The name Hel Xá identifies both the Park and the archaeological site located East and West, respectively, of the Puerto Juarez - Chetumal Highway 180, 115 kilometers from Cancun and 16 kilometers North of Tulum.
The word Xel Há is a combination of Maya words meaning "water entrance" or "where the waters are born" in reference to the geography of the site (an inlet), although its name was given by the Spaniards and it is not known whether this is the original name. The site was used as a port by the ancient Mayas due to its location at one of the important crossroads for marine traffic in the trade of merchandise and goods. The first references concerning the port date from 1527, the year when the Spaniards arrived in the zone, which they called "Salamanca de Xalá," alluding to a small native settlement found nearby.
Legend tells of an abundant paradise created by the Maya gods, who combined their love and wisdom to create the most marvelous place on Earth, designating the iguana and the Lora fish as "guardians of Xel Há."
The main attraction at Xel Há Park is precisely its cove or inlet. Because of the combination of sea water with fresh subterranean currents of sweet water, the site is a natural aquarium hosting hundreds of marine species and tropical fish. No visitor to Xel Há can resist spending a few hours with a snorkel, visor and fins or putting on scuba gear to reach greater depths, alongside the marine species. Within the park there are also turtle and dolphin sanctuaries, and research concerning marine life is also undertaken here to contribute to the knowledge and ecological conservation of this zone.
Xel Há is undoubtedly one of the most dazzling tourist attractions, both in its archaeological and its natural treasures, making it one of the key visits on any vacation on the Riviera Maya, a place where nature celebrates in all its splendor, linked to the millennial culture of the Maya.
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