Ultimate Guide: 9 Best Cenotes in Tulum, Mexico

Ultimate Guide: 9 Best Cenotes in Tulum, Mexico

Are you looking for the best cenotes in Tulum, Quintana Roo? There are many mysterious cenotes in Mexico and at least 6,000 beautiful cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula.

One of the best things to do in Mexico is to visit the cenotes, which you can find near tourist places like Tulum, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Valladolid, and Bacalar.

You can easily spend a whole day visiting the Tulum cenotes, where you can swim, snorkel, and jump off the platforms into the crystal clear water.

In this post, you’ll find the most beautiful cenotes in Tulum, learn why they were essential to the Mayan civilization, and get practical information about the cenotes. Use the map at the bottom of this post to find the epic cenotes near Tulum.

Disclosure: This post contains a few affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through our link. This is a free way to support us and allow us to continue to create inspiring travel guides.

What is a Cenote?

Cenotes are natural freshwater sinkholes that form after the collapse of an underground limestone cave, exposing the groundwater underneath.

The cenotes are filled with crystal clear, cold underground and rainwater. These cenotes and underground rivers provided the Mayans with drinking water, bathing, and irrigation.

The cenotes were a sacred place, and Maya people believed that the cenotes were a passage to the underworld and the afterlife. Therefore, during Mayan rituals, they offered valuables and human sacrifices to their gods.

Visiting the cenotes is one of the best things to do in Tulum. You can escape from the heat, swim, snorkel, enjoy the scenery of natural sinkholes, or go scuba diving.

See also → Tulum Guide

Types of Cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula

There are different types of cenotes: open cenotes, semi-open cenotes, cave cenotes, and underground cenotes.

How to Get to the Cenotes in Tulum?

The best way to get around the Yucatan Peninsula is to rent a car. For nearby Tulum cenotes, you can join a group or private tour, travel by taxi or Colectivo (shared minivan), or rent a bike.

Car rental will cost around 30-35 USD per day, which includes full insurance.

During our travels, we always use Discover Cars for car rentals. Because they always offer the best deals and provide free cancellation 48 hours before your reservation.

Are you thinking of renting a car? Be sure to read our guide to renting a car in Mexico and driving around the Yucatan Peninsula.

Best Tulum Cenotes

1. Cenote Suytun

Cenote Suytun is one of the best cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula, about a 1-hour drive from Tulum or just a 15-minute drive from Valladolid.

The Cenote Suytun is an underground cenote with a small hole in the ceiling from which light is beamed directly onto the platform.

Join a Cenotes Tour.

Good to know that the Cenote Suytun platform is not always underwater, depending on weather conditions. However, in the dry season, you can usually walk on the platform, which is a fantastic experience.

Recommended post → Instagrammable Places in Tulum

General information for visiting Cenote Suytun

• Cenote Suytun is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.
• Because Cenote Suytun is the most popular cenote near Tulum if you want to avoid the line, arrive in the morning!
• The entrance fee to Cenote Suytun is 200 MXN (11 USD).

TIP
If you want to catch the Cenote Suytun when the natural light is beaming on the platform, you should visit from noon to 2 PM.

2. Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum

Are you looking for the best cenote in Tulum, where you don’t have to beat the crowds?

If you stay at Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum, you’ll get free entry to one of the most beautiful cenotes. You can also visit one of the best Instagram spots in Tulum before opening hours.

The cenotes at Casa Tortuga Tulum are stunningly beautiful and well worth a visit.

TIP
For the best experience, you can book a day tour that includes a visit to the Cenote Casa Tortuga and the Tulum Ruins.

General information for visiting Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum

• Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum is open from 9 AM to 5 PM.
• Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum is just a 15-minute drive from the city center.
• The entrance fee is 650 MXN (36 USD) and includes a guide, lifejacket, access to the four cenotes, and the zipline.

If you want to go ziplining, this is one of the best places. Then, you can refresh yourself in the beautiful turquoise waters.

3. Cenote Calavera

The Cenote Calavera is one of the best cenotes in Tulum, where you can spend a few relaxing hours, jump in the water, relax on the swing, scuba dive, or take some creative shots.

Calavera means “skull” in Spanish, and the name comes from the form cenote.

It wasn’t so famous before, but thanks to Instagram, those who visit Tulum already have Cenote Calavera on their bucket list.

General information for visiting Cenote Calavera

• Cenote Calavera is open every day from 9 AM to 5 PM.
• Because it’s only a few minutes from the center of Tulum, you can easily reach the Cenote Calavera by car, bike, or taxi.
• The entrance fee to the Cenote Calavera is 250 MXN (14 USD). There is an additional fee of 200 MXN (11.50 USD) for the use of the camera.

Read our → Yucatan Peninsula Itinerary

4. Gran Cenote

The Gran Cenote is the most popular cenote in Tulum, so it is always crowded. Therefore, we recommend visiting early in the morning or just before closing time.

At the Gran Cenote, you can swim with turtles, snorkel, and explore the underwater caves. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the Gran Cenote, but if you have the time, be sure to visit!

Join a Cenotes Tour.

General information for visiting Gran Cenote

• The Gran Cenote is open every day from 8 AM to 4:45 PM.
• It is located just a few kilometers from Tulum on the road to the Coba Ruins near Cenote Calavera.
• The entrance fee to the Gran Cenote is higher than the other cenotes, at 500 MXN (28.50 USD) per person.

5. Cenote Ik Kil

Cenote Ik Kil is one of the best cenotes near Tulum and should be on every Mexico Itinerary.

Take a day trip from Tulum and visit Chichen Itza, then after exploring the Mayan Ruins, enjoy a dip at Cenote Ik Kil.

For the best experience, book your Chichen Itza and Cenote day trips via Viator or GetYourGuide.

Cenote Ik Kil is a beautiful open cenote with long tendrils of vines and green plants that offer fantastic photo opportunities.

Take a few photos from above and then go down and swim or jump into the turquoise water from the platforms.

Recommended post → Ultimate Guide to Visiting Chichen Itza

General information for visiting Cenote Ik Kil

• Cenote Ik Kil is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.
• From Chichen Itza, Cenote Ik Kil is just a 5-minute drive away.
• The entrance fee to the Cenote Ik Kil is 150 MXN (8 USD), which includes a life jacket and a locker. Or you can buy another ticket with buffet service in the restaurant for 350 MXN (20 USD).

6. Cenote Oxman

Another best cenote near Tulum is Cenote Oxman, about a 1.5-hour drive away, not far from Cenote Suytun.

You can spend a few refreshing hours by the pool or in the cenote.

Join a Cenotes Tour.

There is a platform with a rope swing where you can jump into the crystal clear water, which is a fantastic experience. Wearing a life jacket is mandatory for swimming!

Recommended post → How to Spend 3 Days in Valladolid

General information for visiting Cenote Oxman

• Cenote Oxman is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.
• The Hacienda Cenote Oxman is just a 15-minute drive from the center of Valladolid.
• The entrance fee to the Cenote Oxman is 150 MXN (8.50 USD), which has access to the cenote and the pool and includes a life jacket.
  Or you can buy a ticket for 350 MXN (20 USD), which offers buffet service in the restaurant.

7. Cenote Aktun Ha (Cenote Carwash)

The Cenote Aktun Ha is one of the less crowded cenotes in Tulum, and you can easily combine your visit with the nearby Cenote Zacil Ha.

The Cenote Carwash is a stunning, open cenote that is a great snorkeling and diving spot in Tulum.

Previously, taxi drivers used to come here to wash their vehicles, which gave the name to the place. But nowadays, they don’t come here to wash cars, and it is one of the best cenotes in Tulum.

General information for visiting Cenote Aktun Ha

• Cenote Aktun Ha is open daily from 9 AM to 4 PM.
• Cenote Carwash is located just 10 minutes from the center of Tulum.
• Cenote Aktun Ha entrance fee is 300 MXN (17 USD).

8. Cenote Azul

Cenote Azul is a stunning open cenote with crystal clear blue water.

The Cenote Azul has different areas and depths, a perfect place for snorkeling, swimming, and enjoying the free fish pedicure.

If you’re looking for adventure, jump off the cliff into the 6-meter deep water. You can rent a life jacket for 40 MXN (2 USD).

There are plenty of benches where you can drop your stuff and spend some relaxing hours at the cenote.

Join a Cenotes Tour.

General information for visiting Cenote Azul

• The Cenote Azul is open from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
• The Cenote Azul is a beautiful place located about a 30-minute drive from Tulum, near Playa del Carmen.
• The entrance fee to Cenote Azul is 150 MXN (8 USD).

Are you looking for more cenotes in Tulum? Visit the Cenote Cristalino and the Jardín Del Eden Cenote.

Recommended post → Things to Do in Tulum

9. Cenote Dos Ojos

Cenote Dos Ojos is a unique place in Mexico that you can visit easily during your stay in Tulum. The name Cenote Dos Ojos means “Two Eyes Cenote” in Spanish.

Book Dos Ojos Cenote Tour.

If you are interested in cave diving or snorkeling, this is the perfect place. You can explore the Cenote Dos Ojos complex and enjoy the two cenotes.

General information for visiting Cenote Dos Ojos

• Cenote Dos Ojos is open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM.
• You can get to Cenote Dos Ojos from Tulum in about 30 minutes by Colectivo or car.
• The entrance fee to Cenote Dos Ojos is 350 MXN (20 USD), and the guided tour costs around 700 MXN (40 USD).

Read more → What to Do in Bacalar

What to Pack for the Tulum Cenotes

• Bring a quick-drying towel, swimsuit, flip-flops, and biodegradable sunscreen.
• If you have snorkeling gear, take it with you. It’s more hygienic, and you can save on rental fees.
• Some cenotes have less light, and the cave cenotes are dark, so be sure to take a tripod with you if you want to take good-quality photos.
• Always bring enough Mexican pesos with you, as not all places accept card payments.
• Not all cenotes have lockers for rent, so bring a waterproof bag to protect your valuables.

Tips for Visiting the Best Cenotes in Tulum

• If you want to visit all the cenotes, one day is probably not enough. As they are all at different distances and each one is beautiful (and some are expensive), it’s not worth a short visit.
• The best way to visit the cenotes is by rental car and explore them at your own pace. You can also rent a bike, join a cenote tour, take a taxi, or travel with a shared minivan (Colectivo).
• The best time to visit the cenotes to avoid crowds is in the morning hours or just before closing time.
• You must shower before visiting the cenote and avoid wearing sunscreen or insect repellent.

• Although most cenotes have bathrooms or changing rooms, it is easier to wear your swimsuit under your clothes.
• Take great photos, but allow enough time to explore the cenotes and enjoy a refreshing dip.
• Most cenotes are mandatory to wear a life jacket!
• Some cenotes require a camera fee or drone ticket.

Don’t forget to buy travel insurance! We always choose SafetyWing for our travels.

Map of the Tulum Cenotes

Where to Stay in Tulum

When you have a car, we suggest you book your hotel outside Tulum. For those who want to enjoy the nightlife or explore Tulum without a car, we recommend staying near the town center or Tulum Beach.

Tulum has some luxury hotels, but accommodation options are available for all budgets. These are our recommendations.

Best hotels in Tulum

• Luxury: Casa Malca
• Mid-Range: Maka Hotel Boutique or Coco Tulum Zen Zone Hotel
• Budget: Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum

We hope you enjoyed our guide to the best cenotes in Tulum. Have you visited a cenote in the Yucatan Peninsula? Which was your favorite cenote near Tulum?

Hotels – Booking.com
Car Rentals – Discover Cars
Flights – Skyscanner
Travel Insurance – SafetyWing
Tours & Attractions – GetYourGuide
Bus/Transfer – Bookaway

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