TEMAZCAL PRIVATE TOURS

Your English-speaking local expert will be waiting for you at your hotel or Airbnb lobby from Playa Mujeres, Cancún or Puerto Morelos with a great smile at 2:00 p.m. We recommend this time so you experience the Mayan ceremony at sunset.

Tonight you will clean your body, clear your mind and free your spirit — you'll experience the cosmic energy and reconnect with yourself and with mother earth. On the way, your local expert shares stories about Mexico, the Riviera Maya, Mexican traditions, local life and Mayan culture, and gives you space to relax and connect with the experience. Since this is your private tour, we always take the shortest route and won't make extra stops unless you want. The van carries plenty of cold water for you.

After 1 hour 45 minutes on the highway, we turn into the jungle for 15 minutes until we reach a local Mayan community nicknamed "Chukum." There, we equip ourselves with premium snorkel gear and waterproof lamps and walk through a small opening in the jungle floor — a window into the underground and, as the Maya saw it, a door to their underworld.

We'll snorkel through the depths of the jungle, sliding through underground tunnels past incredible rock formations. The Maya believed cenotes are sacred places with magical powers, unique to the Yucatán Peninsula. If you're more adventurous, ask your guide to take you to the secret back side of the cave.

Your guide keeps you safe and protected at all times — if you don't know how to snorkel, he'll teach you, and if you're a pro, he'll give you tips to improve your experience. We use professional, no-fogging, leak-proof snorkel equipment, deep cleaned and sanitized every day. If you wear glasses, we have graduated masks — just tell us your prescription when booking.

From the cave, we drive 10 minutes through the jungle to the neighboring Mayan community of Sonia, where the Shaman and the fire warrior are making the final arrangements for your ceremony. Before starting, your local expert shows you a traditional Mayan house — simple, small and charming — where you'll learn about their customs and daily-life instruments.

When you're ready, you'll walk to the circle of fire, where the Shaman — an authentic Mayan shaman who doesn't speak English, so your local expert translates — leads a moment of reflection. He'll give you a small stone of copal to throw into the fire at the end of the ceremony, to release any negative feelings.

After the ceremony, you'll enter the Temazcal. In the darkness, the Shaman chants as the fire warrior brings in red-hot stones charged with the ceremony's energy. As he pours a mixture of water and healing herbs over the stones, steam fills the space and the temperature rises — a spiritual, detoxifying experience that's hard to put into words. If you're claustrophobic or don't like closed dark spaces, we suggest staying inside only briefly. This experience is private, just for you, your family and friends — your guide will take the best photos for you throughout.

When the ceremony ends, the Shaman rinses your sweat with warm water from a jar. From there, while your body is still warm from the Temazcal, you jump into a cool cenote — a refreshing contrast your body and mind will love.

Afterward, we head to a thatched hut where Sonia and the Mayan women have prepared a homemade dinner for you — a charming atmosphere under candlelight and the sounds of the jungle, the perfect close to a magical night. Let us know in advance if you're vegan or have dietary requirements and we'll arrange the right menu.

The tour is planned to finish around 10:45 p.m., but since everything runs at your pace, the exact return time depends on you — you'll probably sleep during the 1 hour 45 minute ride back. This is your private tour, so you have the flexibility to head back at any point or skip any activity you don't want to do.