3 Cenotes to Visit in Tulum 

If you are traveling to the Rivera Maya, cenotes are a must visit. I had no idea what a cenote was until I went to Tulum. Cenotes are basically underground natural caves, filled with fresh water, and were likely formed millions of years ago. There are seriously thousands of them up and down the Yucatan Peninsula and it’s hard to know which ones to visit.

I have put together the top 3 Cenotes to visit in Tulum. Whether you are staying in Tulum or even further north (Playa del Carmen or Cancun), visiting cenotes are a fun and inexpensive way to spend a few hours so check these out!

Grand Cenote

This is probably one of the more developed Cenote’s in Tulum. It is easy to find, has bathrooms onsite, changing facilities and even a small restaurant. You can rent equipment like a snorkel & locker, but I recommend buying your own quality snorkel on Amazon and bringing it with you. Because this cenote can get busy, I would recommend coming here on a weekday or before noon on the weekends to avoid the crowds.

Once you have paid and are in, there are two entrances to the Grand Cenote. The main entrance has a large boardwalk and you’ll typically find more people in this area. The second entrance, my favorite, is on the far right hand side. There is one flight of stairs that takes you down to the Cenote and it seems to be a little less busy on that side. However, it doesn’t really matter which way you enter because you can swim from one side to the other.

I love this Cenote because the water is so crystal clear and it’s this beautiful turquoise color. The lighting from the trees and sun alone could make anyone Instagram famous. It’s insane. You definitely need to come here for the Portrait Mode shots & selfies!

When you aren’t taking massive amounts of photos, you can easily spot turtles and all sorts of fish. You can just swim, or snorkel.

Cenote Calavera

Cenote Calavera is one of the closest cenotes to Tulum and also the most interesting in my opinion. It’s known as the “Temple of Doom” because from up above, the cenote resembles a skull. You’ll understand it when you get there. It’s a bit more off the beaten path though because it’s truly in someone’s backyard.

Just when you think, “Are we in the right place?” Yes, you are. Just keep walking past the house… the chickens..the pug.. and you’ll walk right into the cenote.

Now, here’s the thing… this cenote is not that photogenic. The sinkhole is pretty deep and dark. The water (from ground level) doesn’t look like the crystal turquoise water that you see at Grand Cenote.

Once you dive in though, or use the ladder, the water is very clear and pretty. The water here is also deep. I couldn’t touch the ground and I am 5’2 for reference. We saw some divers there though, so this would be an ideal spot to start your diving expedition.

There was also a rope that you could swing on and while it makes for a great photo… holy sh!t, I bruised my legs so badly trying to get up on the swing! The things we do for Instagram … shakin’ my head.

I definitely think this cenote is worth the visit because it’s close to Tulum, inexpensive and much quieter than other cenotes. Just brush up on your Photoshop skills if you want this cenote to look really great in photos.

Cenote Dos Ojos

Cenote Dos Ojos, in spanish means two eyes, is a bit further out of town but one of my favorites. It has similar facilities as Grand Cenote with changing rooms, a few small snack shops and restrooms. You can snorkel, swim and dive in this cenote and there are two sinkholes (the two “eyes”) that you can swim in.

Once you make it down to the platform, there are two ways to get into the sinkholes. On the left, there are a few stairs that will lead you down into the larger sinkhole and the water is just beautiful. It is just stunning, clear turquoise water. It’s open and airy and the sun light shines perfectly on the water to illuminate it.

On the right hand side, there is another sinkhole, but it’s a lot more shallow and frankly, less inviting. There is less sun light on that side as well, which doesn’t make for great photos. The water doesn’t look as pretty either, but it did seem less busy over there and the water was slightly cooler.

I actually enjoyed swimming on this side because the rocks were so interesting to look at above me. It was a little spooky because when you are in the water, you really can’t see much around you because again, there isn’t much light shining on the water, but I was really fascinated by the rocks.

Cenote Tours

Cenote tours are a great way to visit some of the cenotes I mentioned above without having to plan anything. The Triple Adventure Cenote Tour covers Grand Cenote and Cenote Calavera and lasts about 4 hours.

There is also a Cenote & Jungle Bike Tour for anyone that wants to see a little bit of everything. It includes lunch, stops at 3 denotes including Grand Cenote and lasts about 5 hours.

Lastly, if you want to snorkel in the ocean and in the cenotes, I would check out the Sea & Cenote Snorkeling Tour. This also includes lunch and you get to snorkel in the Caribbean Sea and swim in cenotes. This tour is a bit longer, approx 6 hours.

Cenote Do’s and Don’ts

Do read and follow the posted signs. With the bigger cenotes, you will be asked to spray or rinse yourself with water before getting into the cenote to make sure you are clean.

Don’t wear lotions, sunscreens or bug sprays (again, they will get washed off). Cenotes have an incredible underwater ecosystem and wearing sunscreens, bug sprays or lotions can be extremely damaging to the plant life and fish.

Do bring Pesos – Each cenote varies in price, but they are usually $80-150 pesos per person on average ($5-10 US dollar).

Do bring a Snorkel – Some cenotes allow you to rent equipment, but I would save the money and buy a quality snorkel from Amazon.

Cenotes are an absolute must-visit when traveling to Tulum or the Riviera Maya and hopefully you can check out the three that I mentioned above. If you are looking at places to stay in Tulum and where to eat & drink, check out my Tulum Travel Guide. I also have 4 Instagram-Worthy Things to Do in Tulum if you want to take your social media pages to the next level. Gotta stay in the know!

And feel free to drop me any questions or comments below and please find me on Instagram to see even more awesome travel photos!