The Yucatan Peninsula is famous for its many cenotes and those around Playa del Carmen are some of the most beautiful of them all.
Once treated as sacred sites by the Mayans who used them for cultural and religious purposes, they have much to offer the visitors from all over the world who come to see them.
Filled with cool underground water, a cenote provides the perfect place for a refreshing break from the sunshine. You’ll often find other exciting activities available, too, like snorkeling, diving, or simply jumping into the turquoise water from high ledges.
In this guide, I’ve listed the very best cenotes near Playa del Carmen along with the features that make them so special. I’ve also included some tips for traveling to them, helping you plan your itinerary.
Cenote Cristalino
This beautiful cenote has a couple of areas located under a mini cave but is otherwise open. Perfect for snorkeling, swimming, and relaxing, it is only up to 6 meters deep and features lots of different pools.
The waters are spectacularly clear – so clear, in fact, that you can view the underwater world from above if you prefer not to snorkel!
The vegetation surrounding Cenote Cristalino is quite dense so you get a real secluded feel here. Its highlights include a jumping ledge and a cavern, through which you can float and soak up the tranquil atmosphere.
You’ll find Cenote Cristalino at Aviacion, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. This is the same area as Cenote Jardin del Eden and Cenote Azul (below), just 15 to 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen. For this reason, it makes sense to see all three in one visit.
To reach them, your cheapest option is to take a Colectivo (shared mini-van) from Playa del Carmen. They run often so you should never need to wait for more than 10 minutes and the cenotes are just a short walk from where you are dropped off.
There are free car parking facilities should you choose to drive instead.
Simply go south via Highway 307 towards Puerto Aventuras, then turn left towards the entrance of the Barcelo Hotel and you will come across the entrance for the cenotes.
A more expensive option is to visit the cenotes by taxi, although you can cut costs by sharing with others headed in the same direction.
Tickets for Cenote Cristalino cost 200 pesos for adults and 150 pesos for children. Included in the price of your ticket is a visit to the hidden pool of Cenote Escondido, located just on the other side of the highway from Cenote Cristalino but completely surrounded by forest.
Staying In Playa Del Carmen?
Make sure to book a stay in one of the best hotels in Playa del Carmen.
Best hostel: Red Panda Hostal
Best mid-range hotel: Newport House Playa Boutique Hotel
Best luxury hotel: Andaz Mayakoba – a concept by Hyatt
Cenote Azul
Completely open, Cenote Azul looks like a beautiful, natural swimming pool. It is the perfect cenote to visit if you are traveling with children as one side is shallow and ideal for paddling.
Its natural platforms on the deeper side provide good jumping-in spots, which are fun without being too hair-raising. The deeper side is also great for snorkeling.
The water here is perfectly clear and the whole family will enjoy the fish, who will often come for a little nibble on your toes if you dangle your feet in the water!
Easy to reach, this is also one of the cheapest Playa del Carmen cenotes – subsequently, it gets very busy. It’s a good idea to visit it at the very beginning or very end of the day to avoid the worst of the crowds.
Tickets cost 120 pesos for adults and 80 pesos for children.
Cenote Jardin Del Eden
Known as Ponderosa by locals and tour guides, the aptly named Jardin del Eden (Garden of Eden) is a beautiful open cenote surrounded by mossy rocks and verdant vegetation.
Many visitors say it is one of the best cenotes around Playa del Carmen, yet it still remains one of the most tranquil and doesn’t get too crowded.
The sparkling clear water is perfect for swimming and snorkeling and there is a 12-foot cliff providing a great spot for jumping. There is also a wooden staircase giving you easy access to the dark turquoise waters.
Parts of the cenote are connected to caves, so this is a popular spot for divers, even those with little experience.
Tickets cost 200 pesos for adults and 100 pesos for children.
Gran Cenote
Popular with swimmers and snorkelers, this is one of the best cenotes in Playa del Carmen for diving. It has an open-air section, along with a series of caves and caverns just waiting to be explored.
You can often see turtles swimming here and the views in the semi-open sections are just incredible, with the light filtering through and hitting the water. There are also some fascinating rock formations to see.
Because of its many attractions, this is a popular cenote, particularly in the middle of the day.
It is located around 50 minutes from downtown Playa del Carmen and easy to get to by car, driving south down Highway 307 to Tulum.
When you reach Tulum, turn right on 109 and continue for 4km until you see the Gran Cenote sign. You can also travel by Colectivo, taking a second Colectivo in the direction of Coba after arriving in Tulum.
Tickets cost 180 pesos.
Cenote Dos Ojos
One of the top Playa del Carmen cenotes for diving, Cenote Dos Ojos is named for its double sinkholes that look just like two eyes (dos ojos).
The two holes are each around 70 metres deep and connect to create an underground cavern, a popular spot for visitors who join the frequent snorkeling tours to see it. This is the safest option, as the network of caves here still hasn’t been fully explored.
Cenote Dos Ojos is located between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum, on Cenote Jaguar Road. If you are not visiting as part of a tour then your best option is to hire a car and drive there.
Whilst you could opt to take the Colectivo from Playa Del Carmen, the drop-off point to the Dos Ojos park is on highway 307. This leaves you with a 30-minute walk along a dirt road.
Tickets for Dos Ojos cenote cost 350 pesos, or you can pay 450 pesos to visit the rest of the park. This will include its other cenotes, with Nicte Ha and Sac Actun definitely worth visiting if you have the time.
Casa Cenote
This family-friendly cenote is near the beach, so it makes a nice day out to visit both. Surrounded by lush vegetation and only 6 metres deep, it is a popular spot for swimming, paddle-boarding, and kayaking.
The diving here is excellent too, with a network of caves underwater connected directly to the ocean.
Casa Cenote is located on the road between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. You can easily drive there from Playa del Carmen along Highway 307, or take the Colectivo.
Just bear in mind that there is a 20-minute walk from the drop-off point along a dirt road surrounded by forest.
Tickets to Casa Cenote cost 120 pesos. You can also rent kayaks, snorkels, and paddleboards.
Cenote Chikin-Ha
As this beautiful cenote is part of the Chikin-Ha complex, you’ll need a ticket that will give you access to Xtabay and Taak-Bil-Ha cenotes.
Xtabay provides an ideal swimming spot for children as it is quite shallow, whereas Taak-Bil-Ha is the place to see and hear Bird Toh, one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s most beautiful birds. You can’t actually swim in it, though, as it is still used for Mayan ceremonial purposes.
Chikin-Ha (which translates to “Water from the East”) is a great favorite with cave divers, featuring a surreal landscape with stalactites forming ‘doorways’ at every turn. The waters are up to 9 metres deep and incredibly dark, with many tunnels to explore.
In addition to visiting the cenotes, there is an option to buy an upgraded ticket that gives you access to exciting activities like ziplining, rappelling, and mountain biking.
Cenote Chikin Ha is located about 30 minutes south of Playa del Carmen, near Cenote Eden.
The cost of basic entry to Cenote Chikin-Ha is 350 pesos, whilst the upgraded admission is 650 pesos.
Final Thoughts On The Top Cenotes Near Playa Del Carmen
I hope you have found this guide to the best cenotes around Playa del Carmen inspiring. There is something very special about swimming, snorkeling, or simply relaxing in these stunning natural environments and I hope you enjoy experiencing them for yourself.
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