The Best Cenotes in Yucatan Peninsula

From Cancún to Tulum to Mérida, we’ve got you covered!

If you’ve never been to Mexico cenotes, you’re in for a treat! Some of the best swimming holes on Earth are these freshwater sinkholes, and they are mainly found in one part of the world, Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

It’s nearly impossible to know exactly how many cenotes there are in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, but for sure there are more than 7,000 cenotes, with over 2,200 cenotes being registered. At least 900 cenotes of these cenotes are considered to be a part of the ‘Ring of Cenotes’ located near the city of Merida. 

The most famous cenotes are located within easy travel distance of Mexico’s Riviera Maya. You’ll find many cenotes you can visit near tourism hotspots like Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Valladolíd, and Mérida.

What is a Cenote?

A Cenote is a natural sinkhole, underground chamber or cave typically found in sedimentary limestone rock which contains permanent water.

The word cenote is pronounced seh-NO-tay.

The Mayan word for cenote is d’zonot, or ts’onot, meaning well.

Cenotes are connected to underground rivers and subterranean water systems. Its water is usually incredibly crystal clear, as it’s filtered through the ground for sometime.

The Yucatan is home to some of the world’s longest known underground cave systems. The Sistema Sac Actun, is the world’s longest underground cave measuring 350 km. At its deepest it measures 119 m and is home to over 226 cenotes. 

Human bones dating 9000-years-old as well as the bones of animals that walked the planet around the time of the ice age have been found in this cave system.  

Cenotes are a significant source of water in the Yucatan Peninsula as there are no rivers. Thousands of cenotes have become popular destinations for locals and tourists to escape the jungle heat.

Types Of Cenotes

Cenotes come in many different types of different shapes and sizes. The most common types of cenotes are cave cenote, semi-open cenote and open cenotes. Cave (closed) cenotes are the newest type and the open cenote is the oldest as its cave ceiling has fallen into itself.

Open air cenotes are cenotes whose walls have collapsed in on them, and they are exposed to the sky. Some are surrounded by vegetation and may appear more like lakes.

Semi-open cenotes have parts that are open to the sky and parts that are closed.

Closed cenotes, or cave cenotes, are cenotes that are completely covered.

Underground cenotes, or ancient cenotes, are underground cenotes that have yet to be discovered.

Beside those types, there are two broad categories of cenote experiences.

Modern cenotes have facilities like a pool, restaurant, and/or outdoor lounge areas built around them. Some hacienda cenotes are full-blown resorts, with modern accommodations and activities like 4 wheeling.

Wild cenotes have few or no facilities. They could have as little as a single toilet and one employee collecting admission fees.

The Chicxulub Crater

The Yucatan Peninsula is, in fact, a large reef that served as the floor of a sea thousands of years ago, until the sea level dropped and exposed it to present-day Mexico.

An asteroid (10-15 kilometers in diameter) impacted Earth 66 million years ago, causing a mass extinction. The impact created what is known as the Chicxulub Crater.

This huge impact altered the limestone sediments below the earth’s surface of the region, making it more vulnerable to erosion. Although there are numerous cenotes in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, a “Ring of Cenotes” was formed as a result of the asteroid that has been linked to the dinosaur extinction.

Mayans and Cenotes

Cenotes were revered sites for the Ancient Mayans. While cenotes were their main water source, they were also considered to be the entrance to the Xibalba, taken to the underworld, and a place where the Mayan gods would visit, especially Chaac, the Mayan rain god.

They are so important that most temples and villages were built close by or that the Mayans built on top of cenotes, such as Chichen Itza.

Cenotes acquired religious significance as sites where sacrifices and rituals were carried out to please the gods by the ancient Maya. Archaeologists have discovered sacrificial objects such as jade, ceramics, gold, and incense at the bottom of sacred cenotes along with human bones and animal skeletons.

Cenotes are still an important water supply for the peninsula today. They have also grown in popularity among millions of tourists who come to visit these spectacular natural wonders and swim, dive, and discover its fascinating curiosities.

What Can You Do In A Cenote?

You can swim and soar on rope swings! It’s a great place to use your snorkel gear and for scuba divers! You may have fun cliff jumping into some of them! (In certain cases, your only option is to dive in.)

Cenotes are the greatest place to cool off on Earth. This is one of the reasons why cenotes and Mayan ruins go so well together! The Riviera Maya which is located in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is hot, and after a few hours in the sun, you’ll be ready for a swim.

Yucatan’s Best Cenotes

So, which Mexico cenotes are the finest? Everyone has their own preferences, but these are the Mexican cenotes that we feel are exceptional.

Visit Cenotes That Are Not So Crowded