The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum

The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum

One of the best things to do in Tulum is to visit the cenotes at Casa Tortuga. The cenotes at Casa Tortuga Tulum are stunningly beautiful and well worth a visit.

Wondering how to visit Casa Tortuga? Tulum is the best base for visiting the cenotes, but you can also take a day trip from Playa del Carmen or Cancun.

Spend a whole day visiting the best cenotes, where you can swim, scuba dive, kayak, chill out, and jump off the platforms into the jade-green crystal clear water.

This ultimate guide to the Casa Tortugas includes the best time to visit, how to get there, what to expect on the tour, practical information, and entrance fees.

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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 Maya with drinking water and were used for 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.

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

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

Where is Cenotes Casa Tortuga Natural Park?

Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum is located just a 15-minute drive from the center of Tulum, on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

See also → Best Tulum Instagram Spots

How to Get to Casa Tortuga Tulum

Although you can reach the cenotes from Cancun (1.5 hours) or Playa del Carmen (45 minutes), it is only a 15-minute drive from Tulum.

Book a tour from Playa del Carmen or Cancun to visit the four cenotes, which includes a bilingual guide and round-trip transportation.

The best way to get around Tulum is to rent a car or join a guided tour, which includes transport. You can also get to the cenote by taxi or colectivo (shared minivan).

Car rental will cost around 30-40 USD daily for a basic car with full coverage. Book your car in advance to get the best price!

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.

Good to know
Free parking is available directly outside the park entrance.

Best Time to Visit Tulum, Mexico

The Yucatan Peninsula has a tropical climate, hot and humid all year round. February and April are ideal months for a Yucatan Peninsula Road Trip Itinerary.

The best time to visit Tulum is between December and April. This period is the dry season, with pleasant temperatures and little rainfall. However, these months are also the peak season in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, which means high prices and crowds.

The rainy and hurricane season usually starts in June and ends in October.

The best time to visit the cenotes to avoid crowds is in the morning hours or just before closing time.

Cenotes Casa Tortuga Entrance Fee, Tickets

The entrance fee to most cenotes in Tulum is very expensive. But at Cenotes Casa Tortuga, you can visit four different cenotes, eat delicious Mexican food, and enjoy exciting activities like zipline and kayaking.

You can choose from three different cenotes tour packages to visit the natural park.

• The Basic is the most popular package, which costs 750 MXN (36,50 USD) per person. The price includes a guide, life jacket, kayak, and access to four cenotes.
• The Silver Package costs 950 MXN (46 USD) and includes a life vest, a guide, a kayak, access to the four cenotes, and a zipline or taco buffet.
• The Golden Package costs 1250 MXN (61 USD) and includes a life jacket, a guide, a kayak, access to the four cenotes, a zipline, and a taco buffet.

Get tickets to Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum HERE.

Good to know
There are bathrooms, changing rooms and showers. Lockers are available for rent for 100 MXN (5 USD).

Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum Opening Hours

It is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.

Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tour

The Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum is a Cenote Natural Park and hotel that offers adventurous activities for visitors. There are also restaurants and bars on site.

There are four cenotes at Casa Tortuga: Cenote Campana, Cenote Wisho, Cenote Dorca, and Cenote Tres Zapotes (two caves and two open cenotes). The depth of the cenotes varies between 1 and 8 meters.

The Tres Zapotes is an open cenote, more than 100 meters long with crystal clear water, and you can jump from a 3-meter high platform into 8 meters of deep water.

Spend some relaxing hours at the cenotes, swimming, kayaking, chilling, and ziplining. For the best experience, book a full-day tour that includes a visit to the Cenotes and Tulum Ruins.

Good to know
Before entering the cenotes, you must shower and not use sunscreen or insect repellent.

Recommended post → Best Cenotes in Tulum

What to Pack

• Quick-dry towel: This microfibre quick-drying towel is ideal for traveling, hiking, swimming, bathing, and sports.
• Power bank: An essential accessory for anyone who needs reliable power on the go.
• Grayl Filtered Water Bottle: The Grayl filter removes viruses and bacteria and filters microplastics, chemicals, and heavy metals. Fill up your filtered water bottle anywhere and drink crystal-clear water wherever you go.
• Swimsuit
• Hat
• Biodegradable sunscreen
• Water shoes
• Dry bag
• Camera gear
• GoPro or Waterproof phone bag
• Plenty of Water
• Local money

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.

If you stay at Hotel Casa Tortuga Tulum, you’ll get free entry to one of the most beautiful cenotes. You can also visit Cenote Tres Zapotes before opening hours and take epic photos.

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: Hotel Casa Tortuga Tulum Cenotes Park

We have a detailed post on the best areas and hotels in Tulum.

We hope you found our guide to Casa Tortuga useful and will inspire you to visit Mexico. If you have any questions or thoughts, let us know in the comment below.

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

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