Anna is a co-founder of Adventure in You and has been traveling the world for the last 9 years. She has spent time living in Thailand, Mexico, Indonesia, and Spain and is our local expert in these areas. Her expertise on travel, gear, and building businesses have been featured on Foundr, Business Insider, Yahoo Travel, and more.
Looking for the best Tulum Cenotes to visit? In this article, I’m going to walk you through our top picks!
If you’re more of a big-city-hotel type of vacationer, you may be wondering what in the world a cenote is. Chances are you’ve seen a few of these Yucatan Peninsula beauties on social media, and for a very reasonable price, you too can relax in one of the best Tulum cenotes and take your vacation to the next level.
A cenote is essentially nature’s very own swimming pool, and it’s made up of groundwater contained within a sinkhole. What really makes these things so spectacular are their incredible “skylights” as well as the crystal clear waters that you can often find in a cenote.
In the Yucatan Peninsula alone, there are over 6000 cenotes which you can visit, making them a must-do whenever exploring the cities of Tulum, and nearby Playa del Carmen.
Whatever feelings of envy you may harbor towards your neighbor and his swanky new pool will be as good as gone after relaxing in a cenote for an afternoon. Don’t believe us?
Take a look at our picks of the best Tulum cenotes and get a good taste of what Mother Nature is truly capable of.
Mexico is ripe with incredible cenotes, and while you can’t go wrong with any of them, some logistics and planning are needed so that you can make the most out of your cenote exploration. In no particular order, these are some of the best cenotes in Tulum you could hope to find:
Cenote Calavera
Cenote Cristalino
Cenote Dos Ojos
Cenote Pet Cemetery
Gran Cenote
Casa Cenote
Cenote Arco Maya
✨The 1 Thing We Never Leave Home Without…✨
Coming from someone who has been traveling the world for the last 8 years AND has been in the hospital 2x, travel insurance is something everyone NEEDS to get. Get a quote below!
Although you could definitely find some more obscure, and by extension, more private alternatives, we’ve broken down some of the best Tulum cenotes to help you make an informed decision.
1. Cenote Calavera
Quick Info:
Operation Hours: Daily 9 am to 4 pm
Location: Cenote Calavera Maps (Due to it’s close proximity to Tulum downtown, this Cenote is accessible by bicycle)
Price: $300 MXN pesos ($15 USD)
Facilities: Showers, bathrooms, and a small restaurant (recent additions)
Cenote Calavara taken by a GoPro
A quick look at Cenote Calavera should be more than enough to inform you why it’s one of the best Tulum cenotes.
The name literally translates to ‘skull cenote’, in reference to the shape of the light pouring into the sinkhole – that all might sound a little macabre, but just think of the aesthetic implications of this kind of cenote and how amazing that’s bound to look on camera.
Against all odds, the pool’s skylight forms a near-perfect circle that gives you an unprecedented view of the sky and surrounding nature, and it’s all yours to enjoy for only around $15.
Given the unique jug-shaped interior, this cenote is great for those who want a quick dip to cool off as it is located near the popular Tulum ruins.
If you’re an avid scuba diver, you’ll really want to get your hands on some scuba gear to really make the most of this cenote. Also known as The Temple of Doom, this site has tons of underwater crevices and caverns where you can see prehistoric fossils.
Be warned that there are no dry havens inside the cenote, so you’d be wise to put on your scuba gear before jumping in. And did we mention just how majestic that halocline area is?
If you’re not a diver, you can also enjoy its caverns through snorkeling!
The convenient thing about this cenote is that it’s open for business 7 days a week, and it’s relatively close to the heart of Tulum. This makes it substantially better than the number of off-road options by default, as you can follow up your diving session with a relaxing evening in the center of the city.
Facilities: Showers, bathrooms, and a restaurant (food is a little bit on the expensive side!)
On top of being one of the best cenotes in Tulum, is Cenote Cristal or Cenote Cristalino is located 30 minutes from town (driving), leaving it in the middle of Tulum and Playa del Carmen.
Locals also call it Cenote Naharon. If the previous entry on our list was a little too “out there” for your liking, you might enjoy Cenote Cristalino a lot better as it is surrounded by a ton of trees and nature. Right next to it is Cenote Escondido which can be accessed with the same entry fee that you paid for.
For only about $10, you and yours get to nosedive into the aptly named Cenote Cristal’s crystal-clear waters. If meeting loads of new people is your idea of a good time, you’ll feel right at home here as dozens of people show up each day to enjoy the serene atmosphere and the surrounding vistas.
Unlike a lot of the other cenotes in the area, you’ll have access to a dry-land section, allowing you to enjoy a more unique version of the typical beach experience. What’s more, small but meaningful touches, such as a personal locker for storing all your belongings, elevate this marvel of nature a few notches above some of its competitors.
The highlight of Cenote Cristal would have to be its rock formations, though – even if you aren’t much of a swimmer or diver, you can get just as much of a kick out of admiring the stalactites as you would jumping off the 12-foot ledge into the water below. With that said, there’s nothing quite like taking a deep dive and seeing the formations up close.
This cenote is technically equidistant from Tulum and Playa del Carmen (be sure to check out our Tulum to Playa del Carmen article to see why that’s such a good thing), so after you’re done splashing around and taking pictures for the day, you can head on down to Playa for some extra style points.
If you want to avoid the crowds, try avoiding the weekends and consider coming here earlier in the morning.
Price: $350 MXN pesos ($17 USD) You can also rent snorkel gear for extra $
Facilities: Showers, bathrooms
The Cenote Sac Actun system is known for housing some of the best cenotes in Tulum and beyond, and Cenote Dos Ojos is one of its crowning jewels.
Beyond being the discovery site of some of archeology’s most fascinating fossils, the San Actun System gives you a staggering 160 miles worth of cave cenotes to explore.
At this point, you’ve probably caught on to why cenote Dos Ojos is called Two Eyes – the two sinkholes that make up the premises are the formation’s defining trait.
Cenote Dos Ojos has two areas in which you can swim and explore. We highly recommend that you rent snorkel gear in order to fully see how magnificent the place is. We’ve personally done the guided tour and found it 100% worth the extra cost.
Founders of this blog, Tom and Anna snorkeling in Dos Ojos Cenote in Tulum
Snorkeling here gives you access to the underwater cave cenote system that is just out of this world. The Cenote Sac Actun cave system is one of the best things to do in Riviera Maya and is one of the reasons why people from all over the world come here.
Although with that being said, Dos Ojos is also one of the most famous cenotes to scuba dive. You can rent the gear there, but if you plan on diving Dos Ojos, we recommend you arrange this prior to getting there with a reputable dive shop.
Experienced divers will have a blast traversing this vast water cave cenote, which boasts over 35 miles of stunning explorable passages. The incredible stalactites can’t go unmentioned either, so you’ll definitely want to bring a waterproof camera with you for some unforgettable memories and those always-welcome bragging rights.
From Tulum town, a thirty-minute drive is all that separates you from one of the very best cenotes in Tulum, but as with any incredible vista, there’s a catch. Cenote Dos Ojos has been ramping up popularity in the past few years, and vacationers looking to have a good time in nature have been consistently flocking here early in the morning to make the most of the beautiful sights.
If you can help it, you’ll definitely want to visit this place when it’s less congested. Early mornings are the best time to go as well as weekdays over weekends.
Price: $450 MXN pesos ($25 USD) You can also rent snorkel gear for extra $
Facilities: Showers, bathrooms
Try not to let the morbid name (and the morbidly terrible movie of the same name) dissuade you from picking this place – this is genuinely one of the best cenotes in Tulum, and you get to explore it for up to 9 hours a day.
Cenote Pet Cemetery is located within the same compound as Cenote Dos Ojos so you can hit two birds with one stone during your visit.
A cenote of this size would normally be too big of an undertaking if you don’t have much experience with swimming or diving, which is why a mandatory tour guide is required to help you navigate the complex cave cenotes.
As for what you can expect to see here, the name speaks for itself – it would be easier to name all the animals whose fossils can’t be found in this intricate cave system, and the better you are at diving, the more fossils you’re likely to stumble across. Although do note that the fossils are only seen if you opt to scuba dive the area.
Non-divers can still snorkel around and enjoy the crystal clear waters. Just try not to get startled by the occasional bat! This is one of the best cenotes in Tulum and is worth the steep price tag as the experience is one of a kind.
The cenote is fairly remote, and the benefits of this are twofold. Firstly, with so many spectacular ones to choose from, not many people will bother to traverse a rainforest just to get to a cenote, epic or otherwise.
Secondly, exploring the cenote’s immediate surroundings is every bit as rewarding as taking the plunge – the beautiful foliage around Pet Cemetery and the slew of (living!) exotic animals you can expect to find here are sure to leave a lasting impression.
Price: $300 MXN pesos ($15 USD) You can also rent snorkel gear for extra $
Facilities: Showers, bathrooms, locker rental, and a small shop
Social media is a fairly good indicator of a given attraction’s quality, and if we use online popularity as a metric, Gran Cenote would have to qualify as one of the very best Tulum cenotes.
Pictures alone don’t do it justice, and the average Instagram photo of this place already looks pretty spectacular.
Because we’ve spoiled you with some of the region’s best picks already, mirror-like waters in this cenote are a given, but the aquatic animals (baby turtles) you can encounter while in Gran Cenote is the icing on the cake. If you ever need to dry off or just want to admire the visuals without swimming, you can hop onto the wooden decks and explore at your own pace.
The reason this thing is called Gran Cenote is that it’s actually an elaborate system of caves that create the illusion of one large cave. What this means for the experienced diver is access to plenty of nooks and crannies just waiting to be discovered.
Gran Cenote is Tulum’s pride and joy, so you’d be hard-pressed to find a time when it isn’t filled to the brim with adventure-seeking tourists. A lot of people don’t mind this given the quality of the experience, however, and it’s hard to complain about a beautiful vista that’s only 2 or 3 miles from the city center.
Facilities: bathrooms, locker rental, small restaurant
At a glance, it’s easy to think that there’s not a lot of variety among the cenotes given their similar properties, but Casa Cenote easily stands out from the list.
Passing through an exotic jungle, Casa Cenote connects the Caribbean Sea with an elaborate cave system, giving it a distinct aesthetic and providing you with an experience unlike any other.
The advantage of visiting such a versatile cenote is that you’ll have plenty of activities to choose from here besides just swimming and diving.
If an underwater exploration of a cave system via scuba diving isn’t an option for you, you can always grab a paddleboard and traverse the swamp-like waters all the way to the sea.
Apart from paddle boarding, snorkeling here is considered one of the best due to the fact that it connects to the sea. Expect to see lots of cool mangrove roots, fish, and if you’re lucky even small alligators (don’t worry, they’re harmless!)
We definitely recommend that you get fins as the current can be strong on some days!
Despite being as stunning as it is, this is also one of the more affordable cenotes on our list. You only need to pay about $8 for a full day’s unrestricted access.
What’s more, the cenote is only about 6 miles from Tulum, so whatever mode of transportation you opt for (more on that below), you should have absolutely no trouble reaching this place and making your way back afterward.
A lot of people don’t like the idea of paying to experience a marvel of nature, and if that sounds like you, Cenote Arco Maya is a free alternative to our previous picks that still manages to qualify as one of the best Tulum cenotes.
Let’s get the negatives out of the way first – looking at all the wonderful pictures of this place, you may be wondering what the catch is, and there is a remote chance you may be charged a nominal fee to enter if you’re unlucky.
The place is pretty well-secluded and unmanned, but the legality of accessing this cenote recently has been a little sketchy due to land disputes. If there happens to be someone there to charge you, your best course of action would be to comply, as there are hardly any other cenotes in the area that offer this level of privacy without compromising on quality.
Another great thing about this cenote is that you’ll have plenty of dry spots if you want to catch a tan or just take a break from swimming.
Besides the deck, you’ll have a makeshift walkway for admiring the local plant life up close, and the ample shading here means you don’t have to worry about sunburn, even on the hottest of days.
While we already mentioned a few cenotes above which are worth exploring via scuba diving, if you’re an avid diver, here’s a list of other cenotes to consider visiting.
Dos Ojos
Cenote Calavera
Cenote Pet Cemetery
Cenote Angelita
Cenote El Pit
Cenote Car Wash
While all of these cenotes in Tulum are worth diving, Cenote Car Wash and Cenote El Pit are two very popular ones. Cenote Car wash, locally known as Cenote Aktun Ha is a large open air pool. Rumors are, drivers used to get water from this cenote, hence, the name Car Wash.
It is a very beginner friendly dive with light shining through its various caves and caverns. Cenote El Pit on the other hand is for more advanced divers as it is one of the deepest cenote in the Riviera Maya. Diving in this cenote is considered a scuba divers dream as you go down around 100ft and see light illuminating the halocline and gas cloud layers, creating a unique spot light effect through the water.
If you want to try your hand at scuba diving, check out this beginner scuba diver tour below. It is perfect for beginners who want this once in a lifetime experience. On the other hand, if you already have some scuba diving experience, check out this 3 cenote scuba tour.
If your main goal with adventuring around cenotes is to find good snorkeling sites, these cenotes make it to the top of our list due to the beautiful underwater life and rock formations that you can see along the way!
Casa Cenote
Garden of Eden
Gran Cenote
Cenote Dos Ojos
How to Visit the Cenotes in Tulum
Although many of the cenotes in Tulum are relatively close to the heart of town, some of them require you to drive a little bit out of your way to get to them.
Tulum is a tourist magnet if we’ve ever seen one, your transportation options here are virtually limitless. Further down, we recommend the best Cenote Tours which make the entire process super easy and safe.
Rental Car
If your cenote of choice happens to be on the outskirts of town or towards Playa del Carmen, you may want to consider renting out a car. The cheapest rentals cost around $25-40 a day, but the problem is that you need to go a bit off-road to get to some of the more distant cenotes – we don’t need to tell you why denting your rental car is a problem!
While driving in Mexico and the rest of the Riviera Maya is pretty straightforward, insurance coverage is always a good idea. We personally love renting cars whenever we travel — it just gives you so much freedom to explore at your own pace. You’ll be surprised at how affordable it is!
Taxi
You’ll find no shortage of taxis in downtown Tulum, and with there being no Ubers in town, catching a cab is practically the lowest-effort way of getting to your cenote of choice. The potential issue here applies to any taxi service in a major tourist city – if your sixth sense yells ‘scam’, do yourself a favor and keep looking.
Ultimately, you have to keep in mind that a lot of the cenotes are in remote locations so best to strike up an agreement with the driver to make sure you have a ride heading back from your cenote adventure.
Colletivo Bus
Depending on where your cenote of choice is located, you may want to consider taking a bus heading out of town and getting off at whatever stop works best for you. This comes with an obvious set of drawbacks, namely the fact that you’ll likely have to do some walking, and there’s also the issue of having to wait around as the bus makes its mandatory stops.
With that said, given how cheap buses in the area are, it’s hard to complain about these inconveniences, especially when you consider the buses can take you all the way to Playa del Carmen and beyond.
Bicycle
The only thing that can make a swim in a cenote better is working up a sweat before jumping in, and a great way to do that would be to rent a bike from your hotel. If you can get past the sweltering summer temperatures, renting a bike for around $10 might just be the best financial decision you could make in Tulum.
Cenotes which you can reach via bicycle are Cenote Calavera, Cenotes Cristal y Escondido, Gran Cenote and Car Wash. Most of these cenotes mentioned are within 30 minutes biking distance from Tulum downtown. And while the heat is definitely a factor, you can easily jump in any of these cenotes to cool down after your bike ride!
Best Cenote Tours in Tulum
Don’t want to deal with the hassle of sorting out your own transport? One of the best ways to visit these cenotes is via an organized small group tour! Here are a few of our recommended cenote tours:
Visit cenotes with a local: Join a local as you visit 4 cenotes and a dry cave, showing you the best of the Yucatan Cenotes.
4-Cenote Tour: Spend your time completely relaxing as you visit four different cenotes around Tulum. This particular tour covers all entrance fees, transportation covered, snacks, and lunch making it a solid deal.
Small Group Cenote Adventure: Have a local guide take you to the very best 3 cenotes in Tulum in this awesome small group guided tour!
Jungle Biking and Cenote Tour: Explore the jungles of Tulum on bike and visit 3 cenotes in the area. This tour includes lunch and all cycling equipment.
Cycling and Cenote Tour: Visit some of Tulums best cenotes via this cycling and cenote tour! Price includes bikes, helmets, entrance fees, snorkel equipment, and lunch.
FAQs Regarding the Best Tulum Cenotes
Given that cenotes are rapidly picking up in terms of popularity, there are probably quite a few questions you’ll want answered before you start planning your trip. Here are some of the things we think you should know:
How many cenotes are there in Tulum?
The Tulum area is home to well over 200 cenotes, and the Yucatan Peninsula at large has around 6000. Those who are willing to drive out of town for an hour or two (especially in the direction of Playa del Carmen) can definitely expect to be rewarded.
Are cenotes safe to swim in?
The short answer is yes, cenotes are deemed safe to swim in. In fact, cenotes can attract quite the crowd, so you can expect to find snorkeling gear and life jackets at most of the major ones.
Just try not to get in over your head – if you don’t feel comfortable diving or snorkeling, we guarantee you’ll have just as good of a time swimming around and taking pictures.
Are there really crocodiles in cenotes?
While we can’t entirely guarantee that you wouldn’t see any, it’s not unheard of for a tourist to come across a crocodile while exploring the more isolated parts of a cenote. The odds of this happening in a commercial cenote are slim to none, though, as you can generally expect fairly heavy regulation and decently sized crowds, especially in the summertime.
Can anyone dive in a cenote?
Although the optimal safety precautions are taken at any good cenote, you do need a diving certificate if you want to explore deeper. There are, however, a few options in the Tulum area that let you do some supervised diving so you can get a hang of the basics.
What is the most beautiful cenote in Tulum?
Our top picks for the most beautiful cenotes in Tulum are: 1. Cenote Calavera 2. Cenote Cristalino 3. Cenote Dos Ojos 4. Cenote Pet Cemetery 5. Gran Cenote 6. Casa Cenote 7. Cenote Arco Maya
Are the cenotes in Tulum free?
Most cenotes in Tulum have an entrance fee which range from $100-150 Mexican Pesos. While there are a handful of free ones, most are paid but are 100% worth going to.
Can you view cenotes in Tulum without a tour?
If you have your own transportation, you can go to these cenotes independently. We made it easy for you by linking to the Google maps of these cenotes so you can find them on your own.
How hot is the water in cenotes?
Cenote temperatures tend to hover at around 75 degrees since the water doesn’t really get much contact with the sun. This kind of temperature is perfect if you’re visiting Tulum in the summer when the temperatures can and will hit triple on most days.
Are cenotes clean?
Most of the popular ones are, in fact, every bit as clean as they look online. With the exception of some dangling flora, there’s relatively little to contaminate the water as the rocks do a good job at keeping unwanted agents out.
What should I bring with me when visiting a cenote?
As we mentioned above, you can get most of the snorkeling and safety gear you need at your average cenote. All you really need to bring with you is drinking water and swimming clothes – be sure not to apply sunscreen, as you won’t really be exposed to sunlight most of the time, and it’s ultimately quite bad for cenotes’ pristine water.
How reliable are the prices above?
One thing to keep in mind is that commercial cenotes are privately owned, meaning the prices may or may not fluctuate from season to season or from year to year. If your chosen cenote has an official site or any form of available contact information, it may be wise to double-check the prices before heading out.
Which cenotes can you reach by bike?
The cenotes near Tulum are the ones you can reach by bike. Cenote Calavera, Cenotes Cristal and Escondido, Gran Cenote and Car Wash are a few of the most accessible ones.
And that’s a wrap on our list of the best cenotes in Tulum.
Chances are you’ve found the perfect one for you somewhere on this list, but we would highly encourage you to do some more digging and see if anything else catches your eye.
You don’t get to see something as beautiful as a well-preserved cenote every day, so you’ll definitely want to make the most of it!
Check out this Mexico travel guide for awesome tips on where to stay and what to do!
