If you´re planning on visiting Xcaret eco-Park, you should know there are hundreds of beautiful species and exotic animals you will be able to observe, admire and encounter during your Xcaret Tour.

You may come to see them as you walk through the jungle paths of the park, and others may be part of special interactive programs. Here is a list of five exotic animals you will have the opportunity to meet up-close in Xcaret Park.

1.  Jaguar. The Jaguar Island at Xcaret Park invites visitors to encounter the third-largest feline and among the most powerful in the world. The jaguar (Panthera onca) also called “balam” was a sacred animal to the Mayan culture, and was known as the supreme expression of the internal forces of the Earth.   

  2.  Spider Monkey. The loud “bark” of the Mexican Spider Monkey will greet it´s visitors at the Monkey Island in Xcaret Park. This long-tailed monkey is an endangered species in Mexico and native to the Yucatan Peninsula. You will be able to see a group of acrobatic Saraguato monkeys hang high up in the trees. 

3. Nurse Shark. A new Shark Tour in Xcaret Park allows people of all ages to interact with this fascinating specie that lives in the tropical waters of the Mexican Caribbean.  Nurse Sharks are a bottom-dwelling shark that is harmless to humans, and is commonly found in reefs, on sandy bottoms or in caves.  

4. Green Turtle.The largest hard-shell sea turtles in the world can be admired at Xcaret´s Turtle Center. The Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) is an endangered species protected from exploitation in countries worldwide that chooses the beaches of Cancun and Riviera Maya as their place to nest every year.    

 5. Pink Flamingos. This beautiful pink feathered creature lives as part of a large colony at Xcaret Park and is by far the brightest and largest of all the flamingo species. At Xcaret Park you can admire over 100 Caribbean Flamingos that show off the most fascinating courtship displays during mating season.