Mexico's Riviera Maya has plenty of theme parks, but Xcaret stands apart: it's the largest water park in the region and doubles as an eco-archaeological site, where visitors can swim and snorkel underground rivers, take guided tours to Chichen Itza, or float cenotes like Tsukán. With more than 50 natural and cultural attractions in one place, it's a strong pick for families and first-timers who want a dose of Mexican culture alongside the swimming. And if you're staying over, Hotel Xcaret Mexico — an all-inclusive on site — has twice been voted a reader favourite, and has a reputation for winning over travellers who normally avoid all-inclusives.

The good news for 2026: there's a stack of active discounts worth knowing before you book. The headline offer is the Viva Mexico sale — 20% off parks and tours with the code MEXICO26. Booking ahead also pays off on its own: buy tickets for select parks 7 to 20 days out and you'll get 10% off; buy 21 or more days ahead and the discount rises to 15%. If your group includes children, the maths gets friendlier still — kids aged 5 to 11 get 25% off the adult ticket price, and children four and under enter free.

There are deals for adventurers and multi-park planners too. Build your own package of two to four parks (think ATV jungle trails near Cancún, a swim at Playa del Carmen, or a cenote ride out to Puerto Morelos) and 20% comes off automatically — no code needed. Prefer a bundle? The three-for-two sale, code PAQ3XO24, gets you three park admissions for the price of two, with or without transport. That covers Xcaret Plus, Xel-Há (an all-inclusive park with over 14 water and land activities plus unlimited food and drink), Xenses, Xoximilco (a colourful boat-and-music canal cruise), and Xplor, the zip-lining adventure park.

One niche perk: HSBC credit card holders can use code HSBCXC for a free second day of basic admission at Xcaret Park, or HSBCSC1 to add free entry to Xoximilco with an Xcaret-plus-Xplor package. Those tickets stay valid for a full year from purchase, so you can lock in the deal now and book flights later.

If a code fails at checkout, check for typos and expiry dates first, then clear your browser cache or contact Xcaret's customer service. And remember the baseline: Xcaret guarantees its lowest rates when you book tours and tickets directly through its own website, so paying full price through a third party is rarely the right move.

For anyone weighing up Cancún or Riviera Maya, these codes can take real money off what's often one of the priciest line items in a Mexican beach holiday — especially for families, where the children's discounts stack neatly with advance-purchase savings.