Ring of Cenotes: 15 beautiful cenotes near Merida, Mexico
Explore the most beautiful cenotes near Merida, Mexico! Merida is located next to the Ring of Cenotes Geohydrological State Reserve, and a trip to see the cenotes, water-filled natural sinkholes in the ground, was one of my favorite day trips from Merida!
The most unique and mysterious cenotes near Merida are located in Cuzamá and Homún municipalities within the Ring of Cenotes reserve. So we rented a car (you can go by bus too) and went on a quest to find the most beautiful cenotes there.
In this post, you will find the best cenotes near Merida with descriptions, photos, and locations on Google Maps. We ended up spending the whole weekend exploring the area dotted with cenotes and visited more than a dozen of them. Fun memories!
Tip! Most of the cenotes only accepted cash payments so bring plenty of cash!
Read more » Merida bucket list: 21 best things to do in Merida, Mexico
1. Cenote Hool Kosom in Homún
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 here.
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
2. Cenote Canunchen in Homún
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!
Tip! There are other cenotes further down the same road. We also visited Cenote Wolpoch but it wasn’t really worth it – it is very, very small and barely waist-deep. However, there may be some worth checking out like Cenote Bal Mil.
Location: Cenote Canunchen
3. Cenote Tza Ujun Kat in Homún
Cenote Tza Ujun Kat is the cheapest cenote in Homún with easy access. It is located on Calle 30-B street in Homún and we only paid 50 pesos each for the entry to the cenote.
Cenote Tza Ujun Kat is a closed underground cenote filled with stalactites and stalagmites. There is a hole in the roof of the cenote with birds flying in and out. Right under the hole, there is a tree planted so that it would grow through it one day.
This cenote seems especially popular amongst locals because of its convenient location. Cenote opens at 9 AM. If you arrive right around the opening time you will skip hordes of vendors trying to make you park your car at their spot.
We arrived later in the day and were met with vendors from both sides asking us to park our car in their parking spot. Parking is free but they will then rent out life jackets or sell you snacks. Life vests are mandatory.
Location: Cenote Tza Ujun Kat
4. Cenote Pool Uinic in Homún
You will notice right away that on the opposite side of the street of Cenote Tza Ujun Kat is another private cenote – Cenote Pool Uinic. It was not my favorite cenote, but if you have some spare time, you can check it out.
Cenote Pool Uinic is much smaller than Cenote Tza Ujun Kat and the entry costs more – 70 pesos per person. It is also an underground cenote inside a large gallery but with a relatively small space for swimming.
It definitely has its own beauty and if you have some time to spare I would go see it. But if you have limited time and only want the best and most beautiful cenotes, I would skip this one and go somewhere else.
We spent two days in Homún so we used this time to visit as many cenotes as we could and stopped by this one along the way. Check out our photos and see for yourself if it is worth a visit! I loved the clear waters but not so much the cave.
Location: Cenote Pool Uinic
5. Cenotes de Cuzamá: Cenote Chac-Sinic-Che
Cenote Chac-Sinic-Che is one of the three Cenotes de Cuzamá located near the town of Cuzama. You can only visit all of these three cenotes together during a single trip you pay for at the entrance.
How to get there? You have to drive to the visitors’ center, park your car there, and pay 800 pesos (cash only) for a horse-drawn rail cart that fits up to 4 people and will take you on a 2 to 3-hour trip to all three cenotes along a railway.
Cenote Chac-Sinic-Che as well as the other two Cuzamá cenotes are remote and located deep in the wilderness. There is a 5-6 kilometer (3-4 mile) distance to the first cenote – Cenote Chac-Sinic-Che – from the parking lot.
You are given up to 30 minutes to spend at each cenote which is a reasonable amount of time. All of the cenotes are closed cenotes underground only accessible through a narrow, almost-vertical staircase.
Cenote Chac-Sinic-Che was probably the best one for swimming. After a narrow staircase, you get on a platform where you can leave your belongings and jump from it into the clear blue water.
The cenote has some tree roots and stalactites hanging from the roof and a light shining in from an opening in the roof. If I went for a swim (we were only exploring, not swimming), I would make sure to properly enjoy this cenote!
Tip! Take a backpack with a towel, drinks, snacks, and a change of clothes with you! We made a mistake and left our water bottle in the car and spent 3 hours in Mexico’s heat without drinking. Ups!
Location: Cenotes de Cuzamá (ticket office) – Cenote Chac-Sinic-Che
6. Cenotes de Cuzamá: Cenote Bolochohool
The second cenote along the railway about a 10-minute ride from the first one is Cenote Bolochohool. It is a really cool closed underground cenote. You can get there by descending a super narrow vertical staircase (see photo below).
This cenote is the deepest of all reaching 35 meters (115 feet) in depth (but only in certain spots). It is also much darker as the opening in the roof is smaller than it was at the first cenote but it is undoubtedly very beautiful.
There are roots of trees and stalactites hanging from the ceiling in this cenote giving it this mysterious atmosphere. Feels like the cenote is telling you a secret and if you listen carefully enough you will hear what it is telling you.
This is the furthest cenote you will visit of all three Cuzamá cenotes. After climbing out of this cenote we got back into the rail cart and started heading back while stopping at the last and third cenote on our way back (we previously passed it on our way here).
Location: Cenotes de Cuzamá (ticket office) – Cenote Bolochohool
7. Cenotes de Cuzamá: Cenote Chan Ucil
On the way back you will stop at the last cenote – Cenote Chan Ucil. It translates as the ‘small fly’ cenote and kind of indicates what to expect. The swimming space is very small but, boy oh boy, how unique this place is!
As you descend vertical stairs into the underground you are met with a large maze of stalagmites, stalactites, and secret pathways guiding you through the labyrinth. It is the least interesting cenote for swimming but the best in terms of uniqueness.
This unique cave cenote reaches 15 meters in depth in the deepest part. It is well suited for a quick swim – the last one you get before embarking on a journey back to where you started. The small cave is fully illuminated with artificial light.
Overall, the visit to these three underground places felt like a cave tour. It is pretty crazy how these places formed on their own for thousands and even millions of years! And for us to be able to visit them now is a great privilege!
Cenote Chan Ucil is definitely one of the most memorable cenotes near Merida that we got to visit during our trip. Once you finish visiting this cenote you will get back into the rail cart and head back to the ticket office.
This horse-drawn rail trip to the three Cuzamá cenotes was my favorite adventure of all the cenotes. If you only have one day to spend exploring cenotes near Merida, I would definitely do this trip!
You don’t need to hire a guide (one of those many guides that try to stop you along the road), just come straight here, pay directly at the ticket office, and jump into the rail cart that will take you on an exciting, unforgettable adventure!
Location: Cenotes de Cuzamá (ticket office) – Cenote Chan Ucil
8. Cenote Aktun-Ha in Cuzamá
If you are up for another unforgettable adventure off the beaten path, then read this! Just a bit further right on the opposite side of the road as the ticket office of the three Cuzamá cenotes you will find a small wooden signpost to another cenote.
Cenote Aktun-Ha is a hidden gem in the Yucatán Peninsula and one of the most incredible cenotes near the city of Merida. It is a little-known private cenote in the backyard of a regular country house of a local family.
You basically drive into their property, park your car in front of the house, then the host greets you and takes you behind their barn where you will see a small dark hole in the ground with a metal ladder inside – entrance to Cenote Aktun-Ha.
The climb is well over 10 meters (33 feet) deep and not for the faint-hearted. However, you are met with incredible beauty – a large underground hall filled with stalagmites, stalactites, and crystal-clear water.
The water is not too deep but absolutely enough for a relaxed swim. We paid 100 pesos each for the entry. This experience for me was particularly bizarre, a bit scary, and mysterious. If you are looking for an adventure, look no further!
Location: Cenote Aktun-Ha
9. Cenotes Santa Bárbara: Cenote Xooch
Cenote Xooch is a semi-open cenote and one of the most iconic cenotes you will find in the Yucatan Peninsula. It is one of three cenotes that you get to enjoy when visiting Santa Barbara cenotes in the small town of Homún.
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 fits amongst the most iconic Merida Instagram spots!
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
10. Cenotes Santa Bárbara: Cenote Chacsikín
The second cenote amongst Santa Bárbara cenotes is Cenote Chacsikín. It is 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
11. Cenotes Santa Bárbara: Cenote Cascabel
Cenote Cascabel is one of the three Santa Bárbara cenotes and the first one you will visit along the route – a one-way dirt track that goes in a loop from the ticket office to the cenotes and back.
Cenote Cascabel is a relatively large underground cenote where you can enter through a narrow staircase. It has a wooden structure with stairs in the middle that leads down to a stone and concrete platform.
Although the cenote seemed very well-kept and looked after there were a couple of things I didn’t like – the swimming space around the platform is much smaller than in other cenotes and there is little air so it feels smothery and hot.
If you don’t have much time, I would only take a quick look at this cenote and go straight to the big wild ones further down the road – Cenote Chacsikín and Cenote Xooch. We managed to visit all of the cenotes in 1 hour (without swimming tho).
Location: Cenotes Santa Bárbara – Cenote Cascabel
12. Cenotes Santa Bárbara: Cenote Pool Cocom
Plot twist – in addition to three natural cenotes you get to visit along the dirt track there is one more swimming spot at Santa Bárbara complex – Cenote Pool Cocom. It is located back at the ticket office next to the building.
When we got back with our bikes and gave them back we were directed to go along a path to see the Cenote Pool Cocom. This is not a typical cenote as they have done some major excavations in order to create this swimming spot.
Cenote Pool Cocom is like an open-air canyon. You can comfortably walk down to the water by a staircase or use a lift. There is a canyon-type space for swimming that later connects with a larger more circular natural swimming pool.
Looks like a cool addition to the Santa Bárbara complex with more space for people. Those wild cenotes are definitely not enough to host bigger groups of people. Cenote Pool Cocom is a great place for kids and people with limited mobility.
Location: Cenotes Santa Bárbara – Cenote Pool Cocom
13. Chunkanán cenotes: 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
14. Chunkanán cenotes: Cenote Caliskutz
Cenote Caliskutz is a gorgeous closed underground cenote that we visited as part of the tour to the three cenotes near Chunkanán municipality. Although we bought a three cenotes package at Mani-Chan, you can also visit this cenote separately.
When we were taken to this cenote, there was a ticket office at the entrance with working hours and prices meaning this cenote actually operates separately from Mani-Chan cenotes but you can also visit it as part of a package you buy at Mani-Chan.
Cenote Caliskutz is absolutely beautiful! It is filled with stalactites and crystal-clear water. It is also suitable for diving. If you are looking for a more quiet place away from the popular spots, then do not hesitate to come here!
If you want to come to this cenote specifically, I recommend booking a moto-taxi back in the village to bring you here. We rented a car and drove to the parking lot of Mani-Chan ourselves – there is a decent dirt and gravel road from Chunkanán village.
Location: Cenote Caliskutz
15. Chunkanán cenotes: Cenote Mani-Chan
The third and final cenote of the three cenotes near Chunkanán is Cenote Mani-Chan located back at the ticket office. They have created a lovely space there – you have the cenote, relaxation zones, showers, toilets, and even food and drinks for sale.
The most shocking thing is that they accepted card payments, haha! Out of all the places we visited near the villages, only this one – located in the deepest jungle -accepted cards.
The cenote itself was not the most unforgettable nor it was the best one for swimming. it is rather small but it still looked nice. You won’t be able to swim long distances but you can enjoy jumping into the water from many different spots along the water.
The cenote is located underground in a deep cave but it is illuminated so that you can see everything. Although the other two cenotes were more beautiful, this cenote has all the infrastructure next to it so you might want to spend more time here.
Location: Cenote Mani-Chan
Read more about Merida and Mexico!
- Merida bucket list: 21 best things to do in Merida, Mexico
- 17 most iconic Instagram spots in Merida, Mexico
- 15 best day trips from Merida, Mexico
- 11 most beautiful Mayan ruins near Merida, Mexico
Happy exploring!
We stayed in Merida for three weeks so that we could explore the beautiful city as well as all the bucket list destinations around Merida. Climbing Mayan pyramids, exploring underground cenotes, or boat-tripping to see pink flamingos – we loved it all!
Besides our stay in the colorful and vibrant Merida, we also spent a couple of 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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