Cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula

PLAYA DEL CARMEN & TULUM, MEXICO

When cruising Playa del Carmen, you’ll definitely want to take in a cenote. Cenotes (pronounced seh-noh-tays) – from the Maya word d’zonot, meaning ‘water-filled cavern’) are sinkholes created by the collapse of limestone bedrock so you can see the groundwater below (a cave full of water). Cenotes can be found all around the world, however the Yucatan Peninsula is known to have the highest concentration of these amazing water formations. There are over eight thousand cenotes in Mexico. Here we are featuring the top Cenotes located in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, Mexico.

Cenotes were often used by the ancient Maya for sacrificial offerings. The next five locations can be found in Playa del Carmen.

Cenote Azul is a favorite for sure. The turquoise yet crystal clear water is absolutely stunning. This cenote is located in the middle of the jungle with fish, eels, turtles, wildlife and plantlife everywhere. There is also a cliff at the far end for those adventure seekers who want to jump.
Cenote Jardin Del Eden is one of the most popular cenotes for the tourists and locals alike. This cenote not only has cliffs and decks to jump and dive from, it also has underground caves for scuba divers to enjoy. An unusual fact is there are fish here that are the kind used in spas to eat dead skin off your feet. It you sit still in the water, they will give you a mini spa treatment.
Cenote Cristiano is very similar to Cenote Azul and Jardin del Eden its fed by the same Ponderosa system. This is a swimmers delights surrounded by beautiful mangroves and cliff to jump from.
Cenote Chikin-Ha is a combination of 3 separates denotes. These aren’t as crowded as some of the other cenotes. You can zip line across the area as well.
Cenote Dos Ojos - Playa Del Carmen, Q.R.Cenote Dos Ojos (The Bat Cave) is one of the more advanced cenotes since it has a few restaurants, changing rooms, and even bathrooms an showers. The cenote is extremely popular with scuba divers and snorkeling enthusiasts. The name “The Bat Cave” comes from one of the large cave openings that where bats live.
Gran Cenote is located in the Tulum area and it has a little something for everyone. Several species of fish and turtles live here which is a huge draw for snorkelers. It’s not a very deep cenote but it has amazing water visibility which is a huge draw for scuba divers.
Cenote Ik-Kil is located the furtherest from Playa del Carmen and Tulum, in Chichen Itza. Even though this cenote is located the furtherest, its actually the most popular of them all. To get to this cenote you must walk down an 85ft circular rock staircase to reach the swimming area. This cenote is 200ft in diameter and 130ft deep. You’ll see small waterfalls around the edges with handing vines so it's a photographers dream.

Additional Cenotes to consider while in Mexico are the Xlaka of Dzibilchaltún, Miguel Clorado, Sac Actun, Chaak Tun and Chihuan (underground cave) all located in Yucatan. There are two interesting cenotes in Tulum named the Calavera and the Tak Be Ha. Valladolid is the home of the Zaci Cenote and the Suytun Cenote can be found in Cancun.