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 an underground limestone cave collapses, 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 scuba dive.
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.
How to Get to the Casa Tortugas?
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 round-trip travel from your Playa del Carmen hotel and visit the four cenotes, which include an entrance fee, snorkeling equipment, a life jacket, water, and lunch.
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 Casa Tortuga by taxi or colectivo (shared minivan).
Car rental will cost around 30-35 USD per day, which includes full insurance. Book your car in advance to get the best price! Check car rental prices and availability HERE.
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.
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.
TIP
For the best experience, stay at Hotel Casa Tortuga Tulum Cenotes Park and enjoy the most beautiful cenotes.
Cenote Casa Tortuga Entrance Fee
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 Casa Tortuga Natural Park.
- The basic is the most popular package, which costs 650 MXN (38 USD) per person. The price includes a life jacket, a guide, and access to the four cenotes.
- The platinum package costs 850 MXN (49 USD) and includes a vest, a guide, access to the four cenotes, and a zipline or buffet.
- The VIP package costs 1100 MXN (64 USD) and includes a vest, a guide, access to the four cenotes, a zipline, and a buffet.
Good to know
There are bathrooms, changing rooms and showers. Lockers are available for rent for 100 MXN (6 USD).
Cenote Casa Tortuga Opening Hours
Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum 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, you can book a day tour that includes a visit to the Cenote Casa Tortuga and the Tulum Ruins.
TIP
Before entering the cenotes, you must shower and not use sunscreen or insect repellent.
What to Pack
- Quick-dry towel
- 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 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 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.
Travel Resources
Hotels – Booking.com
Car Rentals – Discover Cars
Flights – Skyscanner
Travel Insurance – SafetyWing
Tours & Attractions – GetYourGuide
Bus/Transfer – Bookaway
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