Last Update: August 2026
Cenotes are one of the most distinctive experiences in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. These freshwater sinkholes range from open-air swimming holes surrounded by jungle to partly flooded caverns filled with stalactites, underground passages, and dramatic shafts of light.
This guide covers 20 cenotes in and around Riviera Maya, organized by area so you can compare what each one is best for. Because admission prices, opening hours, and safety rules can change, check the operator’s current information shortly before you go instead of relying on old ticket prices.
Index
What Is a Cenote?
A cenote forms when limestone dissolves or collapses and exposes the groundwater below. Across the Yucatán Peninsula, this karst landscape has created thousands of sinkholes, caves, and flooded passages connected to a vast underground aquifer.
Cenotes are also culturally significant. Archaeological research by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) documents the long association of caves and cenotes with Maya beliefs about water, the underworld, ritual activity, and burial practices. Visit them as natural and cultural sites, not simply as swimming pools.
Types of Cenotes
For travelers, it is more useful to think about cenotes by how open they are to the surface. That affects the light, atmosphere, swimming conditions, and the type of experience you can expect.
- Open cenotes: Mostly exposed to the sky, often with easy swimming areas, vegetation, and jumping platforms.
- Semi-open cenotes: Part cave and part open water, with a mix of natural light, rock overhangs, and cavern scenery.
- Cave or closed cenotes: Mostly underground and often known for stalactites, stalagmites, and guided cave or cavern experiences.
Cenotes Near Puerto Morelos and the Ruta de los Cenotes
1. Cenote Las Mojarras
Las Mojarras is a large open-air cenote on the Puerto Morelos side of the region. It suits travelers who want a relaxed swim but also like having optional adventure activities nearby, such as zip lines, horseback riding, or ATVs.
Because the water is open to the sky, the atmosphere feels more like a natural swimming hole than a cave. It can work well for families or groups with mixed interests.
2. Cenote Boca del Puma
Boca del Puma is best viewed as an adventure-park stop rather than a quiet cenote visit. The experience combines cenote swimming with activities such as zip lining and jungle excursions, making it a stronger fit for active groups than for travelers looking for a peaceful float.
The Cenote is open from 10 am to 5 pm. Diving is not allowed on this Cenote. The available facilities include washrooms, locker rentals, ATVs, and a restaurant. The Cenote prohibits the use of a sunblock and is only accessible by individuals above the age of six.
3. Cenote Siete Bocas
Siete Bocas stands out for its multiple openings into the same cave-like environment. Moving between the different ‘mouths’ gives the visit more variety than a single open pool, with changing light and limestone formations around the water.
There are facilities like toilets and changing rooms. Therefore, picnic tables could be a good destination for a get-together and a picnic on the side.
To enter, you are required to pay 300 pesos per person. It is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily.
4. Cenote Verde Lucero
Verde Lucero is an open-air cenote with a more adventurous feel. You can cool off with a swim, snorkel in the clear water, or add a little adrenaline with the aquatic zip line and jumping platforms set at 2, 4, and 7 meters. Whether you prefer an easy dip or a more daring plunge, there’s plenty of room to enjoy the cenote at your own pace.
It is quite a spectacular scene with crystal clear waters and a high. Here, you can swim, zipline, dive, and snorkel. To experience this, a fee of 300 pesos is required of you. It opens from 9 am to 5 pm. The best visiting time is over the weekdays as the Cenote is very crowded over the weekends.
Some available facilities are restrooms, a parking lot, and changing rooms. You are required to always be in a lifejacket and strictly asked not to wear sunblock.
5. Cenote La Noria
This laid-back Cenote might be perfect for your getaway. It has beautiful turquoise waters and an additional marvel, the stalactites at the ceiling of the Cenote. This Cenote opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm with an entry fee of 200 Pesos per person.
If you are building a day around Puerto Morelos, compare several stops on the Ruta de los Cenotes and choose two that offer different experiences rather than trying to rush through as many as possible.
Cenotes Near Playa del Carmen
1. Cenote Chaak Tun
Chaak Tun is a guided underground experience close to Playa del Carmen. Instead of an open swimming hole, you move through caves and underground water surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites.
This is a strong choice if the geology and cave atmosphere interest you more than cliff jumping or sunbathing. The guided format also makes it useful for first-time visitors who want context on how the underground system formed.
The site is open daily from 8 am to 4:30 pm and has an entrance fee of 500 pesos, including a guided tour, snorkeling gear, and a locker. Some of the amenities found on this site include restrooms, a parking lot, and lockers. Do carry your food if you intend to stay long. Also, you are requested not to use sunblock and always have your life jacket on.
2. Cenote Dos Ojos
Dos Ojos gets its name from two neighboring openings connected through a cavern system. Clear freshwater, limestone ceilings, and blue light make it one of the Riviera Maya’s best-known cenotes for snorkeling and guided cavern diving.
Snorkelers can stay in the light-filled areas, while certified divers can explore established cavern routes with a qualified guide. If your group includes both divers and non-divers, ask the operator how the day is organized before booking.
It opens from 8 am to 5 pm daily and charges a fee of 350 pesos.
3. Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich
Nohoch Nah Chich is part of the enormous Sac Actun underwater cave system. The International Union of Geological Sciences describes Sac Actun as the world’s longest underwater cave system, with roughly 229 miles of mapped passages.
That scale is what makes this area especially interesting to experienced divers and travelers fascinated by cave geology. Treat it as a specialized cavern or cave environment rather than a casual swimming stop, and use an appropriately qualified guide.
4. Cenote Cristalino
Cristalino is an open cenote between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, with clear water, shaded rock edges, and easy snorkeling. It is a good counterpoint to the darker cave cenotes if you want a simpler swim in natural light.
This Cenote opens daily from 8 am to 6 pm. To maximize the experience, you are recommended to visit the Cenote on a weekday as the weekends are very crowded. The entrance fee is 200 pesos for adults and 150 pesos for children.
Cenote Azul and Jardín del Edén are nearby, so this stretch of Highway 307 is useful if you want to compare several open cenotes in one day.
5. Cenote Kantun Chi
Kantun Chi, a cenote between Akumal and the Xcaret park, is one of the most spectacular sites. At Kantun Chi, you can explore the cenotes or the eco-park. You will learn more about the caverns and the other four cenotes around them at the eco-park.
The eco-park is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, all year round. The Kantun Chi cenote entry fees vary. There is the package that allows you to visit the four cenotes at your leisure, another that is a guided tour to the same four cenotes, and a guided tour through the eco-park. The last two include lunch in their packages.
You are advised to visit early in the morning for your best moments. There is a restaurant on site where you can access meals.
More Cenotes Around the Riviera Maya Coast
1. Casa Cenote
Only 25 minutes away from Tulum, casa cenote, or Cenote Manati, is well known for its crystal clear waters. It is an open cenote, and for that reason, it can easily accommodate children.
Casa cenote is excellent for snorkeling and diving as well as swimming. To experience this, you are required to part with 150 pesos. It opens from 9 am to 5 pm daily. The site has enough facilities, so you should not worry, especially if you have children.
2. Cenote Angelita
Twelve minutes away from Tulum, this Cenote is a site to behold. It is located south of Tulum and is approximately seventy meters deep. It is one of the cenotes with unique features such as forming optical illusions resulting from a halocline. This occurs when fresh waters meet with saline waters.
For you to experience this, you are required to part with 150 pesos. It opens at 8 am and closes at 5 pm.
Travel Tip: Do not choose Angelita just because the photos look dramatic. It is an advanced dive, not a casual snorkeling stop. If you are not an experienced certified diver, ask a reputable local dive center to recommend a shallower cenote that matches your training.
3. Cenote Azul
Also known as the blue Cenote, this one is one with a spectacular view. In the native language, Azul means blue. It has bright turquoise waters with several fishes therein, giving you an experience of a lifetime. The small fishes nibble at your feet, a ticklish yet relaxing feeling. The people call it a fish spa.
The Cenote Azul is between Tulum and Playa del Carmen in Quartan Roo. It is an open cenote and is considered one of the largest cenotes. The opening hours of this Cenote are 8:30 am to 5 pm. It is pretty popular and may require you to be keen with your timing to avoid crowds.
Some fun activities are diving from a fifteen-foot high platform, snorkeling, and swimming. It has both shallow and deep ends and can therefore accommodate children. Some available facilities include washrooms, changing rooms, and shops where you can get snacks for yourself and the fish. This Cenote charges 140 pesos per person to access its services.
4. Cenote Jardin del Eden
Also known as Eden cenote, the name is well deserving as it has clear waters and is one of the biggest open cenotes near Playa del Carmen. If you are coming from Tulum, it should take thirty minutes to get to this Cenote.
It has no restrictions, such as wearing a life jacket. There are jumping platforms that go as high as three to four meters for thrill seekers. There are also tiny fish therein that will have you experience a fish spa.
The Cenote is open from Sunday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm at a fee of 200 pesos for adults, 100 pesos for children, and 300 pesos for divers. Some of the facilities available include palapas, restrooms, gear rentals, and a shop for snacks. You can carry your food.
Cenotes Near Tulum and a Valladolid Day Trip
1. Gran Cenote
This Cenote is located in Tulum Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is 5 km from Tulum, thirty minutes away, and about fifty minutes from Playa del Carmen. This Cenote is famous for its clear waters and prosperous life, such as turtles and fish.
Gran cenote is 119.2 meters deep and 364.396km wide. You get to have a cave experience as the Cenote is partly open. This Cenote has close to 187 known openings, few of which are used to access the Cenote.
To get to the Cenote, you can hire a car or a taxi or even bike to the site, which is barely thirty minutes away. The site has several facilities, including toilets, bathrooms, changing rooms and a canteen where you can get snacks and drinks. You can carry your food as Gran Cenote allows you to.
As for diving, swimming, or snorkeling, you must have the appropriate gear, including a life jacket. You could hire at a fee if you fail to carry your snorkeling and diving gear. The site opens from 8 am to 4:45 pm and charges 500 pesos per person to access it. It is very crowded and quite costly when compared to other cenotes.
2. Cenote Carwash (Aktun Ha)
Cenote carwash is an open cenote and is vast. It is suitable for snorkeling, swimming, and diving. It has incredible water clarity and a beautiful floor full of greenery and life. The Cenote has jumping platforms as high as 3 meters.
This Cenote opens at 8 am and closes at 6 pm. To enter, you must pay 100 pesos for a regular swimmer and 200 pesos for divers. It may not be so strict where life jackets are concerned. The available facilities at the site are toilets, changing rooms, and bathrooms.
3. Cenote Cristal
Also known as the Cenote Naharon or Crystal, it is one of the top cenotes around Tulum. It is an open cenote and is very close to cenote Escondido such that you only get to pay one entry ticket for both.
It is south of Tulum, less than 30 minutes away by car. You can get there by bike, car, or taxi. The Cenote is ideal for snorkeling and swimming, with diving platforms as high as twelve feet tall.
4. Cenote Suytun
This cenote, twenty minutes away from Valladolid and an hour from Tulum, is one of the best for families. Its waters are shallow with a beautiful turquoise appearance to it.
To enter, you need to pay a fee of 150 pesos for adults and 100 pesos for children. The amenities that are available include restrooms, changing rooms, lockers, and a restaurant on site.
Again, to have the best of experiences, visit the site early morning or late in the evening. This cenote is open from 9 am to 5 pm.
5. Cenote Escondido
Cenote Escondido is eight kilometers, a five-minute drive from Tulum. It directly neighbors Cenote CristaI and is slightly hidden, unlike Cenote Cristal. Due to its hidden nature, it never gets crowded and may be a getaway during the peak season. It boasts fresh crystalline clear waters and rock formations that can be seen from the surface go as deep as twenty feet.
This site is perfect for diving, snorkeling, and swimming. The site opens from 10 am to 5 pm and is very keen on the safety measures such as having a life vest on. Some of the facilities available at the site include changing rooms, toilets, parking areas, and cafeterias where you can access snacks and drinks. To visit, one pays 150pesos per person.
6. Cenote Zacil Ha
Zac Ha neighbors cenote Carwash and is an open cenote. It is approximately ten feet deep and is 8.5 kilometers from Tulum. It will therefore take you less than thirty minutes by car to get to the site.
The 35 meters deep Cenote is known for its clear turquoise waters that make the floor of the Cenote a site to behold. You can also see the stalactites shaped like water drops at the site. Another fun activity you can do here is ziplining. You can zipline at an extra cost of 10 pesos.
The Cenote opens from 10 am to 6 pm and charges 200 pesos per person. One of its strict guidelines regarding preserving the Cenote is that sunscreen is not allowed to avoid polluting the waters. If you must wear sunscreen, wear one that is 100 percent biodegradable. Some of the facilities at this site are changing rooms, bathrooms, and toilets.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Cenotes in Riviera Maya?
Cenotes can be visited year-round, but the experience changes by season and by cenote type. Open cenotes are more exposed to rain and heat, while cave cenotes can feel relatively consistent once you are underground.
The dry season, roughly November through April, is popular for Riviera Maya travel and can also mean more visitors at headline cenotes. The wetter months bring more frequent showers and greener jungle scenery. During tropical-storm season, check road and site conditions before setting out.
Best Time of Day
Early morning is usually the easiest time for parking, cooler temperatures, and smaller crowds. If your priority is photography inside a cave cenote, natural light can change dramatically through the day, so ask the operator when the best light reaches the water.
Instead of trying to visit five cenotes in one day, choose two or three in the same area. A good mix is one open cenote for swimming and one cave or semi-open cenote for a completely different atmosphere.
How to Plan a Better Cenote Day
- Group stops by geography: Puerto Morelos, the Playa del Carmen corridor, or Tulum.
- Bring Mexican pesos, a towel, water, and water shoes; do not assume every site accepts cards.
- Shower before entering, follow the site’s sunscreen rules, and never jump unless the area is clearly marked as safe.
Planning Your Riviera Maya Cenote Trip
The best cenote depends on what you actually want from the day. Choose Cenote Azul or Jardín del Edén for an easy open-air swim, Chaak Tun or Dos Ojos for cave scenery, Kantun Chi for an organized multi-cenote experience, or Angelita if you are an experienced diver looking for something truly unusual.
If your Mexico trip includes snorkeling, zip lining, cliff jumping, or scuba diving, check whether your travel policy covers the activities you plan. You can compare options on Heymondo’s travel insurance for Mexico page before you leave.
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