You'll Basically Have A Personal Photographer At This Unique All-Inclusive Mexican Resort

Vacation photos are one of the great joys of any adventure. We've come a long way from the days of the family gathering around the slide projector to reminisce about trips gone by. Still, whether it is a physical photo album or an Instagram account full of gorgeous snaps, the idea remains the same. However, while revisiting your travels through amazing images is a delightful experience, taking the shots themselves can be a challenge.

Getting awesome vacation photos means having a camera with you at all times. But when you are relaxing by the pool or swimming at the beach, this can be a problem. Taking a camera or a phone around the water means you risk losing or damaging it. The ideal solution would be to have a private photographer, but that's out of the question for most people. Or is it?

Xcaret, an all-inclusive resort near the gorgeous Caribbean beaches of the Riviera Maya in Mexico, does things a little differently. With its Photo Pass system, the resort has found a hassle-free way to document your vacation. And on this coastline, with so much to do in Cancun down to Playa del Carmen, there is a lot to capture.

Xcaret is hard to define. It is a luxurious beach resort and also a theme park. It is a protected eco-tourism development and also an archaeological site. Developed by a Mexican architect, and 100% Mexican-owned (a rarity given the enormous foreign investment in the Riviera Maya), the resort incorporates the remarkable natural features and the archaeology of the Yucatán Peninsula into its design. With ruins, cenotes (sinkholes), underground rivers, beaches, a Mayan village, and several nature reserves, it is a one-of-a-kind place to stay.

A stay in Xcaret lets you immerse yourself in Mayan customs and culture, with an extensive program of shows, events, and displays. From ancient rituals like Día de los Muertos and Travesía Sagrada Maya to more modern Mexican folklore, time at the resort is full of excitement and wonder.

With stunning jungle landscapes, mysterious caverns, gorgeous beaches, and costumed spectacles, there are a whole lot of things worth capturing on camera during a stay at Xcaret. Luckily, this exceptional place has you covered, with its photography services through the Photo Pass system. 

When you buy the Photo Pass package as part of a stay at Xcaret, you'll get a special wristband. As you wander the resort and the park, you'll discover automatic cameras strategically positioned in the best photo opportunity spots — called "Xelfie Points." A quick scan of your wristband prepares the camera. You'll have time to strike a pose, and with a flash of the camera, your photo will be saved in your personal account linked to your room. At the end of your stay, you'll have an album of pictures ready to download, the perfect vacation souvenir.

The Photo Pass system is particularly useful as so many of Xcaret's attractions are water-based. When you are strapping on snorkeling gear or swimming through an underground river, carrying a camera just isn't practical, but at Xcaret, you can still get spectacular shots. Best of all, the wristband works at all of the Xcaret-affiliated theme parks, resorts, and attractions in the region, so if you are taking a day trip to Xplor, Xenses, or Xel-Ha, you are guaranteed amazing photos of your experience.