I Drove An ATV For The First Time In Mexico

While I was staying at the Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa in Mexico, I had time to go on an excursion, which was ATV riding in the Mayan jungle. I have never driven an ATV before, let alone actually ridden in one before, so this would prove to be a different experience for me.

A minibus came to pick us up from our hotel in the early morning and it was a 30 to 40-minute drive to the Aventuras Mayas compound. At the front of the compound was a convenience store with bathrooms and lockers to put our things in.

After signing the waivers, our guide led us through the jungle path, telling us about the flora and fauna of the jungle we were in. Our guide told us not to touch the plants as they could cause serious rashes on the skin, and he would also tell us about the jaguars that would swim in the cenote on the compound. I would put myself in harm's way later during the trip.

There was an ATV display on the path, so our guide was explaining to us how to operate the vehicle, which felt like operating my e-scooter (when I used to have it). After the explanation, we went to get our helmets, and then we got to hop on our ATVs for some riding. I was a solo rider on this occasion. I was supposed to have someone sitting behind me on the ATV but she had too much to drink at the resort last night and therefore could not make it.

What did I think of my first ATV drive? I enjoyed it. It was good to have the wind hit me with full force as I was flying down the trail. We went through some smooth trails, but then we also went through some bumpy and rocky trails as well. The best thing for me was to just speed through the bumps and rocks as quickly (and safely) as possible, as I think you would feel the bumps more if you drove slowly. Operating the ATV accelerator and brake, as well as turning the ATV was a real workout on the arms as my ATV did not have power steering.

We spent around 40 mins on the ATVs before we drove back to return our vehicles and helmets. The next thing I got to do (which no one else wanted to join me to do) was to go swim in the cenote. With my lifejacket on, I jumped into the swimming hole with reckless abandon. The cenote was around 14m deep, which scared everyone else into abstaining from this activity. There were ziplines set up, as well as a platform for diving, but I did not want to do any of that. I just wanted to swim in the cenote where jaguars may or may not have been stalking me.

After the swim, the guides fed us a lunch of tortillas, rice, beans, and veggies which was nourishing.

After lunch, it was time to leave Aventuras Mayas, and the minibus took us into Puerto Morelos for some shopping. I went walking around the waterfront, and eventually, I joined some of my guests for drinking Coronas at the seaside restaurant.

Overall, I enjoyed the excursion, but I would not pay $100USD for something like this again.