Before our trip to Tulum I had a handful of places I knew I wanted to check out. Visiting the ruins, sampling local cuisine and swimming in the cenotes. The Riviera Maya is home to over 4,000 cenotes. They are the result of collapsed limestone, which the forms the swimming holes. These freshwater pools attract visitors and locals alike all looking to cool off from the harsh Riviera sun.

We spent an entire morning splashing around in the cool turquoise waters of Cenote Azul, which reminded me a lot of our visit to Cat’s Cave in Ronda Spain. Despite the crowds and the mosquitoes, we still managed to have a good time. Here are my tips for enjoying a morning at Tulum’s cenotes.

 

 

 

WHERE TO GO

Tulum has a TON of cenotes, some more famous than others. Gran Cenote, Cenote Dos Ojos, Cenote Chip-Ha, Cenote Ponderosa and Cenote Azul are among the most popular and most cost under $10 to enter. But there are several lesser known cenotes that may be worth checking out too. While each has its own unique characteristics, you really can’t go wrong!

 

 

 

 

WHEN TO GO

Most of Tulum’s cenotes open between 8-9am. If you’re looking to avoid be crowds, plan in getting there around that time. They get busy fast and aside from ruined photos, it can also be annoying trying to navigate around a ton of people when you’re trying to enjoy the relaxing waters. We arrived around 9:30 when there were only a handful of other people there, but it filled up quickly. If you really want the place to yourself, plan on an early wake up call!

 

 

 

 

WHAT TO BRING

There is not much by way of amenities at most of the cenotes. You MIGHT find a restroom and small souvenir shop where you purchase your tickets, but aside from that, you’ll need to bring everything you need with you. Here’s a quick packing list of essentials!

• Water
• Sunscreen
• Towel
• Snorkel gear
• Water shoes
• Go-pro (or waterproof camera)
• Selfie stick 😜

 

 

 

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

I’ll be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the experience. There were a TON of people, the water was murky and I didn’t see much besides a few colorful fish and the mosquitoes were quite mean. I don’t say this to discourage you from going, you definitely should check it out, just don’t expect it to be the highlight of the trip and don’t plan on staying more than a couple hours.

 

 

Would you swim in a cenote? If you already have, what was your experience like? Share your comments below!

 

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