20 most gorgeous cenotes in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Exploring cenotes in Yucatan peninsula is like eating pizza in Italy – it’s a bucket list thing to do that quickly became one of my favorite adventures during our three-month trip around the peninsula.
Cenotes are water-filled natural sinkholes in the ground typical in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. So a day trip to at least some of them must be on your Yucatan bucket list no matter where you stay – Tulum, Cancun, or Playa del Carmen!
In this blog post, you will find all the best cenotes in Yucatan peninsula with descriptions, photos, and locations on the map. We visited more than 30 of them so I know a thing or two about these gorgeous gigantic ‘potholes’. Happy travels!
1. Cenote Xcanahaltun
During our three-month stay in the Yucatan Peninsula, we managed to visit more than 30 cenotes in Yucatan Peninsula and there were only a few that stood out to me the most. One of them was Cenote Xcanahaltun.
At first, I didn’t expect much from Cenote Xcanahaltun as I had already visited many stunning cenotes but as soon as I entered the majestic cave I fell in love and this underground gem immediately became one of my favorite places in Yucatán!
The glorious cathedral-sized cenote is actually like a large underground lake with a small hole in the ceiling that lets natural light inside the cavern. The ceiling is adorned with icicle-type stalactites and looks absolutely spectacular.
You can enter the crystal clear water from a wooden platform located on one side of the ‘lake’. The entrance to the cenote was 230 pesos and for an extra 100 pesos we were offered to rent a kayak. I will never forget this incredible place!
Location: Cenote Xcanahaltun
2. Cenote Ik Kil
Cenote Ik Kil is one of the most iconic cenotes in Yucatan peninsula and is often combined with visiting Chichen Itza – both sites are located just 5 kilometers (3 miles) apart.
This cylindrical cenote stands out with its circular shape and 26-meter walls covered by hanging plants and tree roots. The cenote itself is 40 meters deep and served as a place for sacrifices for ancient Mayans a long time ago.
Pros and cons. Pros of this cenote – water is refreshing, it is gorgeous, and large, not too expensive. Cons – it gets verrry crowded during the day.
The cenote is located within the territory of a hotel and a restaurant so you can not only go for a swim here but buy a combined ticket that offers a buffet-type catering. That’s why it is a popular place amongst tour buses. Arrive early to avoid them!
Did you know? Ik Kil from Mayan means ‘place of the winds’.
We visited Ik Kil Cenote on the same day we went to Chichén Itzá. The entrance fee to the cenote was 200 pesos per person. At first, you can observe the cenote from above and then descend 90 steps through a tunnel to the water. It was gorgeous!
Location: Cenote Ik Kil
3. Cenote Atik Tulum
Cenote Atik Tulum is one of the most gorgeous cenotes near Tulum – located only a 15-minute drive from Tulum downtown it is the perfect place to go to spend a day in the jungle swimming in turquoise water.
It is actually more than a cenote and features a jungle park filled with hidden sculptures, art objects, and photo spots. Cenote Atik Tulum is one of my absolute favorite cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula!
Entrance to Cenote Atik Tulum was 350 pesos per person which is something you get used to near Tulum – prices here are higher! But you get extra value – besides all the necessary facilities you also get to visit fun objects in the jungle.
We visited Cenote Atik Tulum right before closing time so we did not get a chance to swim in the cenote. But it looked wonderful – like an oasis. It is an open cenote surrounded by high walls and a waterfall in one of the corners.
If you look deeper there are other stairs where you can enter the water apart from the obvious stone staircase from the entrance side. To get to the secret stairs you have to walk a jungle path along many sculptures and art objects.
There were walls covered with skulls, fountains, a pool with a large bust above it, and many more unique objects for unique photos. If you are looking for a gorgeous cenote near Tulum – look no further! This is it!
Location: Cenote Atik Tulum
4. Cenote Saamal
Cenote Samaal is one of those gorgeous semi-open cylindrical cenotes with crystal clear cool water and even a waterfall coming down from the top of the walls. Perfect place for a refreshing dip into the water!
It is located only 5 kilometers from Valladolid so it is very easy to get to even if you don’t have a car – you can get to Valladolid by bus and then easily get there by taxi or bicycle. One of my favorite cenotes we visited near Valladolid!
Cenote Samaal is located within the grounds of Hacienda Selva Maya – a building complex of a rural estate that includes souvenir stores, a buffet-type restaurant, tequila tasting, and even a zip line. We paid 200 pesos per person for the entrance.
Overall this place felt like a magical garden – a jungle oasis. Just bear in mind that this cenote is a popular stop for tour buses just like other nearby cenotes – Cenote Oxman, Cenote Hubiku, and others. Arrive early to skip crowds!
Location: Cenote Saamal
5. Cenote Suytun
Cenote Suytun has to be on every Yucatan Peninsula bucket list itinerary! It is one of the most iconic cenotes ever. Nowhere else you will find a stone pathway leading into the middle of a large underground cenote with a hole in the ceiling right above it.
If you time your visit right, there will be a light beam shining through the hole and illuminating the whole place. Or maybe it will shine right onto the stone platform. We arrived in the morning so we did not see the light beam.
Cenote Suytun is also one of the most iconic Instagram spots in the Yucatan Peninsula. The famous view of the stone platform and a large stalactite hanging from above is a sight you have probably seen all over the internet, haha!
Entrance to the cenote was 250 pesos per person when we visited. It is part of a building complex that includes a hotel, a restaurant, different facilities, and also another cenote (we did not visit the other cenote).
Once you enter the cenote there is a guard that meets you and asks you to leave your shoes before you walk on the stone pathway. We were alone there but I have heard that time for taking photos is limited if there are other people waiting in line.
Pros – it is large, beautiful and photogenic, there are all the facilities you need for swimming. Cons – it gets very busy later in the day with people lining up to take photos.
Tip! We visited this cenote on March 9th and the stone platform was dry. However, the water level can be higher or completely cover the platform after rainy periods. The best way to make sure how it looks is by checking recent reviews on Google Maps.
Location: Cenote Suytun
6. Cenotes Santa Bárbara: Cenote Xooch
Cenote Xooch is one of the most beautiful cenotes near Merida and amongst the most iconic cenotes you will find in the Yucatan Peninsula.
This gorgeous semi-open cenote is one of three cenotes that you get to enjoy when visiting Santa Barbara cenotes in the small town of Homún. Read more about it in my blog post about cenotes near Merida.
To get there you have to drive to the Santa Bárbara visitors’ center, pay 350 pesos entrance fee, and then take a bicycle or jump in a truck (included in the entrance fee) and drive down a gravel road to the cenote.
Cenote Xooch in Homún stands out with its iconic tree fitting perfectly in the middle of a circular hole in the roof with its roots hanging down into the water. Because of this postcard view, it is amongst the most photographed cenotes around here.
Cenote Xooch is the third in the order you will visit the three Santa Bárbara cenotes. I recommend taking a bicycle to get there so that you can explore cenotes on your own terms and in your own schedule.
Location: Cenotes Santa Bárbara – Cenote Xooch
7. Cenotes Santa Bárbara: Cenote Chacsikín
Another gorgeous cenote amongst Santa Bárbara cenotes is Cenote Chacsikín – a massive underground gallery filled with stalagmites and stalactites and clear blue water – one of my favorite types of cenotes!
It is pretty gigantic – plenty of space for swimming!
The cenote features a wooden structure with stairs where you climb down from the outside and a wooden platform right above the water level where you can leave your things and then jump inside the water.
If I could only go for a swim in one cenote here then this would be the one. It is quite large, there is space to sit down and relax, the water is crystal clear and the cenote is absolutely beautiful with stalactites and roots hanging from above.
One thing about closed cenotes is that they are deep underground and sometimes have very small openings resulting in the air being too smothery and hard to breathe. But his cenote is a perfect mix of underground beauty but enough air to breathe!
Location: Cenotes Santa Bárbara – Cenote Chacsikín
8. Cenote Choj Ha
Oh, wow! Cenote Choj Ha truly took my breath away! It is one of the most beautiful places I have visited in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Imagine randomly walking around the jungle and finding a small hole in the ground…
Once you enter that small hole you are met with a magical discovery – an underground cave the size of a cathedral filled with long sharp icicles – stalactites – and bulky short poles – stalagmites – all floating in and above crystal clear water. Magical!
It was truly hard to believe our eyes when we entered the cave. Once you realize that all this beauty has been silently sitting down here for, probably, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years, it really blows your mind.
Cenote Choj Ha is relatively unknown and is a true hidden gem in the Yucatán Peninsula. We paid 150 pesos each for the entrance and there were only a few people around but the cave is so big you don’t even notice other people. But bats are there, yes.
Thanks to its remote location you can enjoy an unforgettable experience in the jungle almost alone. Cenote Choj Ha is located a 50-minute drive from Valladolid, a 1h 30min drive from Tulum and Cancun, and a 1h 20min drive from Playa del Carmen.
Because we travel so much I am quite often hard to impress but then there are times I lack words to describe how incredible something is. This cenote is the latter of those two situations. Truly incredible! One of my favorite cenotes near Valladolid!
Location: Cenote Choj Ha
9. Gran Cenote
Gran Cenote located just a 10-minute drive from the center of Tulum downtown is one of the closest cenotes to Tulum. And over the years it has become one of the most popular ones in the Yucatan Peninsula.
The beautiful Gran Cenote boasts gorgeous turquoise water and different swimming areas all connected in one big crystal clear pond. There is one part out in the open but there are also two cave tunnels that lead to other swimming areas.
Here comes the best part – there are small turtles that live inside the cenote! Part of the cenote is restricted where you are not allowed to swim because turtles usually live there. But sometimes they wander off and I got to swim together with a turtle!
Another great thing about Gran Cenote is that a life jacket and snorkeling gear are included in the price which comes in handy if you wish to explore the see-through water. You must shower (and wash your hair!) before swimming.
Entrance to the cenote was 500 pesos per person. We visited more than 30 cenotes around the Yucatan Peninsula and this was the most expensive cenote out of all but this is what you get near Tulum – prices are quite steep.
Is it the most beautiful cenote ever? No. But it is beautiful enough to be worth a visit especially if you are staying in Tulum and are short on time. But come here in the morning before the crowds!
Location: Gran Cenote
10. Cenote Taak Bi Ha
Cenote Taak Bi Ha is located a 50-minute drive from Playa del Carmen. There is a special area dotted with gorgeous cenotes many of which are connected by underground cave systems and thus are popular among divers.
There are many popular cenotes in this area like Cenote Dos Ojos or Cenotes Sac Actún but we opted for Cenote Taak Bi Ha and did not regret this decision one bit.
Cenote Taak Bi Ha is a gorgeous underground cenote boasting crystal clear turquoise water as well as large rock formations – stalactites and stalagmites. You can jump into the water from a stone platform built above the water.
We visited this cenote on Sunday morning. At first, we were the only ones in the cenotes but soon many small group tours arrived but they all quickly disappeared snorkeling in the many hidden corners of the cenote.
After a short while their tours ended and they all drove away leaving us the only ones inside the massive cenote. It was magical! Entrance was 350 pesos per person with life jackets included in the price. They also have showers, toilets, and changing rooms.
Pros for this cenote – it is large and doesn’t get crowded, has a jumping platform, and snorkeling options plus the water is refreshingly chill. Cons – it is a remote place and you’d need a car or a taxi to get there. But it is 100% worth it!
Location: Cenote Taak Bi Ha
11. Cenote Calavera
Located just a 5-minute drive from Tulum downtown Cenote Calavera is not only one of the closest but also one of the most popular cenotes near Tulum and the whole Yucatan Peninsula.
It got its fame on social media thanks to its unique looks – a big circular hole in the ground with stairs and a swing. Next to the big hole, there are two smaller ones where you can jump through to get inside the water.
Calavera means a skull in Spanish and this cenote supposedly resembles one. The big hole is meant to be the mouth and two smaller ones are supposed to be the eyes. See it for yourself! There might be some truth to it!
Cenote is well maintained – there are all the facilities you might need for a day of water activities including showers, toilets, a bar with drinks, and a resting area with chairs and hammocks.
The biggest downside to this cenote is that it is rather small. There simply isn’t enough space for too many people but it does get crowded during the day. If you want to truly enjoy it then come here in the morning. It might not be worth it afterwards.
Entrance to the cenote was 250 pesos per person which is actually one of the cheapest prices amongst cenotes near Tulum. However, considering the small space for jumping into the water it seems rather adequate.
Location: Cenote Calavera
12. Cenote Hool Kosom
Cenote Hool Kosom is a gorgeous closed cenote located near Homún municipality. Without a doubt, it is one of the most beautiful cenotes near Merida with crystal-clear fresh water and a circular hole above it with light shining through.
If you travel to Homún, you will see tons of people on the street offering you to go on a cenotes tour. This is usually the one cenote every tour guide will take you to from Homún but you can also visit it on your own just like we did.
You can drive to the cenote by a rental car or by moto-taxi from Homún center. There is a parking lot and all the facilities you need – showers, toilets, life jackets for rent and some snacks. We paid 80 pesos each – one of the cheapest entrance fees around.
This natural sinkhole can be accessed by a narrow staircase through a small opening in the ground. The stairs lead underground where you will find yourself on a wooden platform on one side of the massive water hole.
The water is deeper on the sides and more shallow in the middle, so you can actually stand under those light rays shining through the small hole! A picture-perfect sight if you ask me! This was one of my favorite cenotes near Merida!
Location: Cenote Hool Kosom
13. Cenote Canunchen
Located a short drive further down the same dirt road is another gorgeous closed cenote in Homún – Cenote Canunchen. This cenote is huge and has multiple jumping platforms at different heights.
If you are looking for a place to *actually* swim some distances, jump from platforms, and enjoy the water to the fullest, then this is the right place to go! There’s like a whole pond with deep water under the ground! Impressive!
The entrance to this cenote for us was 100 pesos and it seemed totally worth the price. To get to the cenote you have to climb down the stairs underground where you will reach a wooden platform.
The wooden structure has two levels – the upper part is where you can see everything from above and also jump into the water from the highest jumping spot. Then the lower platform is where you can enter the water (in a normal way).
The lower level even has some benches and places where you can leave some of your belongings. The cenote has stalactites and roots of trees hanging from above. I love it -it always looks so cool!
Overall this place is very well looked after. The area surrounding the cenote actually is built for hosting events like weddings or birthdays so everything is beautiful with street art, swings, and cute decorative installations. We loved it!
Location: Cenote Canunchen
14. Cenote Zaci
Cenote Zaci is a gorgeous cenote located in the center of Valladolid. Yes, right in the heart of the city just a short walk from the main plaza! Valladolid is quite far away from the sea so this cenote is the easiest way to get a refreshing swim for locals.
This beautiful cenote is also one of the cheapest places in the area – while we paid around 200 pesos each to enter the majority of other cenotes near Valladolid, Cenote Zaci only costs 60 pesos and a life jacket is included in the price.
Mind you that this cenote gets busy so they have put time restrictions for swimmers – when we visited, you were allowed to swim one hour for that entry fee. There were only a few people in the morning but it gets crowded later in the day.
I read online that if you arrive during the busy hours you are put on a waitlist to enter – you have to wait before others finish swimming (at least you know it won’t be longer than 1 hour). Using life jackets is mandatory in this cenote.
The cenote features beautiful stalactites hanging from above and small waterfalls with water falling right in the middle of the cenote. There is a pathway all around the cenote with jumping platforms in many places so you can explore it from all sides.
The cenote is partly covered with the ceiling hanging 29 meters above the water. Water itself is mostly 25 to 30 meters deep but reaches 100 meters in depth in some places. Cenote Zaci is one of the must-see places in Valladolid, Mexico!
Location: Cenote Zaci
15. Cenote Palomitas
Cenote Palomitas is like an underground swimming pool the size of a Medieval cathedral. I was completely blown away by the size of this majestic cenote hidden deep in the jungle!
The cenote can be accessed through a small hole leading underground. The first thing I noticed was how big it is. The second thing was the ceiling – it is pierced with stalactites like the back of a hedgehog! Those stalactites are so long and sharp!
Finally, the third thing I noticed was crystal clear waters. The cenote is deep but you can see through the mirror-like calm waters super deep. I really loved this place – it is one of the best Valladolid cenotes for sure!
Entrance to the cenote costs 200 pesos per person. Getting there is a bit of an adventure as it is super remote but we had no problems at all. Just be patient with those roads. If you want to escape tour buses and city buzz, come straight here!
Location: Cenote Palomitas
16. Cenote Tankach-Ha
Cenote Tankach-Ha is one of three cenotes near the Coba archaeological zone – in case you are planning to visit the Mayan ruins I recommend paying a visit to Cenote Tankach-Ha just a 10-minute drive away.
Cenote Tankach-Ha is an absolute gorgeousness – it is an underground cave cenote where you basically walk inside an underground cupola that resembles the dome of a medieval European cathedral.
The cenote has multiple jumping platforms at different heights and deep see-through blue water with some fish swimming around. As I entered the cenote I remember saying to myself – Now this is a cenote I would definitely want to swim in!
But wait, here comes the best part – the entrance to this underground swimming pool was only 100 pesos! A total bargain compared to the steep prices closer to Tulum or Valladolid. And a life jacket is optional.
There are three cenotes near Coba archaeological zone and after visiting all of them I have to say that Cenote Tankach-Ha was the most beautiful and best for swimming out of all three cenotes. Highly recommend!
Location: Cenote Tankach-Ha
17. Cenote Choo-Ha
Cenote Choo-Ha is another one of the Coba cenotes near the Coba archaeological zone. This one is located right next to the gorgeous Cenote Tankach-Ha.
Cenote Tankach-Ha is located underground in a deep beautiful cave. The cenote is quite large and features massive stalagmites and stalactites. There is also a stone platform in the center of the cenote where you can leave your belongings.
This cenote looked stunning. The water isn’t that deep here but is exactly enough for swimming. There are showers, changing rooms, and toilets on the site. Basic but has everything you need.
Here is the best part about this cenote – it was only 100 pesos per person! Those cenotes closer to Tulum usually cost like 350 pesos or even 500 pesos per person so this was a pleasant surprise for our holiday budget, haha!
Location: Cenote Choo-Ha
18. Cenotes Dzitnup: Cenote Xkeken
Cenotes Dzitnup are a pair of two cenotes – Cenote X’keken and Samula – located on the outskirts of the city of Valladolid about 7 kilometers from the city center. You can reach them by taxi or by bike (there is a bike lane all the way to the cenotes).
In order to visit one or both of them you have to get to the ticket office (there is a large parking lot as well) and pay the entrance fee (we paid around 200 pesos each for both cenotes). Both cenotes are located within walking distance (about 200 meters).
For the same ticket, you get to see and enjoy both cenotes. You can’t pay half of the price to visit only one of them. Cenote Xkeken is considered the most beautiful of the two cenotes and features magnificent stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
The water is warm and clear, plus there are some bats flying around. The whole place is illuminated with lights. We arrived here soon after it opened and there were zero people here. It is stunning and unique but the water and the air are veeery warm.
Location: Ticket office and parking – Cenote Xkeken
19. Cenotes Dzitnup: Cenote Samula
The second one of Cenotes Dzitnup is called Cenote Samula. It is also a closed cenote that you can access by stairs that go straight underground. The cenote features a cool hole in the ceiling with tree roots hanging from above.
Although this cenote does not have crazy stalactites and stalagmites it has its own beautiful features like the turquoise water and the little ‘island’ in the middle. Imagine floating there and looking at the sky through the hole! Simple and magical!
Location: Ticket office and parking – Cenote Samula
20. Cenote Cleotilde
Cenote Cleotilde is a gorgeous underground cenote deep in the jungle near Chunkanán municipality. The most famous feature of this cenote is that it is filled with strands of tree roots hanging from above like hair.
Cenote Cleotilde is also one of the deepest cenotes you will see around the area and is suitable for diving. For regular swimmers, it is not the biggest cenote you will find around but its wild beauty definitely has its charm.
How to get to Cenote Cleotilde? You can’t visit Cenote Cleotilde on your own. You have to go to the ticket office at Cenote Mani-Chan and pay for one of their offered packages and then the guide will take you to the cenote by truck.
We chose the full cenotes package – a visit to three cenotes for 290 pesos per person. They then drive you through the jungle to all of the cenotes and let you swim around in each one of them. Cenote Cleotilde was my favorite cenote of all of them!
Location: Cenote Cleotilde
Happy exploring!
Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula is one of the top travel destinations around the world. It offers a balanced mix of tasty food, tropical beaches, secret cenotes, ancient Mayan archaeological sites, and vibrant cities.
We have spent two winters or six months traveling around the Yucatán Peninsula, including the states of Yucatán and Quintana Roo, and exploring everything this beautiful peninsula had to offer.
From white-sand beaches to dark underground cenotes, and ancient pyramids – there’s just so much to see! I hope you enjoy your time there as much as we did and I hope you get some travel inspiration from this blog post for your travels! Happy exploring!
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