. During his lifetime, Tamayo collected one of the most important collections of 20th-century art, which included art works from Andy Warhol, Picasso, Miró, Fernando Botero, Magritte, and about 100 others.

Museum of Modern Art

The Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art) is located on Paseo de la Reforma and Calle Gandhi, and it hosts various temporary exhibits. The museum’s complex was constructed using modern architecture techniques, which consisted of two circular buildings surrounding a sculpture garden. It contains one of the leading collections of modern art of the 20th century of Mexico. Artists include Dr. Atl, Frida Kahlo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Remedios Varo.

Casa de Cultura Quinta Colorada

The Casa de Cultura Quinta Colorada was originally a former accommodation for the forest rangers of the area in the early 20th century. The house was made using European style architecture techniques. It hosts various cultural activities for visitors and has a small planetarium.

Museum of History (Museo del Caracol)

At the foot of the Chapultepec Hill is an extension of the Museum of History called the Museo del Caracol (Snail Museum). This museum narrates the history of Mexico in the winding form of a snail, the shape of the building from which its name comes.

Luis Barragán House and Studio

The Luis Barragán House and Studio is the former home of architect Luis Barragán. The house was kept nearly intact since 1948, including the workshop. It also exhibits artworks from the 19th and 20th century.

Lago Menor (Smaller Lake)

One of the most popular features in the first section is an artificial lake called the Lago Menor (Smaller Lake). It is one of two lakes in the park; the larger one, Lago Major, is in the second section. Lagor Menor, however, attracts more visitors than the other.

Visitors can rent paddleboats and small rowboats at the lake. The Lago Menor was created at the late 19th century, when the entire first section (then the entire park) was redesigned.

Casa del Lago

At the same time Lago Menor was created, the Casa del Lago was constructed. It is shallow with an average depth of a little over one meter. The Casa del Lago, also called the Restauranto del Lago, is now a restaurant that serves continental food and some Mexican dishes.

Fountain of Chapultepec

In addition to the lake, there are a number of large fountains. The Quixote Fountain is surrounded by four benches covered in tile with images of Don Quixote. To the side of this plaza, there are two columns. On the right there is a figure of Quixote with the face of Salvador Dalí and on the other side, there is a depiction of Sancho Panza with the face of Diego Rivera. Both statues were made of bronze by José María Fernández Urbina.

The Fuente de las Ranas (Fountain of the Frogs) was created in the 1920s, by Miguel Alessio Robles in Seville, Spain.

The Nezahualcoyotl Fountain was inaugurated in 1956. It measures 1,250m2 and surrounds a statue of the Aztec ruler nine meters tall in black stone.

Trees

Throughout the first section there are different kinds of trees; the most common one is the Montezuma cypress, locally called “ahuehuetes”. A number of these are hundreds of years old, although there are far fewer due to a past disease epidemic. One dead specimen is called the Ahuehuete of Moctezuma, commonly referred to as El Sargento (The Sargeant) or as the Centinela (Sentinel). The last two names were given by cadets of the Heroic Military Academy during the 19th century. The 500-year-old tree remains as a monument to the area’s history, measuring fifteen meters high, forty in circumference. Another tree of the species, still living, is El Tlatoani, which is more than 700 years old and is the oldest tree in the park. In addition to these trees, there are sequoias, cedars, palms, poplars, pines, ginkgos, and more.

Los Pinos

Los Pinos has been the official residence of the presidents of Mexico since 1941. Though the presidential residence is inside the park, there is no public access to it. The residence is made up of white stucco structures; this architecture can be seen from Molino del Rey, a former millhouse and site of a battle of the Mexican–American War in 1847. Los Pinos is on one edge of the park.

The National Auditorium

The National Auditorium is one of Mexico City’s principal arenas. It primarily hosts musical ensembles and dance troupes. Singers from Mexico and abroad perform there yearlong.

Cultural events

The park hosts a number of cultural events during the year. One of them is the performance of Swan Lake, which is conducted on a stage in Lago Menor. This performance has been given since 1978 in warmer months. Night tours by train that go around the park are popular around Christmas time, when many of the attractions are lit for the season. The Ballet Folklórico de México also holds performances on occasion at the Chapultepec Castle.

The second section of the park was created in 1964 by expanding over former farmlands. This section is separated by Anillo Periférico road and measures 160.02 hectares. It is not as developed as the first section, but it is also dedicated to recreational activities. Lago Mayor overlaps with the second section; this part of the lake contains the Monumental Fountain, the largest one in Latin America. It is surrounded by several restaurants and cafés. Nearby are the Compositores, Xochipilli and Las Serpientes fountains.

The area contains jogging trails, places for yoga and karate, and other exercise facilities on the tree areas. Around 1,000 people each day go to this section to exercise. The jogging trails were doubled from 2 km to 4 km in the late 2000s.

One part of this section is dominated by the Feria de Chapultepec amusement park, located near the Lago Mayor, just off the Anillo Periférico. The park has a capacity of 15,000 people and is visited by about two million each year. It includes several roller coasters, including the Montaña Infinitum.

This section contains museums such as Papalote Museo del Niño, the Technology Museum of the Federal Electricity Commission, and the Museo de Historia Natural. El Papalote Museo del Niño is an interactive children’s museum which invites children to touch and manipulate the exhibits. The Technology Museum consists of four very large halls which exhibit modern advances in technology. In its surrounding gardens, there are old locomotives, railcars and tracks. It also contains an auditorium for events and a planetarium. The Museo de Historia Natural focuses mostly on the origins of life with its permanent exhibits. It also hosts temporary exhibits and academic conferences.

The Cárcamo de Dolores hydraulic structure, found in this section, was built between 1942 and 1952 to capture water sent to the Valley of Mexico from the Lerma River basin in the Toluca Valley. The major parts open to the public consist of a pavilion, covered with an orange half cupola and a fountain with an image of Tlaloc. Originally, the water was stored underground and pumped to the surface when needed. The main building has serpent heads on the four corners and there is a mural painted by Diego Rivera called “El agua: origen de la vida”.

In 2010, the second section of the park underwent rehabilitation, funded in part by a private charity group called Probosque de Chapultepec. Most of the work was done on the jogging track, the Tlaloc Fountain, the Cárcamo de Dolores building, the mural “El agua: origen de la vida”, and the construction of an agora. These works together form the Museo Jardín del Agua (Water Garden Museum). In addition, a large number of dead trees were removed and about 800 new ones planted.

The third section of the park is located on the west side of the second and was inaugurated in 1974. It has a surface area of 242.9 hectares. It is the least developed and least visited; it is filled with trees and wildlife.

Although some recreational activities such as archery and horseback riding are practiced there, the importance of this area is primarily as an ecological preserve for various species of flora and fauna, such as snakes and lizards.

In 1992, it was decreed as a Protected Natural Area.

In 2010, there were reports of feral dogs attacking visitors in the third section.
Approximately 150 feral dogs were living in the small canyon areas of this section that year.

According to archeological studies, there has been human presence in the area since at least the pre-Classic period. The first identified culture archeologists have evidence for is the Toltecs. The Toltecs named the area “grasshopper hill”, which would later become “Chapultepec”. Remains of a Toltec altar have been found on the hill’s summit. In the Classic Period, the area was occupied by people of the Teotihuacan culture. When the Mexicas, or Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico, it was inhabited by a people called the Tepanecas of Azcapotzalco.

When the Aztecs took over the Valley of Mexico, they considered the hill as both a sacred and strategic site. They began to use the area as a repository for the ashes of their rulers, and the area’s springs became an important source of fresh water for the capital of Tenochtitlan. Eventually, the area became a retreat strictly limited to the ruling and religious elite. In the 1420s, ruler Nezahualcoyotl was the first to build a palace in the area. Moctezuma II built reservoirs to raise exotic fish and to store water. He also had trees and plants from various parts of the Aztec Empire planted here. In 1465, Moctezuma I ordered his portrait carved into a rock at the foot of the hill and constructed the Tlaxpana aqueduct, which measured three km.

During the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, one of the last battles between the Spanish and ruler Cuauhtémoc occurred at Chapultepec Hill in 1521. Shortly thereafter, the Franciscans built a small hermitage over the indigenous altar on Chapultepec Hill. Hernán Cortés appropriated Chapultepec and granted the northern portion to Captain Juan Jaramillo, who would become the husband of La Malinche. However, in 1530, Charles V decreed the area as the property of the Mexico City and open to it to the public. The Spanish continued to use the Aztec aqueduct, but in 1771, another one was deemed necessary for the growing population of Mexico City. The Chapultepec aqueduct led water from the springs of the forest to an area in what was the south of the city, called Salto del Agua. It flowed over 904 arches and 3,908 meters. In 1785, the Franciscan hermitage was demolished to make way for the Chapultepec Castle, converting the hill and the forest around it into a summer retreat for colonial viceroys. The area was walled off from the general public and was the scene of elegant parties.

After Mexico achieved independence in 1821, the Castle became the official residence of the head of state. A number of these, especially Emperor Maximilian I and his wife, embellished and expanded the castle as well as the forest area around it. The Hill was also the site of the Battle of Chapultepec in 1847, between Mexican and U.S. troops led by General Winfield Scott. A band of cadets were at the Castle when it was attacked and near the end of the battle, six of them decided to jump to their deaths from the castle on the hill to the rocks below. These six are referred to as the “Niños Héroes” and are honored by a monument near where their bodies fell. The castle remain the official residence of Mexican presidents until 1940, when this function as moved to the Los Pinos residence and the Castle was converted into a museum.

Since then, the park has been expanded twice, adding the second section in 1964 and the third section ten years later. Since then, the focus has been on the maintenance of the area. By 1998, the paths of the park, especially in the first section, were saturated with over 3,000 peddlers with few regulations or norms.

In 2005, the first section of the park was closed for renovations, effectively evicting all vendors from the area. When it reopened months later, permits for selling were strictly limited and police began to crack down on vendors in the park. However, some vendors continue to operate illegally and exchange information on the police’s steps with radio communication equipment. At the entrances to the park, where the vendor restrictions are not in place, some vendors sometimes block the entrances and cover signs so that visitors are forced to pass through their stands.

Maintenance issues have closed parts of the park from time to time. In 1985, the park was closed to exterminate rats and other pests. In 2005, the park was filled with trees in poor condition, had scum in the lakes, and had trash piles in several locations, including fountains. From that year until 2010, the park was closed section by section for restoration and rehabilitation projects. The first section was closed for eight months in 2005, for work that included dredging lakes, pruning and removing trees, picking up tons of debris, and expelling hundreds of vendors. Shortly thereafter, projects on the second and third sections of the park began, mostly to control or eliminate rats, feral dogs and cats, pigeons and other introduced species. In 2005, migratory birds began to make a comeback at the park with the eradication and relocation of introduced species such as geese and ducks, which were aggressive to other species. The park hosts more than 100 species of this kind of bird, with some reproducing here for the first time in decades. Other native mammals returned in 2005, including the tlacuache and the cacomistle.

In 2010, projects included renovating jogging tracks, and planting more than 800 trees, including acacia café, pino azul, pino peñonero, holm oak, pino moctezuma, pino prieto and grevilia, as well as the removal of dead or severely infected trees. These rehabilitation efforts of the 2000s were funded by a combination of government and private funds from groups like Probosque.

Metro Chapultepec or Auditorio
There are also a lot of “colectivos” along Paseo de la Reforma.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

The Ecological Park is built in the same area as the archaeological site and has the same name, Xcaret.

The land was originally purchased by a group of Mexican entrepreneurs, led by architect Miguel Quintana Pali. 5 hectares of the land was purchased in 1984.

When he began to clear the land, he started uncovering cenotes, sinkholes formed by collapsed cave ceilings weakened by 3 million years of erosion from underground rivers running through them and flowing into the sea. He saw the potential for tourism and formulated the idea of an Ecological Park open to the public, and soon joined forces with Oscar, Marcos and Carlos Constandse, achieving this goal in December 1990.

At the same time, contact was established with the National Institute of Anthropology and History with the objective of rebuilding the remnants of the Mayan pyramids and buildings that were found in the area. The park’s administration subsidized all the operation and the INAH put in charge a team of specialists.

The nature-based attractions of the park include a river that goes through the Mayan village, a subterranean concrete sluice in which people can swim and snorkel with a life vest.

Near the inlet there are recreational activities at the beach, snorkeling, Sea Trek and Snuba in the nearby reefs, or swimming with dolphins.

The park also has a coral reef aquarium turtle nesting site. Next to the inlet there’s an area for manatees.

The park also has a bird pavilion, butterfly pavilion, bat cave, orchids and bromeliad greenhouse, an island of jaguars, and a deer shelter, among others.

The cultural attractions include an open church, replica of a Mayan village with real artisans at work, a Mexican cemetery, a museum, an equestrian show, Mesoamerican ball game, an open theater with performances of pre-Hispanic dances, Papantla flying men and the Gran Tlachco (theater with a six thousand people capacity) where the Mesoamerican ball game is represented, as well as the meeting of two worlds, the Mayan and the Spanish, and the presentation of several Mexican folklore dances.

Other demonstrations of Mexican traditions include Day of the Dead celebration and the “Travesía Sagrada Maya” (Mayan Sacred Crossing), an annual rite when Mayans would cross the sea from Xcaret and Playa del Carmen to Cozumel to pay homage to the lunar goddess Ix Chel. The modern version is a re-creation of this rite done in late May to early June.

The park also has a Temascal and Spa, has 11 restaurants, dressing rooms, souvenirs and handicrafts stores, as well as an adjacent all-inclusive resort hotel.

• Underground River
• Lagoons
• Natural Inlet
• Paradise River
• White Sand Beaches
• Maya River
• Cove and Ponds
• Coral Reef Aquarium
• Sea Turtles
• Manatee Lagoon
• Bee Farm
• Butterfly Pavilion
• Deer Island
• Ecological Tour
• Puma and Jaguar Island
• Monkey Island
• Mushroom Farm
• Bromelias and Orchids Greenhouse
• Jungle Trail
• Regional Wildlife Enclosure
• Crocodiles
• Tapir House
• Archaeological Sites Scale Models
• Fiesta Charra
• Papantla Flyers
• Archaeological Sites
• Museum of Culture and Anthropology
• Mayan Village
• St. Francisco of Assisi Chapel
• Mexican Corner
• Rotating Scenic Tower
• Snorkeling (Equipment available)
• Xcaret at Night! Spectacular
• Mayan Ball Game

Available at extra cost Tours & Activities

• Swim With Dolphins
• Adrenalina Jet Boat
• Reef Snorkeling Tour
• Sea Trek
• Snuba
• Swim with Sharks
• Xcaret Night Dinner
• Massage & Spa Services

Aviable equipment

• Life Vests
• Lock Bags for Personal Belongings
• Palapa Umbrellas
• Hammocks
• Lounge Chairs
• Inner tubes for Floating
• Showers
• Dressing Rooms
• Snorkeling Equipment
• Lockers and Towels
• Wheelchairs
• Baby Strollers
• Restaurants and Bars
• Photo and Souvenir Shops

Open all days from 8:00 to 22:30

Entrance fee

From $75 to$135 (depends on program)

Playa del Carmen by taxi or bus.

There is also aviable Tour Xcaret, the best luxury transportation service from your hotel. The easiest and safest way to get to Xcaret Park!

Xel-Há means “where the water is born”. The park is named after the site of Xelha, an archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, part of which is located within the lands leased to the park.

According to legend, Mayan gods joined together their wisdom, illusions, and love for beauty to create a place that would bring together the best of nature, and that place was called Xel-Há.

Once created, the gods were so pleased with this heavenly place that they decided to permit the entry of all mortals.

To take care of it and the elements that surround it, the gods appointed 3 guardians:

• Huh, the Iguana (guardian of the land)
• Chuc Kay, the Pelican (guardian of the air)
• Kay Op, the Parrotfish (guardian of the water)

Legend says that these guardians still protect and care for the park and everyone who comes to visit.

This Natural Wonder is an unparalleled place of beauty.

Swim and snorkel among tropical fish that have made the inlet of Xel-Há their home. Discover the jungle trails of this paradise by foot, bicycle, or mini train. Admire different species of flora and fauna in their natural habitat.

Enjoy an unforgettable experience in an all-inclusive park. Indulge your taste buds with traditional Mexican dishes in any of the four restaurants or enjoy popular flavored drinks or a refreshing cocktail here at Xel-Há.

The park is centered around the natural inlet and lagoon, which is promoted as one of the main attractions of the park that forms with the flow of the river through rocks mixing salty waters with fresh underground water currents.

The inlet of Xel-Há is a natural aquarium where hundreds of species inhabit.

In the park, there are tropical fish and abundant flora, as well as a turtle reserve, where research is constantly carried out to learn more about marine life and contribute to the ecological maintenance of the area.

A shark fence extends across the lagoon’s entrance, and the public is permitted to swim and snorkel in the lagoon.

Underwater the limestone has been eroded into a myriad of small caves and grottos. The park’s unique geography, with underground rivers flowing into the Caribbean Sea, provides a fascinating underwater ecosystem to discover.

The history of Xel-Ha is closely intertwined with the Mayan civilization, which revered the region’s natural water sources as portals to the underworld. These cenotes were used for both religious ceremonies and as vital water sources.

Due to its privileged location, during pre-Hispanic times Xel-Há served as an inner port, trading center, place of pilgrimage, and shelter for sailors, as well as being a food reserve during bad weather.

The theme park was founded in 1984 and is under the management and marketing of the Mexican-owned Experiencias Xcaret Group. Over the years, Xel-Ha evolved into a modern-day eco-park that celebrates and preserves the area’s ecological richness.

From 2010 to 2015, Experiencias Xcaret was recognized as one of the best Mexican companies.

In early 2014, Xel-ha became the first tourist park in the world to obtain an EarthCheck Gold certification. The park invests in sustainability programs, buys local products, and trains its staff on environmental care and preservation.

Xel-Ha Park offers an array of activities and attractions that cater to nature and adventure seekers. A variety of aquatic-based activities are offered by the theme park, including snorkeling, scuba diving, and swimming with dolphins.

Visitors can also take part in guided tours, and learn about the area’s natural history. Xel-Ha Park’s sandy coves and hammock-laden areas are perfect for relaxation. Xel-Ha Park also offers zip-lining, cliff jumping, and kayaking.

• Lazy River
• Excellent Snorkeling
• Courage Cliff
• Mayan Cave
• Mo’s Flight
• Children’s Playground
• Ixchel’s Rift
• Floating Bridge
• Bay of Caprices
• Natural Inlet
• Mangrove Chaac
• Cenotes
• Rope Swing
• Grotto El Dorado
• Ice Cream
• Mayan Wall
• Nature Trail
• Apiary
• Hammock Island
• Tree Nursery
• Train Ride
• The Beach
• Mayan Cave
• Rope Bridge
• Conscience Path

Available at extra cost:

• Swim With Dolphins
• Sea Trek
• Snuba
• Stingray Encounter
• Zip Bike
• Full Spa Services

Available equipment:

• Snorkeling Equipment
• Towels
• Bicycles
• Lounge Chairs
• Hammocks
• Kayaks
• Inner tubes
• Life Vests
• Lockers
• Bathrooms
• Showers
• Dressing Rooms
• 6 Restaurants & Bars
• ATM Machines
• Baby Strollers
• Wheelchairs
• Public Telephones
• Park Guides

• You can purchase the Xel-Há Tour which includes first-class transportation service.
• If you want to arrive in your own car or a rented one, parking is free.
• Or if you prefer you can arrive by taxi or bus from Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

Return:

• For your return, you can rent a taxi service at special booths in the Park.
• You can buy a bus ticket directly on board when the bus arrives in the parking lot.

Bus schedule:

Playa del Carmen: 5:40 p.m. and 6:05 p.m.
Cancún: 5:45 p.m. and 6:10 p.m.

The times may vary according to the season.

Open from 08:30 to 18:00 all year long.

Entrance fee

• From $80 to $150 (depends on program)
• The park also has some pais additional attractions.

Children:

• Children under 4 years old have free admission (an ID is required).
• Children 5 – 11 years old get half of the adult ticket price.

Children over 1,50 m but under 12 years old must present identification to verify their age.

Cancelation:

• Reservations canceled more than 2 days in advance before the booking date are subject to a 10% administrative fee.
• Reservations are canceled from 2-0 days or in case of a show, reservations are non-refundable.

It is not possible to make the change of date the same day of your visit.