10 Breathtaking Mexican Cenotes

A cenote is surface connection to a subterranean water body, extremely abundant in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. During the Maya civilization times, they were used for sacrificial offerings. These days, they attract thousands of tourists who want to see these completely Instagramable locations.

Cenote Ik-Kil

This is one of the most well-known cenotes in the Yucatán peninsula. The water is 40 meters deep while the diameter reaches 60 meters. Plus, Ik-Kil offers more facilities than most cenotes in Mexico, namely a restaurant and cottages where you can stay for a few days.

It is gorgeous for sure, but another reason that makes it so popular is that it is located on the way to the Chichen Itza Mayan ruins. So be aware that the place might be packed when you visit but it is still well worth the stop!

Gran Cenote

The Gran Cenote is one of the top diving and snorkeling spots in the Riviera Maya. The water is so clear that it makes it extremely easy – and beautiful – to see the life underwater. As the name suggests, this is an especially large cenote, set amongst jungle greenery.

You can visit Gran Cenote if you are based in Tulum, which is just a few kilometers away.

Cenote Dos Ojos

This cenote gets its name (Dos Ojos – in English, Two Eyes) from the two 70 meters sinkholes connected by a 400-meter passageway through which you can swim.  The whole complex is huge, with 61 kms, at 118 meters deep.

Dos Ojos is also a great place for snorkeling, as rays of light pierce through the water and illuminate the stalagmites, making it an incredibly beautiful natural spot.

Cenote Calavera

Calavera is the Spanish word for “skull”, so you can see where this cenote got its name from. This cenote belongs to the “Cántaro” type, where the roof has broken away, revealing a body of water below, wider than the hole above. This means that there is nowhere inside the cenote where you can stand without being inside the water. For visitors to get out, there is a long ladder connecting the water to the hole in the ceiling.

Cenote Azul

Cenote Azul is not in a cave, unlike many others. Rather, this is a shallower kind of cenote, making it the perfect place to visit with kids.

There are plenty of fish in the water that will swim around your legs. And, if you stand still, they will suck on your feet, a bit like the fish spas that exist in several places in the world.

Cenote Dzitnup

This cenote was discovered by a pig. Legend has it that some of the nearby residents had a pig who would always return home at the end of the day covered in mud, even in times of drought. The owners decided to follow it one day and discovered cenote Dzitnup – also known as “X’Keken”, the Mayan word for “pig”.

This cenote is perfect to visit around noon when the stream of light goes through the top.

Cenote Carwash

The name is quite literal. Because it is so close to main road, in the 80s the taxi drivers from Tulum used to wash their cars here.

This is not the case anymore and now people can enjoy this cenote for some spectacular diving and snorkeling.

Cenote Zaci

This is a good cenote to visit if you want to get away from the touristic places. However, even though the scenery is beautiful, and the place offers a cool shade from the tropical heat, you might want to think twice before you dive in. The reason: nearby, there is a bunch of city sewer line.

Cenote Jardin Del Eden

This is one of the most beautiful cenotes near Playa del Carmen. Its wide areas make it perfect for beautiful photos and the clear waters allow visitors to have a great view of the aquatic life.

Trees and woods surround this cenote, making it look like Eden Garden, thus the name.

Cenote La Noria

This is a great spot to dive because La Noria is 18 meters deep and 47 meters wide. But this cenote also has something that most others don’t: a swing inside a cave! There is also a floating platform at the center of the cenote, so if you swim there, you can enjoy a nice float in the middle of a beautiful scenery.

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