The 9 Cave Snorkeling and Swimming in Cancun That Earn the Descent

1.Viator Exclusive: Tulum Ruins, Reef Snorkeling, Cenote and Caves

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,242 reviews · 8 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $129Our pick

Spend a full day with guides such as Suly, Raul, Ulrich, or Mimi visiting Tulum, snorkeling a reef by boat, and swimming in a cave cenote. You get lunch, gear, water, entrance fees, and hotel transfers, but should budget an extra $35 marine conservation fee.

“Great day exploring Talum ruins, snorkeling and swimming in cenote. Sergio (guide) and Ibrahim (driver) provided excellent service.”

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2.Cancun Best ATV Tour, Ziplines and Cenote Swim with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,406 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $48Best value

Ride an ATV through the jungle, swim in a cenote, cross three zip lines, sample tequila, and eat two tacos on a roughly four-hour outing from Cancun or Playa del Carmen. Guides such as Alan, Raul, Julio, Nacho, and Ernesto are praised for keeping groups safe and entertained.

“You get what you paid for. The quality is very poor and minimal. From the second you step foot in the parks they immediately try to sell you the “premium” package, which is not worth it. Then they walk you to the gift shop to try to sell even more items to you. And they don’t allow phones or video cameras which forces you to buy their images if you want memorabilia. They scammed us by telling us one price in USD, and charging our card way more. They switched out the receipts which gave me no evidence of the promised price when trying to dispute it with my bank.”

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3.Horseback Riding and Cenote Swim from Cancun or Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,780 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $120

At Rancho Bonanza, you ride a rescued horse through jungle paths with guides such as Paula, Lily, or Fabian, learning about Maya traditions and forest plants. Then cool off in a cenote, with towels, lockers, snacks, drinks, and round-trip pickup from Cancun or Playa del Carmen.

“Fun experience! I was a little worried since Ive never rode a horse before. We were well taken care of by the crew there. Both Lily and Paula were great! It was a great combination of activities. If you’re scared of water though, the cenote is pretty deep.”

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4.5-in-1 Cancun Snorkeling: Turtles, Reef, Musa, Shipwreck, Cenote

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,678 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $79

Set out with Total Snorkel Cancun for reef fish, sea turtles, stingrays, two MUSA statue areas, a shipwreck, and a cenote. Guides such as Daisy, Chuy, Mauricio, and Kiko help first-timers feel safe, with shallow water, flotation vests, equipment, transport, and bottled water included.

“Excellent crew, well organized and managed tour. Wonderful experience, exciting underwater scenery. Quique, chuie and Itzel were amazing, took extra care in the water and in the boat.”

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5.Tulum Day Trip Mayan Ruins and Cenote Swim

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 924 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $79

Travel from Cancun to Tulum for a two-hour guided visit to the Mayan ruins, then cool off at Cenote Puerta Maya. Guides such as Mary, Abi, Gabriel, and Jackie have led praised departures. Bring a reusable bottle, swimwear, cash, and comfortable shoes.

“She’s very informative and is a great energy to have for a tour. I recommend taking this tour because it’s worth it. Including the lunch was a great idea.”

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6.Hidden Cenote Swim & ATV Jungle Adventure with Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 858 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $119

Trade Cancun’s beach for a Puerto Morelos jungle ride, a swim in an open-air cenote, and a stop for Mexican snacks. You’ll use a Can-Am Outlander, safety gear, and hotel pickup. Drivers must be 18 or older with a valid license, and phones stay in lockers during the activity.

“We had a blast! The ATVs were so much fun! Cenote was pretty cool. I loved visiting Puerto Morelos. It was nice to get to see what Mexico really looks like and soak in the culture. Be aware they don't let you take your phone. They take pictures for you and you can buy them. Honestly I think it was well worth it... it costs us $50 and they sent us about 50 awesome pictures.”

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7.Private Tulum Ruins, Reef Snorkel & Cenote Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 304 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $332

Start with a private pickup from your Cancun hotel, then visit Tulum with a bilingual guide, snorkel a short boat ride from shore, and swim in Yax-Muul cenotes. Guides such as Alma, Arturo, and Mariano are praised for friendly, flexible service. Tacos, water, and equipment are included.

“A lot of activities . Our tour guide took great care of us. Tulum beautiful. Caves wonderful. Snorkeling great we saw turtles, stingrays and fish .”

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8.From Cancun: Tulum and Akumal Cenote and Turtle Swim Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 289 reviews · 10 hours · from $104

Spend 10 hours visiting Tulum, swimming at Canamayte’s Mariposa Cenote, and snorkeling with sea turtles at Akumal. Guides such as Susana, Jesus, Mauricio, and Jorge explain Maya culture and help you find turtles, fish, stingrays, and coral. Lunch, transport, lockers, life jackets, and water are included.

“it was a wonderful day starting at Akumal where I saw giant turtles. the snorkeling guide was very helpful. Next was Tulum and our guide Jorge explained well about the interesting history and meaning of the ruins. swimming in the center was fun too. The transfers worked fine and we had enough options for getting water/drinks.”

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9.From Cancun: Tulum, Cenote and Turtle Swim Tour at Akumal

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 59 reviews · 10 hours · from $96

Spend 10 hours visiting Tulum, swimming at Akumal, and cooling off at Canamayte’s Mariposa Cenote. Guides such as Moses, Susana, Jesús, and Jorge have led past departures, but assignments vary. Expect a full day, changing activity order, buffet lunch, lockers, life jackets, and extra conservation fees.

“Best part was swim with turtles and manta rays but we enjoyed it all”

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