Royal Garrafon Park VIP Kayacking & Snorkeling all day

Pass on Garrafon

Family of 4 - two kids (13 and 11); booked through Dolphin Discovery as an add on to the dolphin program. We came hear first and did the dolphins at 3:30pm. We booked VIP apparently, but had no idea what that entailed as no one tells you anything upon arrival. Ferry boat is a good 20-30m. You follow the crowd to go up and get lockers. You’ll need a photo ID for each locker you want. They’re not small. VIP access allows you to go to another area with a small pool and upstairs has tables and seating. You can order unlimited drinks. Lunch is also served up there separate from the general public. And it’s air conditioned. The regular cafeteria is connected to this area so you can go check out their food options which has some things our side didn’t. Bathrooms are also over on their side. Bathrooms - the ones in the locker room downstairs were gross and in need of major maintenance. At least for the women’s side. No tp in most or they were not working or didn’t even have a toilet when you opened the stall. It was strange. The ones in the cafeteria were slightly better but still not great. Activities - I thought we would be fun but they were just ok. Kayaking is limited to this small area. We just did several laps. We didn’t attempt snorkeling but again you were limited to a certain area. There are some large cubbies by the kayak and snorkel equipment stand you can store sandals etc if you need to store while you do the water activities. Zipline: You need to walk a ways out to get there. You must be dry, no hats, sunglasses, phone etc. children need an adult to be there. Only my son did zip line since my husband had his hat and sunglasses. My son said it was ok but not worth it to go again. I thought when they said it was a natural reef park it would be a larger space where we could roam and also go in the water. But if you want to swim you go in these shallow pools. There is no beach. We did see some private boats and they got in the water and snorkeled. Looking at the place it would seem like a nice resort with all the lounge chairs and umbrellas. I think I would have rather stayed at the dolphin discovery the whole day and checked out the island on our own. Food: it wasn’t terrible. Large variety. If you’re VIP, you can check out both cafeterias. My picky eater ate the pasta and the pulled pork. Workers were kind and attentive. Pay attention to when you’re supposed to catch the ferry back.

Response from the operator: Dear Customer, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We would like to respectfully clarify that our company only offers access to Garrafón Park as such, which does not include or manage any dolphin-related activities. These experiences are operated directly by independent third-party providers and are therefore not part of our services or organization. Accordingly, we do not have any involvement in, nor do we assume responsibility for, any activities or policies related to dolphin interactions offered by other providers. We appreciate your understanding and remain at your disposal for any further inquiries regarding the services we directly operate. Sincerely, Promocaribe Customer Service Team

via Tripadvisor

Not worth the experience

The place is very careless, dirty bathrooms, hot drinks, bad food. It's not worth the value you pay. The beach is beautiful though it is accessible only by pier because there are stones. Maybe finding a public beach in Isla Mujeres is more pleasant.

Response from the operator: Prezado(a) Hóspede, Agradecemos por dedicar seu tempo para compartilhar seu feedback. Lamentamos que sua experiência não tenha atendido às suas expectativas, pois nosso objetivo é que todos os hóspedes desfrutem plenamente de seu dia no Parque Real Garrafón. Em relação aos seus comentários, gostaríamos de esclarecer que a área VIP inclui alimentos e bebidas premium, preparados e servidos de acordo com os padrões estabelecidos para este nível de serviço. Quanto aos banheiros, contamos com uma equipe de limpeza dedicada que realiza a manutenção ao longo do dia; no entanto, durante os horários de pico, podem ocorrer intervalos curtos entre as limpezas. A temperatura das bebidas pode variar devido ao clima da ilha e ao alto consumo durante o dia, mas trabalhamos continuamente para mantê-las em ótimas condições. Concordamos que a beleza natural da praia é uma das maiores atrações do parque. Devido à formação rochosa natural da área, o acesso ao mar é feito principalmente pelo píer, o que também ajuda a preservar o ecossistema marinho e garantir a segurança dos visitantes. Agradecemos seus comentários, pois eles nos ajudam a continuar aprimorando nossos serviços e operações. Esperamos ter a oportunidade de recebê-lo novamente e proporcionar uma experiência mais alinhada às suas expectativas. Atenciosamente, Equipe do Royal Garrafon Park

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Friends at the Garrafón Isla Mujeres

The place is very nice, the food good but not momentous. Activities and snorkeling was the best thing for us. As the tour includes transportation, food, drinks, snorkeling and kayaking it makes it very convenient. The price seemed right, the sea was very nice with a lovely blue!

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Great staff, wouldn’t recommend to anyone

I went on an excursion to this park, which boasted many water activities and swimming. The snorkeling was basically just looking into murky water and seeing the one or two fish that were visible. There was no beach, as the little span of water they had was all coral. There was an “infinity pool” but it was packed tight with children and parents. The ride to Royal Garrafon was by ferry which promised a “light breakfast and open bar”. There was no breakfast, and the “open bar” was beer and juice. There was a woman walking around selling M&Ms and Pringle’s, which was infuriating by that point. This excursion costs $145 pp and was a total waste of an entire day and money. The park is less than a half mile long, and there isn’t much to do to pass the time. If you’re looking for a natural water park that’s worth the money, go to Xel-Ha. It’s gorgeous and you’ll have a great time! I do want to say that the staff was the only wonderful thing about this park. Unfortunately, nothing was going to save the day.

Response from the operator: Dear costumer: Really sorry for your experience, we are going to take action about this to getting better!!!

via Tripadvisor