I had the fortune of being introduced to this special adventure park by a local Akumal resident. Selva means jungle in Mayan. The company details can be found at
http://www.edventuretours.com.mx/ . The park grounds is nothing short of excellent. The park is about 4 months old and is located about 20 kms north of Tulum in the Mayan Riviera. We were driven into the deep part of the jungle on a small ATV where we met our guide Brian. We were trained on zip lining, which I had done before in Costa Rica. However, this adventure was one step up. In the Costa Rican experience you had to wear leather gloves to control your speed when zipping from one tree top to the next. In Selva Maya they have a brake that the guides attach to the wire to slow you down before reaching the next tree top. Kind of like an automatic transmission in a roller coaster ride. One less thing to worry about. However, I noticed that all the carribeeners were brand new and high quality. The safety protocols were excellent as they hooked you onto a secure station before ever connecting you to a moving part. excellent safety training. The kids loved the adventure, and we went from tree to tree without a single incident.
From there we were brought to a cenote deep in the forest. There was a small hole in the ground which opened up into a large underground cavern with stalagtites, and beautiful clear fresh water to snorkel in. The fish were small and less colourful than what we had seen elsewhere. I suppose it has to do that they are not exposed to sunlight. The cave was lit up with electric lamps that allowed divers to explore without needing head lamps. The tour did supply powerful underwater flashlights that allowed you to see the rocks and fish below as well.
This is a great adventure and very non touristic. They bring about 20 to 30 visitors per day, so the experience is genuine and personable. A very worthwhile day trip at the Selva Mayan.
Ola,
The Adventure Guy
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI have been considering doing this trip with my 10 year old daughter. I am very concerned about safety. Did the zip lines have a second safety rope. Would you have any concerns with my daughter and I traveling alone on this tour? Thanks
I did the zip lines with my 11 year old son and his friend (both hockey players). There is not a second safety rope as it is on a pulley system on the zip line. However, the safety precautions were excellent. and the equipment state of the art. My son and his friend went no hands and they loved it. I felt very safe and so did my kids. Depending on the athletic nature of your child, a ten yr old might get scared at the heights of the guidelines. I have taken adults on these types of trips and they were scared and got off after the first zip line. these young boys were fearless. so it depends on your risk aversion. If your daughter and you are not afraid of heights and enjoy a little adventure you will be fine. There are some swinging bridges where strength and balance are required too. I might wait for the young lady to mature, to enjoy the experience more.
DeleteI did the zip lines with my 11 year old son and his friend (both hockey players). There is not a second safety rope as it is on a pulley system on the zip line. However, the safety precautions were excellent. and the equipment state of the art. My son and his friend went no hands and they loved it. I felt very safe and so did my kids. Depending on the athletic nature of your child, a ten yr old might get scared at the heights of the guidelines. I have taken adults on these types of trips and they were scared and got off after the first zip line. these young boys were fearless. so it depends on your risk aversion. If your daughter and you are not afraid of heights and enjoy a little adventure you will be fine. There are some swinging bridges where strength and balance are required too. I might wait for the young lady to mature, to enjoy the experience more.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a real concern and wish to zipline in Tandem then try the Dos Ojos ziplines, there are only 2 or 3 of them and they permit parents to go in tandem on thier zip lines. Its very easy, scary at first but once you try it, its extremely easy, and in fact can get boring. If you just want a very basic zipline experience then Dos Ojos is acceptable.
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