CENOTE TOURS AND SWIMS IN CANCUN
Good cenote tours and swims in Cancun fill their morning slots weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Spend a long day traveling from Cancun or the Riviera Maya to Chichen Itza, Cenote Chichikan, and Valladolid. Guides such as Cesar, Luis, Edwin, Hugo, and Antonio add lively Mayan history on the bus and at the ruins. Expect a buffet lunch, a cold swim, and possible shopping stops.
“The trip was well organized and fun. Hugo was an enjoyable guide who was knowledgeable and friendly. We would do it again.”
Travel from Cancun, Riviera Maya, or Playa del Carmen to Chichén Itzá with guides such as Beto, Kevin, or Ramiro. Allow 12 hours for the round trip, ruins, Cenote Chichikan, buffet lunch, tequila tasting, and a short Valladolid visit. Choose carefully between standard and all-inclusive options.
“Beto & Ramiro provided an educational yet fun and interactive experience that anyone can enjoy. Even with a tour group of diverse backgrounds they both kept us all laughing and organised, whilst also giving ample time to explore the sites o”
Spend 12 hours with guides such as Rodrigo, John, Kevin, or Manuel visiting Chichen Itza, swimming at Cenote Chichikan, eating a Mexican buffet, and walking Valladolid. Choose Standard, VIP, or All-Inclusive, but check the extra Chichen Itza tax before booking.
“What an amazing day and well worth the 5am pick up. Our guide Manuel, driver Carlos and assistant Garry were all super friendly, helpful and very informative. The whole day ran smoothly and everything was explained to us fully before leaving the coach at each destination. Manuel was so knowledgeable but made it funny too so you weren’t just bombarded with facts. Although Chichen Itza was extremely busy on our arrival Manuel & Garry got us through swiftly and after some free time they guided us around the ruins. Cenote just wow it didn’t feel rushed and once we received our wristbands be could explore and have lunch at our…”
Travel by air-conditioned bus from Cancun or the Riviera Maya to Chichen Itza, Cenote Chichikan, and Valladolid. Expect a certified guide such as Rafa, Cesar, or Martin, about two hours at the ruins, a buffet lunch, tequila tasting, and a very long day with extra costs for admission, lockers, and life jackets.
“An amazing tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and was truly excited about the Mayan history that he was giving us. I would have liked more time at the ruins”
Spend about four hours riding an ATV on jungle trails, taking three zipline flights, swimming at Cenote Verde Lucero, and tasting tequila at Reserva Palacios. Guides such as Omar, Alan, Moto Moto, and Nacho are known for lively group leadership. Hotel pickup, snacks, insurance, and conservation fees are included.
“If you are staying in Tulum or Cancun expect the trip to get to the location of the zip lines and cenote to be almost a two hour car ride. They do have wonderful drivers who will pick you up at most hotels though. The ATVs were our least favorite part (you could not go fast, and you don't go anywhere interesting). The zip lines were okay (we are huge thrill seekers so not the best zip lines we have been on). The zip lines also had a few safety concerns (they rushed each person off the zip line and people could have been at risk for colliding). The tequila…”
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.”
Spend about four hours at Extreme Adventure Eco Park riding a Honda 220cc ATV, crossing hanging bridges, using three ziplines, and swimming in Cenote Verde Lucero. Guides such as Moto Moto, Julio, Raul, and Luis keep things moving. Expect optional photos, tequila, tacos, and frequent upgrade offers.
“This was so far away, like an hour from where we were staying, and was such a disappointment and waste of time. The zip lining was very average, nothing special, like 20 feet above the ground in some woods…. The ATV riding was absolutely pathetic. They basically take you on an old unmaintained utility road, that’s full of ruts and bumps, and it’s just not enjoyable at all! The swimming at the end was awesome, but definitely not worth the amount of time and energy getting there, taking buses, getting in line, etc. etc.. Not only that but constant up selling…. Oh and the free lunch? LOL you get two…”
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.”
Travel by air-conditioned van from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, or Tulum to the Tulum ruins and a cenote swim. Expect a multilingual guide, about two hours at Tulum, lockers and lifejackets, and possible extra stops that can stretch the day to 12 hours.
“got a call the night before the trip - that the tour will be cancelled- a reschule wasn’t possible coz i was just two days there. people shouldn’t offer tours when the are not planing to run it.”
Travel from Cancun to Chichen Itza with guides such as Ricardo, Diego, or Abel, then enjoy a Mayan food demonstration, buffet lunch, cenote swim with zip line, and a short Valladolid visit. Expect an early start, a large group, extra admission fees, and a full 11 to 12-hour day.
“The tour of the Mayan ruins was great mainly due to the information provided by the guide about the people and their culture.”
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.”
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.”
Visit three cenotes west of Puerto Morelos with guides such as Chris, Miguel, Luis, or Eric. Swim, jump, use a zipline, taste several tequilas, and enjoy a Mayan snack and dance ritual. Hotel pickup is included, but the full day may run much longer than the advertised four hours.
“From the very beginning this was a great experience. Our driver was timely, friendly and informative. The guides at the cenotes were fun and made an effort to make sure all in our group understood exactly what they were telling us about the history of the cenotes and the things we were experiencing in two languages. I was sad to see how poorly other guests were tipping.”
Travel from Cancun to Chichen Itza with a bilingual guide, then swim in Cenote Nool-Ha, eat a Yucatecan buffet in Kaua, and visit Valladolid. Guides such as Ricardo, Francisco, Roberto, Victor, Caesar, and Maro have led this outing. Expect a full day, a large group, and several shopping stops.
“Simply awesome. Well arranged. Picked up on time and walked us thru entire history of mayans. Great fun.”
Set out from Cancun at 6 a.m. for Chichen Itza with an archaeological guide, then swim in Saamal Cenote, eat a regional buffet, and visit Valladolid. Daniel and Roberto are named guides associated with the trip. Expect shared transport, bilingual commentary, and a long but full day.
“The 13 hour day contained 6 hours of a comfortable bus. Spanish/english translation fast and a bit confusing for those with no spanish experience. Daniel did a nice job as guide/host. Roberto did a wonderful job on the site.as guide”
By boat, by ladder, by staircase or on a rope.
