Helping the Planet, One Sun Block at a Time

Did you know that sunscreen takes up to 30 years to dissolve?

Every day we work and we do our bit to care of our planet. Using chemical-free sunscreen is a small part of all that we can do.

Conventional sun blocks take up to 30 years to dissolve once it’s in the water. Sun block labeled biodegradable also affects the ecosystem, although to a lesser degree. In Xel-Ha, the key is to use chemical-free sunscreens which contain only titanium oxide and zinc oxide, explains biologist Saitra Perez, Chief of Environmental Education and Lorena Dominguez, Head of Visitor’s Service during the sun block campaign #EcoXelHa.

As special guests, our fellow social networks of the Riviera Maya: @RivieraCancun, @VivoenPlaya @GpoTukan @TwittPlaya @AstridCa and @LaRutaVerde accompany us on a nature tour to see the wonders that inhabit Xel-Ha Park and meet the species that we are protecting with each environmental action we take.

Xel-Ha is a natural heritage in which there are 8 co-ecosystems, a unique opportunity to observe these different environments in one place: upper and middle forest, beach / ocean, coastal dunes, mangroves, reefs, cenotes, caves and inlet.

“Nature does nothing in vane. Integrate into the new movement with a change in attitude, giving is approaching.” – @RivieraCancun

On our jungle tour, our Twitter guests get to see some of the species that have made Xel-Ha their home such as coatis, iguanas and a rare variety of birds. When snorkeling in the inlet, our guide and marine species expert, Angel, shows us the variety of fish, anemones, and lets us take a closer look at the Queen Conch, an endangered species protected by the Park.

To complete our visit, the brand of clothing and items Fullsand explains their commitments to the environment and how their garments contain materials that protect you from UV rays.

“Using these t-shirts helps you complement the use of sun block. Its durability is for up to 2 years and contains SPF 50+ (sun protection factor), which means you can be exposed to the sun longer without being affected by the harmful UV rays,” explains Joaquin Matienzo, General Director of Fullsand.

The @XelhaPark Social Media team accompanied by the Twitter community, give out a sample of chemical-free sunscreen to share the message and importance of protecting our ecosystem.

Such actions are done every day at Xel-Ha. At the entrance, we have an interchange station, were visitors can leave their regular sunscreen and in exchange receive a sample for their day in Xel-Ha.

Did you know?

1. During 2011, Xel-Ha exchanged 152.506 chemical-free sun blocks with its visitors and invested 354.238 pesos in this program.
2. The campaign emerged in 1997 as a strategy to reduce the negative environmental impact that could generate the existence of toxic substances in the inlet at the Park.

With these small actions, Xel-Ha is taking care of the environment, one sun block at a time.

In which ways do you protect the environment?

What other actions do you propose to prevent the pollution of our planet?

#TipsXcaret Instagram Contest

Participate via @XcaretPark in Instagram & win 1 double courtesy to Xel-Ha.

How to Participate and Win

1.Follow us on Instagram @XcaretPark
2. Share your photo using #tipsxcaret
3. Gather the most ♥ likes
4. The most liked photo wins:
-1 Double courtesy to Xel-Ha Park. The courtesy is valid for 1 year.
5. There will be a winner each week
6. The contest is valid from August 6th to 31st.

Participate and Win!

_______________________

Policies and Conditions

Legal

1. We will receive the photo contestants from August 6th to 31st
2. The most liked photo each week will be the winner.
3. Participants can gather ♥ each week. The winner will be considered the one with the most
♥ since the start of the campaign until the time of closing. There will be a different winner every time.
5. Winners will be announced every Friday (10, 17, 24th and 31st of August) at 13:00 hrs GMT/UTC: -06:00
6. The award is valid for one year from the date the winner is announced.

To participate:

1. Purchase is not required and no payment is required to participate
2. The promotion is not refundable for cash.
3. The winners will be chosen according to the contest rules and the decision will be final.

How the prizes will be redeemed:

1. We will post the name of the winner in the photo of the winner and we will notify him or her via e-mail.
2. Experiencias Xcaret Inc. is exempt from liability for technical problems, connection problems, electrical, computer equipment, service providers, etc.., which may limit or prevent the participation of a contestant in this dynamic.

Policies and Conditions

1. No maximum number of participants. The contest is limited to the lifetime of the promotion.
2. The promotion will be advertised via Instagram only
3. Those expenses made by the winner that are not contemplated in the contest rules and restrictions, will be paid by the contestant releasing Experiencias Xcaret from any liability.

Right of elimination by fraudulent participants:

1. We reserve the right to delete any user who defrauds or alters the proper functioning of this promotion.
2. It is intended that all users concourse equal in each of the promotions and strict adherence to standards of good faith. Thus, any misuse or fraudulent use of these rules will result in the cancellation of the sentence of the participant and the disqualification of the user in the promotion.
3. This means that a fraud occurs when:
- Attack or attempted blocking the different methods used to engage consumers.
- Use fake profiles to accumulate “likes”.

Acceptance of these rules:

- The mere participation in this promotion implies acceptance of these general bases.

Excellence in Xplor 2012

TripAdvisor Honors Xplor with its 1st Certificate of Excellence

Did you know…

Xplor is placed in the number 4 position of best attractions in Playa del Carmen.

Playa del Carmen is considered the first destination when a traveler looks for “sun and sand” in hotels. Cancun is second.

There are 56 million travelers and potential travelers who visit TripAdvisor each month to recommend a place, to tell others of their experience or to plan their next trip.

___

Xplor Park received for the first time its Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, an award given to tourism establishments for their quality in service and for exceeding visitors’ expectations.

The recognition is not only a sample of visitors’ opinion on a hotel, restaurant or attraction, but a demonstration of how service influences the image of a tourism business and how travelers have more and more of an impact each day. Because of this, the Certificate of Excellence is considered one of the most important awards within the tourism industry and travel community.

___

We are committed to continuous improvement of all aspects in all parks of Experiencias Xcaret based on the comments our visitors make on TripAdvisor and other social networks, giving an increased importance to these suggestions, hence the importance of this award to Xplor.

The team at Xplor thanks you for your comments!

Xel-Ha, Vive Mexico and UNESCO | Together for the Community

The summer workshop XelHa-Chemuyil began three years ago as a proposal in coordination with the organization “Vive Mexico” and Xel-Ha. The project is sponsored by UNESCO.

Usually when you think of summer, the first thing that comes to mind is beach, sun, pool and lazy summer days. But volunteer vacations have become more and more popular; the Riviera Maya is no exception.

Now in its third year, the Summer Workshop Xel-Ha Chemuyil promotes a culture of volunteerism in communities throughout the region. The summer camp began as a proposal in coordination with the organization “Vive Mexico” and Xel-Ha Park. The project is sponsored by UNESCO. This summer, 9 young people from around the world gathered in a small town in Quintana Roo to help and teach a group of children in the community.

Chemuyil is located 10 minutes from the Ecological Park, Xel-Ha. As part of the Park’s sustainable development, Xel-Ha promotes the urban renewal of the community. This year, volunteers come from Korea, USA, Spain and for the first time, Mexico. The workshop is important as it allows the integration of the children in the community with other cultures and nationalities different from their own. With activities like yoga, recycling and crafts, the 80 participating children learn about respect for their community.

One activity, for example, is to build crafts with recyclable materials. The children gather the tools they will use within their own community.

This year, the focus was dedicated to the environment, although in previous years, the children have had language classes where they learn English and Italian. However, the day-to-day helps children learn phrases and cultural references as well as volunteers learn things from Mexico and some even dust-off their Spanish.

“The main benefit is the cultural enrichment that is generated and the fact that it’s mutual because just as the children learn from the volunteers, the volunteers learn from the children and the whole context of the community.” – Josephine Galvan, Head of Social Development Xel-Ha.

For Xel-Ha, these activities in the community are important because they motivate children and young people to expand their knowledge in the spiritual and personal realm, which will then lead to professional growth.

Project organizers hope to expand the summer camp to a long term project, where international volunteers live in the community full-time and share their knowledge year-round.

Have you been a volunteer at a summer camp? Tell us your experience.

The Trees in the Life of Pedro Ku | Faces of Xel-Ha

Pedro Ku, from the department of Sustainable Development at Xel-Ha, tells us the legend of Chechen and Chaca and more about his work at the Park. Pedro has been with the company for 16 years working with his passion: trees and the gardens that surround them and for him, the trees are life.

Why is it important to have sustainable development?

It’s important to always live in balance with nature so that future generations will have a chance to live in a healthy and preserved environment. We need to create a new vision, culture and education that recognizes that the future of humanity depends on our ability to live in balance and harmony with our natural world and preserve the natural resources for future generations.

________

What advice could you share with people to live sustainably?

• Participate in environmental programs in your community.
• Buy plants in established nurseries to prevent trade in our natural areas.
• Always have plants from the region to maintain the vegetation of our community and in turn preserve the wildlife that inhabits it.
• Contribute to the reforestation of parks in your community and create green areas.
• Minimize the negative environmental impact. Create organic waste compost as a natural fertilizer.
• Consume only the essential and generate less waste.
• Watch the consumption of gas, water and electricity.

Finally, Pedro shares with us the legend of Chechen and Chaca and the importance of trees in the region.

The Legend of Chechen and Chaca

They say that there was a Mayan king called Chechen, who frightened all his subjects with his terrible crimes. The situation became so chaotic that one day, the people rebelled and took up arms against the evil monarch. Chechen was chased, cornered and finally killed in the heat of the revolt, but before he died he swore he would return to take revenge. He was buried in the middle of the jungle, leaving his body away from the people.

Months later, on his tomb began to spring the first leaves of a plant not known until then. The plant grew into a dark, strong and poisonous tree that soon began to spread like a plague throughout the jungle. Anyone who came into contact with the tree was burned by its poison. The malevolent king had managed to maintain his wickedness on Earth even after death, keeping his people frightened. The tree was named Chechen.

Sometime later, a beautiful Mayan princess called Chaca, with a reputation for caring and loving people, fell ill. After some time, she died. Desolate, her subjects decided to bury her body at the tomb of the feared Chechen for they believed her kindness would keep away the evil king. From her tomb, soon emerged another small tree, this with healing qualities. It was the Chaca. The Chaca tree quickly spread throughout the jungle at the same speed than the Chechen. Today, coincidentally or not, behind every Chechen there is always a Chaca.

How about you? How do you take care of the trees and the environment?

Participate and Win

100 Reasons “I LIKE Xcaret“

• The winner of 100 Reasons “like” Xcaret credited with a double courtesy Xcaret valid for one year and an optional activity of your choice: Sea Trek, Xpa, interactive swim with rays or swim with sharks.
• A top 10 will receive a certificate of appreciation for their participation.

How to participate in the contest and get to be the winner

The voting stage of the competition 100 reasons I “Like” Xcaret is approaching. If you uploaded your statement and want to be the winner, it’s time to get down to business to get the most votes.

Here we share some tips to help you win:

1. Share your participation in the contest on your wall:

From the Application of the competition click the “share” button and invite your Facebook friends to vote for you.

2. Share the contest:

Get in to the Facebook page XcaretPark below and click on the app 100 reasons.
Click “Share” and choose your friends to share the information.

3. Create a Facebook event:

Sign in to your Facebook Home> Events (the left side of your screen), click where it says “create event”. The following screen will open in your wall and you can customize as you wish. You can keep your friends informed about voting and encourage them to invite others to participate:

4. Use other Social Networks:

Do you have Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest or other networks? It’s time to exploit their potential. If you have not tried, it’s time to update your profile and realize the extent of your social networks. Remember that your campaign is viral!

5. Use traditional media.

• Send an email to your friends and family and share the link to your contest.
• Record a video asking your friends and strangers to vote for you. You can share your video on your social networks. Be creative and clever to get more votes.
• Call your friends and family on the phone and invite them to support you by voting for you.

It is time to be creative and build your own campaign to win votes. Thanks to all who are participating and good luck!

Get your chance to win and participate.

Why do you like Xcaret?

We have reached our 100,000 Facebook likes and we want to celebrate with you.

Share with us the reason you “like” Xcaret and enter to win the “100 Reasons I Like Xcaret” contest.

The prize:

• Xcaret Plus admission for two
• Personal guided tour and personalized attention
• Tlachco dinner for the winner
• One of the following optional activities to choose from: Sea Trek, Xpa, Interactive swim with rays or swim with sharks

Contest ends August 4th

Do you have your reason yet? Enter to win.

_____________________________________________________

Xcaret Celebrates its 100K “Likes” in Facebook

It is the number one company in Quintana Roo to reach that number

With 12.351 posts, 206 albums and 591 photos at 1 pm on July 6, Xcaret Park reached its 100,000 Likes on its Facebook account, placing it as the number one in Quintana Roo.

/XcaretPark is the official account on Facebook for the Park, through which it interacts with a daily average of 1320 people who talk about their plans to visit the destination Cancun-Riviera Maya and the diversity of choices for enjoying their stay.

As a small token of appreciation, the Park shared a thank you video from the Xcaret family:

In a virtual celebration on its Facebook page, they had the pleasure to share this goal with the people who have made this possible.

The virtual party was a success and the page’s followers sent their congratulations while sharing their love of Xcaret.

_____

To Xcaret, Facebook is an excellent tool to communicate the variety of attractions and activities offered as a park that celebrates Mexico and its natural and cultural wealth wrapped up in laughter, music, colors and flavors.

It should be noted that much of the success of the account is due to the care each person receives; regardless of the type of comments made, each post is answered in a timely and appropriate manner.

Thanks again for your 100,000 likes and unconditional support.

Also join us on:

Twitter: @XcaretPark

YouTube: youtube.com/xcaretpark

Pinterest: /XcaretPark

A Family-Friendly Summer Adventure | Interaction with Stingrays

Did you know you can swim with stingrays in Xel-Ha?

With summer here, Xel-Ha Park invites you to their new and exciting activity: Interaction with stingrays. The thrilling activity offers visitors a unique opportunity to interact with a completely different species that, despite its look and not-too-distant relation to sharks, is completely harmless and friendly.

What do you like most about the activity?

“I never imagined that these animals were so noble and could interact directly with them. I liked that you can pet them. I think it’s an activity that you can hardly do elsewhere because it offers an unforgettable landscape in the inlet.” – Testimony of Claudia Gual.

Xel-Ha is the only place where visitors can enjoy this experience and interact with the stingrays freely in the Park’s inlet as the animals are not in captivity. Visitors can touch them, feed them and if they wish, hold them. The most important thing about the activity is the opportunity to learn about the lives of these wonderful creatures.

Another situation that makes this adventure even more attractive is that professional instructors will provide visitors with information about the animal´s defense mechanisms and its similarity to other species in a fun way. Visitors have about 30 minutes of interaction with the stingrays.

____

The rays have been named in Mayan, referring to features that date back to an ancient civilization and tradition. For example, visitors can learn more about Bo´´ox whose name means dark or Ki’in which means sun in Maya.

Visitors receive a message of environmental conservation and information about endangered species, the stingrays being one of these examples.

Have you done the activity with stingrays? Tell us about your experience.

Add this interaction to your favorite summer activities.

“Esperanza,” after being attacked by two dogs has become the most attended sea turtle at the Hospital in Xcaret

(Xcaret, Cancun Family Park)

It is wonderful to see the sea turtles at Xcaret, both those little ones enjoying the whirlpools that make the water falling into the ponds, and the huge ones swimming in the beautiful lagoon, close to the Caribbean Sea. What few people know is that here in Xcaret there is a space, a specialized hospital, where sea turtles in the wild are treated for illness and wounds. Xcaret is a site approved by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to take care of sea turtles.

Xcaret is very proud of being a Management Unit for the Wildlife Conservation (UMA), says Ana Negrete, who is the coordinator of Sea Turtles Conservation Program in this family Eco- Park “We have the responsibility to take care of the injured or sick sea turtles that people bring to us. At the Xcaret Sea Turtle hospital we treat and rehabilitate them, and when they are perfectly healthy, we release them back into the sea.

Ana’s team is integrated by four enthusiastic young people who have a strong vocation for caring for animals, especially sea turtles. Gladys Lopez is in charge of routine treatment for them. She prepares their diets and carries out the biological monitoring of each one. Yukio Pon, Adrian Rodriguez and Luis Adrian Chan are responsible for cleaning and maintenance of the hospital and all exhibits of sea turtles at Xcaret (Cancun Family Park)

Ana told us about many histories about some sea turtles that have been saved at the hospital in Xcaret. One of them is “Esperanza”, which is still in the hospital, under the care of Ana’s team.

“Esperanza (in english “Hope”) was brought to the Xcaret sea turtle hospital by people of “Flora Fauna y Cultura” organization, in 2007. This sea turtle was well known in Caampechen beach, because it had been nesting there for 5 years. Then it was attacked by two dogs that wrenched a big part of her pectoral muscle. The sea turtle was treated with antibiotics, honey and washed with iodine to prevent infection, but unfortunately it lost her front flippers.

“Esperanza” is still recovering, but she’s doing it very well. Because it only has two stumps on the front flippers, she cannot be released. Xcaret always return to the wild those sea turtles treated in the hospital, but she is a very special case. It is definitely the most attended turtle in the hospital.

This sea turtle could have no better name and it is certainly a great lesson for all of us. It has a message of life and hope, and how much we can do for our environment. Every time you come to Xcaret, you help us to preserve  sea turtles!

How to get more votes in the Photo Contest 2011 Xel-Há?

You made the first step: uploading your photo. Now we are in the second phase. Voting begins today (August the 1st) and ends on August 15^th.

Remember that the person with the highest number of votes during this period will be the winner of 5 days-4 nights in the Riviera Maya and a trip to Xel-Há (Water Park in Cancun).

Here are some tips to make your campaign effective

1. Sign in to vote for your photo:

Enter in to the “Contest” section that you will find  in the left side of Facebook Xel-Há page. Get in and vote for your photo.

2. Find your photo and share it with your friends:

You will see the following image:

3. Share it in your wall:

Once you have voted for your photo, you can share it on the wall and invite friends to participate:

4. E-mail the link of your photo to all your contacts:

Increase the reach of your campaign by sending the link of your photo (your link should be in your e.mail inbox) or, simply find your photo and share the link with others:

5. Use your imagination to share your photo:

Tell your friends they should spread the word with their contacts. It’s the best way to get more votes.

Good luck to all participants!

It’s time to vote and win a trip to Xel-Há (Water Park in Cancun)