15 Best Cenotes near Tulum
With its idyllic white sand beaches, hip restaurant scene and easy access to incredible Mayan ruins and crystal clear cenotes, Tulum is one of the Riviera Maya’s most popular tourist towns. From the popular Gran Cenote with its mix of caves, caverns and an open-air cenote and Cenote Dos Ojos, a magnet for divers, to the open waters of Cenote Zacil-Ha and Cenote Carwash there are some amazing cenotes near Tulum just waiting to be explored.
Having visited, and loved, so many amazing cenotes from Tulum over the past ten years we wanted to share to our favorites – this is our guide to the 15 cenotes near Tulum!
What are Cenotes?
A cenote, pronounced seh-NO-tay, are water-filled sinkholes that naturally occur in limestone rock when an underground cave collapses in on itself and exposes the groundwater underneath. There are thousands of cenotes dotted around the Yucatan Peninsula and Tulum is home to some of its most popular and unique.
The water in the cenotes tends to be cool as the water comes from underground so they are great for a refreshing swim to cool off from the hot Mexican sunshine. In Mayan times a number of the cenotes were used for sacrificial purposes and objects such as gold, pottery and even human and animal remains have been found at the bottom of some cenotes.
The cenotes near Tulum are a mix of open, semi-open or underground:
Open cenotes: these are caves which have completely collapsed in on themselves and are exposed to the sky. These are our favourite as you can swim under the blue skies, the water is a pleasant temperature and there are usually lots of areas to relax by the water. Our favorite open air Tulum cenotes are Cenote Carwash and Cenote Zacil Ha. Plus, the newly opened Cenote Atik is a must-visit!
Semi-open cenotes: these cenotes are mostly underground but have small openings in the ceiling where light and fresh air come in. These cenotes can be particularly beautiful as the light beams illuminate the crystal clear water below. Our favorite semi-open cenotes are Cenote Ik Kil which can be visited as part of a day trip to Chichen Itza and Cenote Samula, one of the cenotes near Valladolid.
Underground cenotes: these cenotes are completely underground in a cave system and have no natural light to illuminate the cenote water. Cenote Choo-Ha near the Coba ruins and Cenote Xkeken near Valladolid are amazing underground cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula.
15 Best Cenotes near Tulum
That’s a wrap on our favorite cenotes near Tulum – we think they are a great inclusion in any Tulum or Yucatan itinerary!
Where to stay in Tulum
Tulum’s accommodation options are split between exclusive resorts with private beach access, hotels and AirBnBs in the town itself. All three options are great. In terms of budget, the very expensive hotels tend to be located on the beach in the hotel-zone while you can get much better bang for your peso and a more authentic experience in Tulum town.
We recommend booking an AirBnB in either Aldea Zama or La Veleta neighbourhood for their vibrant cafe and shop culture and walkability.
As a husband and wife property management duo with over 10 years of experience living in Tulum, raising our family here, we have handpicked a selection of properties we think you’ll love.