The Sacred Prehispanic Journey, an Event Unique in the World, Concludes Successfully

XCARET, RIVIERA MAYA, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO – The  Sacred Prehispanic Journey successfully concluded with the arrival of 300 canoers who crossed the Caribbean Sea in record time, with an overall average of nine hours total paddling in open water, informed Leticia Aguerrebere Salido, General Manager of the event, who assured that this is a unique event of its kind all over the world.

“For the crossing from Xcaret to Cozumel they made it in an average of 6 hours of navigation, and the return was completed in just 3 hours,” informed the board of Grupo Experiencias Xcaret, stating that the canoers enjoyed very good weather throughout the journey.

The Sacred Prehispanic Journey is an ancient ritual on the eastern coast of Yucatan, which recreates the pilgrimage to the Island of Cozumel in search of the message of the oracle Ixchel, in the style of the ancient navigators and prehispanic merchants.

This tradition was recovered in 2007, after five centuries of not being practiced, since it was suspended after the arrival of the Spanish to the American Continent. In the first version five canoes, made in the style of the ancient communities, crossed from Xcaret to Cozumel with only 25 canoers.

The 2017 edition had the participation of 300 canoers (166 men and 135 women) of the canoeing schools of  Cancun, Cozumel, Xcaret and Xel-Há. Everyone participates voluntarily in order to fulfill a personal promise, overcome individual and team challenges, and contribute to the preservation of this ancient tradition practiced by the ancient communities beginning more than a thousand years ago. Physical and mental preparation involves training for six months, from November to May.

Leticia Aguerrebere reported that the Sacred Prehispanic Journey has also attracted the interest of foreign residents in Quintana Roo. This time it involved 38 canoers from different countries, such as Argentina, Spain, Venezuela, Chile, Italy, France, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland and Uruguay.