COZUMEL XRAIL TOURS GUESTBOOK

We just got back from our cruise this morning and we haven't even finished unpacking yet, but I really wanted to share our wonderful experience with Wild Tours. We've been on a handful of cruises so far, and this was (by far!) the best excursion that we have ever booked.
Like most of the previous reviews state...YOU WILL GET DIRTY. Wear clothes that you aren't attached to...and I would recommend that you bring water shoes that could be rinsed out later. Don't let this discourage you, it's all part of the fun. You are in for an adventure, and I think it best that you somewhat know what you are getting in to!
We had an excellent guide (thanks Angel!) that took great care of us. He was extremely knowledgeable and really cared about making sure that we all had a memorable experience. We never felt rushed and got to truly enjoy our time at our pace. He explained the history of the caverns and led us on an exciting exploration of them.
I could go on and on, but I'll let the previous reviews speak for themselves. Just book this tour!!!

I had such a phenomonal time on the Wild Tours Xrail trip that I honestly don't know where to start. I will try to answer some questions that I had before I left and give some feedback, so here goes.
First, I would like you to consider the above statement. I am 27...to be honest I have a very high threshold to admit that something is a ton of fun...I have had a waverunner for 15 years, gone skiing on some of the famous mountains here in the Northeast USA, raced my car around a track, and still....this is the funnest thing I have ever done, hands down. My usual mentality while cruising is to pick something that is either unique and/or the best to do at each port of a cruise, and boy...was this both unique AND the best to do at Cozumel.
That being said, this is how it works. WildTours was actually affiliated with Celebrity the day that we booked this, so we booked our Xrail tour to Jade Caverns through the cruise line, but that being said, even if they're not affiliated with your cruise line, seek out Wildtours for the day. So, we actually had pickup at the pier (but this may not always be the case...I'm really not sure). The taxi/tour bus takes you to the Wild Tours HQ, which to get to, you have to drive down the main road where many of the more famous/popular beaches are (Paradise beach, Playa San Fransisco, etc.). Once you arrive, the tour guides will introduce themselves, give you a safety drill on the Xrails, and then go over the stops for the day before embarking.
First of course is the drive to Jade Caverns, and within 1 minute, the fun begins. You drive through the jungle on dirt/mud trails for about a total of 35-45 minutes or so to the cave. Now let me be very clear here. You will read that you get dirty, but this is an understatement. You will be COVERED in mud from head to toe...COVERED. I'm talking think throwaway clothes here. Not new shoes, but OLD ones. Workout shirts, things you wear around the house, an old bathing suit that you don't wear anymore. And the trail can get ROUGH. I read somewhere on tripadvisor I think some review that the tails were lame and it wasn't "jungle," but more like shrubbery around a dust road. This is NOT the case...if you stop and look around you, it is DENSE DENSE jungle, as in...you would need a machete to have even any chance of navigating through it. The road has ruts, and roots, and roots on top of ruts, boulders, etc. Now this may sound like a little too much for some people, but this is raw...nature as it should be. Not dessimated and paved over for your comfort with a central road through the forest with rest stops for bathroom breaks every quarter mile...but untouched other than your path. A cavern that was discovered only in the last few years despite our techonological advancements. And let me tell you, when you have the mud rushing in over the floor boards, the humming of the engine behind you, the shock absorbers rebounding like crazy over rocks and tree roots, while you're surrounded by a dense jungle and Mayan caves...I'm sorry but you WILL have fun. Once you feel the warm mud on your legs, you just kind of realize...now I'm REALLY on vacation, I'm here to have fun, so I'm going to let go and enjoy myself.
So, that being said...yes it's rough, yes it's dirty, but yes...you will NEVER forget it for the rest of your life, and yes...you will have a ton of fun. And, that being said, there were some people who didn't drive as hard, and were actually...fairly clean I guess you could say...if you want to tone it down a few notches, the choice is yours.
When you get to Jade Caverns, the tour guides give you some more history and you get to swim/float through the cave, and again...it's untouched. There are no lines of people, no radios playing music all day, no people there to serve you Coronas and dos Equis beers, but just an untouched fascinating piece of nature to enjoy. Afterwards, you will drive back toward the WildTours HQ, and on the way, stop at some more caves that were once used to protect against hurricanes. Again...absolutely beautiful AND fascinating.
Sorry for the long review, but I feel I owed it to Wild Tours for giving us such a good time. The tour guides (we had Sergio and Jared), were both awesome. When they say "we will stop at all the caves if we have time," they actually mean it...and will do their best to show you all of the caves. Once back at their HQ, you can shower and get off some of the mud/dirt so you look respectable getting back on the cruise ship.
To top it all off, we asked to get dropped off at the beach on the way back, as you literally pass right by the popular spots. I'm always a proponent of thinking "hey we have ONE day here for the cruise, so let's make use of every minute we can." This is something else I would recommend, both because the Cozumel beaches are very pretty, and to be honest, you will want to jump in the water and clean off a bit more. So I threw the tour bus driver a tip, and he dropped us off there, where we stayed until an hour before our ship left, then we took a taxi back..and I arrived on the cruise ship after the Xrail tour AND a beach afternoon....and the most fun I had in my entire life.
I hope that my review is helpful, and I again apologize about its length, but I wanted everyone to have a good idea of what they're in for. Again, if you are considering skipping this to do something else, you're making a mistake, as most of the other attractions at Cozumel can be done elsewhere in the Caribbean, and hey..if you want to do the beach, DO THAT TOO, just go after.
Bottom line...if you have a pulse...then you will have fun on the Xrail tour to Jade Caverns.

Wild Tours added so much adventure to our vacation!!! We took the Wild Tours X-Rail Dune Buggy Adventure. We arrived on the Grandeur of the Seas on May 10th. Royal Caribbean gave us some misinformation on our arrival time. But Sam, the online sales rep took incredible care of us, and adjusted our tour time so we still be able to participate. Sam was wonderful. I can't say enough nice things. Our guide was Roberto and we were in the second group on our tour. He greeted us for a quick safety meeting and showed us had signals that we would use during the tour. We end up using them for the rest of our trip as well. LOL. The first stop was Jade Caverns. The ride there was awesome, bumpy, muddy and dusty. Just what we ordered. hehe.
The paths were roughly cut so it really added to the overall theme. The Jade Caverns was a great stop! You got your life jacket (the depths of the natural pool vary) and a brief history of the cavern and then hit the water. The guide put out another adventure to go into the bat cave. There was just enough head room to get through into the second cavern. It was dark and then the guide flashed the light onto the ceiling. So many bats!!!! It was awesome. Roberto hit the water so the would start to flutter. It was such a cool experience. A couple people in on our tour climbed atop one of the caverns and jumped off the rocks into the pool.
We headed back to the buggies for our journey to the next stop. We were given a very interesting history of three underground caves by our tour guides. This part was a little buggy (ie, plenty of mosquitoes) so don't forget your bug spray!!!!
We bumped along the last of the trail to get back to Wild Tour's jungle headquarters. Roberto took very good care of us!!! We enjoyed listening to him about the area and his quips were very funny! I cannot say how much fun we had. The experience was amazing and I can't wait to do it again one day, maybe try out the ATVs this time and really hit the mud patches.
I have to give Sam and the folks over there a big shout out...They took such great care of our group. Don't forget the big tips for a job well done at the end of your tour.
Thanks again Wild Tours!!!

We took the Wild Tours X-Rail Dune Buggy ride on March 17th and had a blast. Our guides, R-r-r-roberto & Danny Boy, greeted us for a quick safety briefing and then we were off & rolling (well, off & bumping, actually!). Our guides affectionately referred to the extremely bumpy ride to the Jade Caverns as their version of a "Mexican Massage". OK, guys...I guess that's YOUR spin on it! Ha-ha :-)
The back-roads that we took to arrive at the caverns were twisty-turny (and did I mention bumpy?!) and set the tone that we really were on an "adventure". Once we arrived at our first stopping point, our guides took the time to explain some of the ancient Mayan history. It was really nice seeing the pride they took in sharing their background. Next, it was down a few steps and around a few corners and voila...beautiful jade-colored water that you could swim through. If you ventured a bit further down the walkway, you encountered some bats flying around the stalactite ceiling of the cavern. A few adventurous souls in our group climbed atop one of the caverns and jumped into a 45-ft deep pool below. It was an awesome sight to see. Perhaps one of these days, I'll work up the courage....!
After drying off, it was time to continue on. We made another stop at a cavern that we could walk through. Our guides spent a little more time pointing out some of the nearby vegetation, etc. Everybody's favorite seemed to be this little fern-like plant that "turned shy" and shriveled up when you touched it. Very cool.
Before we knew it, it was time to turn back and experience Round 2 of the Mexican Massage. We arrived back at the starting point and transportation back to our hotel was waiting for us. All in all, we had a great experience on our X-Rails tour. Our guides took very good care of us and kept us laughing throughout the adventure. We would highly recommend taking this tour the next time you're in Cozumel!

What a blast! The XRail was like the craziest off road go-cart you can imagine. Sergio was a fantastic tour guide! Very accomodating and informative!

On Valentine's Day we took a shore excursion labeled 'X Rails to Jade Caverns' This was a fun filled excursion that took you on an action packed buggy ride, then for a relaxing swim in the natural sulphur springs. This is an experience that we will not forget! The staff, Mike, Jared and Roberto were fantastic! They were funny, passionate, and willing to help answer any questions you had. Above all else, they put safety first. Be sure you go to the bathroom before the buggy rides, and wear the bandana! Muchos Gracias for a great exerience!

My girlfriend and I are in our 50's and wanted to do something different...this was a BLAST! If you don't mind the bumps and grinds of speeding over potholed roads (it's rough!) and getting dirty, Jade Caverns is a very special destination! A Mayan sacrificial well, discovered in the jungle just a few years ago provides the backdrop for a fascinating talk on the ancient Mayan culture...then you get to swim and float in beautiful jade colored water while admiring the stalagtites above you with bats flapping around. A rich oasis surrounds the cenote. Roberto and the boys took great care of us and are obviously proud of their Mayan heritage. This beautiful, historic site will not stay a secret long! The access is adequate, but rustic. They provide life vests and water. There are cold water showers at the end of the trip, but bring a change of clothes to avoid having to go back to the ship to change (we looked like mudpuppies!). This was a trip we'll never forget. HIGHLY recommended!! The excursion price is per vehicle not per person, so we split it and took turns driving. AWESOME! Check out our video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxWrywIg130

We were on a family vaca this past week and 6 of the 8 decided to go do the xrail. We werent expecting it to be as much fun as we had, it was awesome!! Roberto was our tour guide and he was so nice, and took alot of time explaining the mayan culture and everything to us. If your going request him! This is way worth the 165$/vehicle price!

Loved the Buggies, took turns driving with my son (17), had a blast driving, water included.
Went swimming near Jade Caverns and even swam into a Bat cave!! Guides were kind, good humoured and made us feel very comfortable.

Would do it again if I'm out that way again!!

To start out if you don't like to get dirty, this adventure is not for you. If you love the outdoors, the thrill of drive in the jungle and exploring unique natural areas this adventure is for you. The Xrails vehicles are very easy to drive. The trails are extremely bumpy which is very fun. You will drive over small and large rock areas as well as tree roots and water. Very dusty so make sure you wear a bandana over your mouth and nose. Once you reach the Jade Cavern the staff explain about this unique Cenote and then you make your way down to the cavern. Very beautiful jade colored water with stalagtites hanging above and a few bats hanging above. They take you to the end of the cavern where you jump in and swim under the formations. Next you have the opportunity to go into another cave for another experience. A few brave souls walked to the upper rim of the cavern and leaped in which was quite a rush. We left the caverns on the Xrails and after a short drive we made another stop at a spot where the Mayans sheltered from hurricanes. Make sure you put on bug spray before entering this area as the mosquitos loved us tourists. Didn't notice any bugs at the cavern. After a short stop we were back on the trail to the starting point. Outdoor showers are available to rinse off a layer of dirt before returning to the port. The staff was very nice and made our excursion a memorable experience.

This was the highlight of our first-ever cruise. If you are adventurous and don't want to just sit on the cruise ship stuffing your face and drinking, this is a must-do. The guides were awesome, swimming in the Jade Caverns and into a cave with thousands of bats just so cool! You also learn a little about the Mayan culture and history and the ecology of the area, but the actual trip out and back on their "x-rail" dune-buggy type vehicles is just a blast. You can stay clean, or get as dirty as you want in the mud pits.
The x-rails are a little tough to drive if you don't have much strength in your arms - no power steering, so making some of the corners was challenging for me as a female, especially if the steering wheel was wet (since I chose to 'blast' through the mud pits for fun).
If you have back or neck issues, it is better to drive because you can hold onto the steering wheel and brace yourself so as not to jerk around when you hit the bumps and potholes in the dirt paths.
At the Jade Caverns be sure to take a life vest even if you are a good swimmer. You will find that it comes in handy, especially when you go into the pitch dark cave where you have to hold onto a rope to make your way through.
The guides will expect a tip at the end of the trip, and I personally feel they earned it. They were very attentive, informative, and helpful when one in our party got a little too much "off road" and stuck in the trees!
Overall, just a great outdoor adventure!
Tips:
You are required to wear helmet & goggles for good reason! The goggles are large enough to fit over your prescription glasses in most cases, but it is a little difficult to see clearly through them.

DO NOT WEAR ANYTHING YOU CHERISH! Even if you do not get covered in mud as I chose to, if you get splattered it is difficult to get it out in the laundry. For shoes you are best off with a pair of those rubber soled beach shoes, not your good running shoes! Lockers are available to store whatever you don't want to get wet or muddy.

If you plan to fully experience the mudding part, wear junky clothes and bring clean ones with you to change into. There really aren't any shower facilities, but there is a small bathroom that you could clean up a bit in at the sink.
They have a photographer who takes your picture at the beginning of the trip; pictures are printed while you are gone and are available for $10 when you return
(cash/American).
You might want a small waterproof flashlight to use inside the cave, or a waterproof camera with a flash. They also provide you with bottled water for the trip.
One last accessory that we did not have, but would use if we went again - a mask or handkerchief to tie over your nose and mouth. It can get very dusty if the vehicle in front of you is moving fast and you are stuck breathing it all in and picking dirt out of your teeth. If you do not have one, they sell them there for a small fee, but just throw one in the suitcase and get ready to have fun!