A great chance to see natural caves. Our guide Martin was very good, knowledgeable and friendly, and always looking out for safety of the small group.
Only downsides are the very bumpy minibus ride into the jungle, and the extortionate price of digital photos ($30 for one)
Rio Secreto is one of the most unique and breathtaking adventures you can experience in the Riviera Maya. The underground river, crystal-clear water (~20°C), and ancient cave formations are truly awe-inspiring. I didn’t wear a wetsuit and was totally fine—just immersed in the beauty and peace of nature. They provide a solid helmet, headlamp, and water shoes, so you don’t need to worry about gear.
Our guide, Victor, was fantastic. He spoke English, Spanish, and French, and handled our multicultural group with great energy and professionalism. He made the tour fun, informative, and very safe.
That said, the big downside is their photo policy. You’re not allowed to bring a camera or phone, which is understandable—but then they assign a “professional” photographer who only takes still photos (no video) and most of them came out blurry or overexposed. Be warned: if your headlamp is on, it ruins the photo exposure. Turn it off during photo ops if you want a chance at a decent shot.
I was solo on the tour and figured I’d rely on the pro photographer to capture some memories. But here’s the kicker: they wanted $30 USD for ONE photo or $120 USD for the full package of 25 photos. And only two were worth keeping—one at the entrance, and one group shot in the cave. Not a single good photo of me inside the cave. When I asked if everyone pays that much, especially families of 3 or 4 who were with me, they told me no—larger groups are charged more. So, keep that in mind: you’re still paying a high price as a solo traveler, and it’s not per person—it’s per photo package, regardless of quality or quantity of good shots.
This whole setup feels like a cash grab. With better photo quality, more thoughtful pricing tiers, or even a GoPro video option, they could offer so much more value. As it stands, it felt like an overpriced afterthought tacked onto an otherwise magical experience.
Final Take:
✅ Go for the experience—it’s truly one of a kind.
❌ But don’t expect to bring back quality memories unless you’re ready to overpay for blurry photos.
???? If capturing memories is important to you, consider visiting a cenote instead, where you can take your own photos and enjoy the water freely.
Overall a great experience! Victor our guide was great! He led us through the underground river secreto and was very informative regarding the rock formations and the ecosystem in general in Río Secreto. Would say that the transportation communication for pick up was lacking. You have to call or email them to arrange the pick up even if you select the pick up option on viator. Even then, if you have a Monday tour, I never got communication on Sunday even after attempting to call and text different numbers they provided. I had to reach to viator customer service for them to then reach out to the provider, who then gave me our pick up time. Such a hassle to just want to understand the pick up time. I would recommend calling or emailing them two days in advance given our experience with that. The good thing is that the excursion itself was worth it and would go again.