The 5 Cave Snorkeling and Swimming in Tulum That Earn the Descent

1.Tulum Guided Tour, Magical Cenote, Lagoon Snorkeling and Beachside Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,888 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $169Our pick

Spend a full day visiting Tulum, swimming through the El Sueño cenote, snorkeling at Yal Ku Lagoon, and eating lunch by the beach. Guides such as Santiago, Lalo, Gato, and Jessie are praised for safety and humor. Expect long drives, rough roads, and a late lunch.

“The time at Tulum was underwhelming. Our guide did a good job, but it was hard to get perspective. The visit to El Sueño cenote was amazing. Swimming through a cave is a cool experience. You’re not allowed to take your own photos. The snorkeling in the lagoon was great. There were many beautiful fish. The tour operator provided nice towels. A member of our group didn’t feel well, so we asked the guide to return us to our resort rather than take us to the beach club for lunch. The cenote was the most memorable experience of the day.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Magical Cenote and Paradise Lagoon Snorkeling Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 808 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $99

Travel by air-conditioned van to a cave cenote and Yal-Ku Lagoon, where guides such as Hazel, Omar, and Santiago lead safe swims and snorkeling. Gear, life jackets, water, snacks, and hotel pickup are included. Expect cool cenote water, fish, rock formations, and no phones inside the caves.

“This was a great half day tour. Our guide Jessica was so amazing and the cenote tour was magical and a true once in a lifetime experience. I would have liked more time at the lagoon for snorkeling or lounging around a bit, it seems a bit short but the nice thing was we had the whole rest of the day to lounge on the beach.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Riviera Maya: Coba & Chichen Itza Ruins with Cenote Swim

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 627 reviews · 12 hours · from $971

Visit Coba and Chichen Itza with a certified guide such as Rodrigo, Ramiro, or Juan, swim at Cenote Chichikan, enjoy an optional buffet, and make a brief Valladolid stop. Expect an early start, long drives, hot ruins, and a full 12 to 14-hour day.

“Great guy great day. Manuel was great and also the driver Rocardo”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Tulum and Coba with Cenote Swim and Lunch from Cancun

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 595 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $89Best value

Spend about 11 hours visiting Tulum and Coba with a guide, swimming at Cenote Kuxtal, eating a buffet lunch, and stopping on Calle Quinta Avenida. Guides such as Tony, Mundo, Celene, and Zeferino have earned praise for clear explanations, but pickup and extra fees require careful planning.

“This was honestly an all around great experience! Our guide was Arturo and he made the experience fun and immersive. Tulum was great with a guide and biking in Coba was fun! There was so much history and learning about it was so fun. We didn’t expect it, but we were blessed by a Mayan medicine man before the cenote and it was really a cool cultural experience to take part in. The cenote was refreshing and the food was super tasty. Would definitely do this again!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Snorkeling with Caribbean fish and private cenote exploration

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 212 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $169

Spend six hours snorkeling in a calm Caribbean inlet near Tulum, then explore a private cenote by ladder, foot, and swim. English-speaking guides such as Carlos, Marie, Karen, and Luigi lead small groups through 600 meters of cave galleries. Lunch, equipment, entry fees, and Tulum transport are included.

“Private cenote exploration with carlos. The cenote experience was half in the water with caving ending in a large swimmable pool”

Check availability →Read our full review