12 cenotes near Mérida that are worth the trip

There are hundreds of cenotes in Yucatán, but not all of them are worth half an hour of dirt road. This is a selection of 12, sorted by distance from Mérida.

A cenote is a natural well of fresh, crystal-clear, cold water, connected to the underground river that runs across the whole peninsula. There are open ones (under the sky), semi-open ones (with an opening and shade) and cavern ones (underground, with stalactites). Start with the nearby ones and work up.

Under 45 minutes

1. Cuzamá (Chelentún, Chansinic’ché, Bolonchojol). The classic: three cavern cenotes reached by a horse-drawn truck. Very touristy, but the water is spectacular.
2. Homún cenotes. A whole village built around cenotes. You can see four or five in an afternoon by moto-taxi. Yaxbacaltún and Santa Bárbara are the most photogenic.
3. Yokdzonot. A women’s community cooperative on the way to Chichén. A huge open cenote, with a zip line and a canteen.

Between 45 and 90 minutes

4. Cenote Ik Kil, next to Chichén Itzá. The most photographed of all; go early to beat the tours.
5. Cenote Suytun, near Valladolid. The stone walkway and the midday shaft of light made it famous.
6. Cenote Oxman, at Hacienda San Lorenzo. Open, with hanging roots and a swing.
7. Hubiku, on the way to Ek Balam. A cavern, very large, well equipped.
8. X’Canché, next to Ek Balam. Ideal to combine with the archaeological site.

For a proper expedition

9. Santa Cruz (Miguel Colorado, Campeche). Far, but one of the most impressive: an amphitheatre of green water.
10. Cenote Palomitas and Cenote Agua Dulce, near Tizimín. Little visited.
11. Cenote Kankirixché, near Abalá. A cavern with light coming through a crack; you climb down a ladder.
12. Cenote Xlacah, inside the Dzibilchaltún archaeological site, 20 minutes from Mérida. Not the prettiest, but it’s history and a swim in the same place.

Tips

• Bring cash: most don’t take cards.
• Biodegradable sunscreen or none at all: cenotes fine visitors for chemicals, which damage the ecosystem.
• Go on a weekday and early. The buses arrive at midday.
• Combine with an archaeological site or a town — see how to get to Chichén Itzá and Izamal.

If you’d rather reach them without a car, read the cenotes you can reach by Maya Train. And for a short starter list, 5 cenotes near Mérida.