Best Cenotes in Tulum (2026): 12 Cenotes to Swim, Snorkel and Dive, with Prices

By the Carey Tours team, local private tour guides in Playa del Carmen since 2018. Last updated: October 2026.

The best cenotes in Tulum are Gran Cenote for snorkeling with turtles, Cenote Calavera for jumping, Dos Ojos for cavern snorkeling and diving, Casa Cenote for a mangrove swim, and Zacil-Ha or Cristal for an easy swim near town. Most are 5 to 20 minutes from Tulum, charge about 200 to 500 pesos in cash, and are best at opening time, around 8:00, before the crowds.

We are Carey Tours, a family-run company from Playa del Carmen. Our certified guides, who speak Spanish, English and French, take travelers to the cenotes near Tulum almost every day. This travel guide to the best cenotes around Tulum explains what each one is like, what it costs, which are best for swimming, snorkeling, cliff jumping or scuba diving, and how to visit them responsibly.

What is a cenote?

A cenote is a natural sinkhole filled with fresh water. The Yucatan Peninsula is a flat shelf of limestone with no surface rivers: rain filters through the rock and flows in underground rivers, and where the roof of a cave collapses, the water appears as a cenote. For the ancient Maya, cenotes were the main source of water and sacred entrances to the underworld. Today they are the best places to swim in crystal clear water in the jungle.

There are three main types, and each gives a different cenote experience:

• Open cenotes look like a natural swimming pool or lagoon under the sky, such as Casa Cenote or Cenote Cristal.
• Semi-open cenotes are partly covered by rock, such as Gran Cenote, where you swim from sunlight into the shade of a cavern.
• Cave cenotes are underground, with stalactites and stalagmites, such as Taak-Bi-Ha or the Coba cenotes.

The best cenotes in Tulum at a glance

Prices are typical 2026 ranges reported by Tulum Times; they change often, so confirm at the gate and bring cash in pesos.

12 best cenotes in Tulum and nearby

1. Gran Cenote

The most famous cenote in Tulum, about 4 km from town on the road to Coba. It is a semi-open cenote with crystal clear water, wooden platforms and a cavern you can snorkel through, with small turtles in the water and bats in the cave. It is great for snorkeling and for a first cenote. It gets busy: arrive at 8:00 when it opens.

2. Cenote Calavera (Temple of Doom)

Three holes in the jungle floor, about 5 minutes from town on the Coba road. You jump from the edge of the biggest hole into the water below, or climb down a ladder. It is the favorite for cliff jumping, and also a spot for an introduction to cavern diving.

3. Cenote Zacil-Ha

An open, pool-like cenote on the Coba road, with shallow areas and a small zipline over the water. It is one of the best cenotes in Tulum for families and kids, and for anyone who wants an easy swim with facilities.

4. Cenote Carwash (Aktun Ha)

On the Coba road, with lily pads and turtles on the surface and a decorated cavern below that divers love. It is quieter than Gran Cenote and good for a calm swim and snorkel.

5. Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí)

Not a sinkhole but a winding mangrove channel near Tankah, where fresh water meets the sea. You float or snorkel among mangrove roots and fish. A crocodile known as Panchito lives here; follow the staff instructions and keep your distance from wildlife.

6. Cenote Dos Ojos

About 20 minutes north of Tulum toward Playa del Carmen. Its “two eyes” are two sinkholes connected by a flooded cave, part of Sac Actun, one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world. It is one of the best places for cavern snorkeling and scuba diving near Tulum, inside the Dos Ojos park with other cenotes.

7. Cenote Cristal and Cenote Escondido

Two open cenotes facing each other across highway 307, about 4 km south of Tulum, usually with one ticket for both. Cristal is a large open pool with a jumping platform; Escondido is quieter and full of wildlife.

8. Cenote Taak-Bi-Ha

An enclosed cave cenote north of Tulum. You go down stairs into an underground chamber of clear blue water, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites rising from the bottom. It is one of our favorites because it feels like another world.

9. Cenote Xunaan-Ha

A semi-open cenote north of Tulum with calm, quiet water, perfect for floating and gentle snorkeling after a busier cenote.

10. Tankah Cenote Park

A natural park with four cenotes connected by jungle paths, plus a zipline and canoes. It is a good choice for a half day of different cenotes in one place.

11. The Coba cenotes: Choo-Ha, Tamcach-Ha and Multum-Ha

About 45 minutes inland, near the Coba ruins, three cave cenotes share a road: Choo-Ha, a shallow dome with dense stalactites; Tamcach-Ha, a deep, cathedral-like cave with 5 and 10 meter jumping platforms; and Multum-Ha, a calm, wide pool. Combine them with a visit to the Coba ruins.

12. Cenote Angelita (for divers only)

A deep sinkhole of about 60 meters with a cloud of hydrogen sulfide floating in the middle of the water. It is only for advanced divers with a guide, not for swimming or snorkeling.

Are cenotes fresh or salt water?

Cenotes are fresh water: rain filtered through the limestone. Near the coast, sea water seeps in underground, and because salt water is heavier, it sits below the fresh water. Divers can see the line between them, called a halocline, in cenotes such as Angelita, and in mangrove cenotes like Casa Cenote the water is a mix of both.

How to get to the cenotes near Tulum

• By car or scooter: renting a car is the easiest way to visit several cenotes in one day. Most are on the Coba road or on highway 307.
• By bike: Gran Cenote, Calavera and Zacil-Ha are a short ride from Tulum town.
• By colectivo: shared vans run on highway 307 and the Coba road; ask the driver to stop at the cenote.
• By taxi: agree on the fare before you get in.
• On a cenote tour: transportation, entrance fees, snorkel gear and a guide are included.

When is the best time to visit cenotes in Tulum?

Most cenotes open around 8:00 or 9:00. Arrive at opening time for clear water, light through the openings and few people, or go in the late afternoon before closing. The dry season, November to April, has the clearest skies, but the cenotes are good all year, and they are the best plan in Tulum when sargassum reaches the beaches.

Rules and tips for visiting cenotes

• Shower before entering and use only biodegradable sunscreen; repellent and makeup are not allowed in the water, because they cause contamination of a fragile ecosystem.
• Do not touch the stalactites or stand on rock formations, and do not feed fish or turtles.
• Wear a life vest if you are not a strong swimmer; most cenotes rent them.
• Stay inside the roped swimming areas and never enter a cave without a certified guide.
• Bring water shoes, because wet limestone is slippery.
• Carry cash in pesos for entrance, lockers, snorkel gear and parking: most cenotes have no ATM.
• Bring your own snorkel gear or rent it at the entrance.

Visit the cenotes on a private tour

If you prefer not to drive, our private cenote tours from Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun include a certified guide, private transportation, entrance fees and snorkel gear:

• Gran Cenote, Taak-Bi-Ha and Xunaan-Ha: three different cenotes and a taco lunch, from $195 USD per person for two.
• Dos Ojos Cenotes Park: Dos Ojos, Cenote Jaguar with a zipline and Nicte-Ha, from $195 per person for two.
• Tankah Cenote Park: four cenotes, zipline and canoes, from $190 per person for two.
• Tulum ruins and Cenote Taak-Bi-Ha: the clifftop ruins in the morning and a cave cenote after, from $185 per person for two.
• Cenote Taak-Bi-Ha and Akumal sea turtles: a cave cenote and the turtles of Akumal, from $200 per person for two.

For more ideas, see our guide to the best day trips from Tulum and all our private tours from Tulum. Near Chichen Itza, cenotes such as Ik Kil and Saamal are covered in our guide on how to visit Chichen Itza.

FAQ: best cenotes in Tulum

Swim in the cenotes of Tulum with a local guide

Tell us your date, how many you are and where you are staying, and our team will confirm your pickup time. Message us on WhatsApp at +52 1 984 145 2640: we reply within 2 hours, from 7:00 to 21:00. Rated 5.0 by 1,500+ travelers on Tripadvisor, with five Travelers’ Choice awards (2021–2025).