From underwater cave diving to ruins rising above luscious jungle, the Yucatan and Quintana Roo regions of Mexico are an explorer’s paradise. Pair that with a never-ending list of international cuisine set alongside turquoise ocean and you’ve got yourself a destination that keeps both the adventurer and beach bum happy 🤗
Our first priority this trip was to visit as many cenotes as possible, ranging from gigantic open air structures to cavernous openings in the deep underground. We split up our days based on location of the cenotes and beaches, which I will outline below along with our top recommendations.
1. Valladolid
Situated about 90 minutes northwest of Tulum is the town of Valladolid, Yucatan. Unbeknownst to us, the Yucatan state is 1 hour behind Quintana Roo. Luckily, our driver had a chat to some workers at Cenote Suytun who were happy to let us in early for a few extra pesos, and we and another pair had the place to ourselves.
One of the more picturesque cenotes with a walking platform out to the skylight, this cenote is a photographer’s dream. Life jackets are available for those who would like to take a dip in the water. Cost: 100 pesos for early entry (otherwise 70 pesos). Usual hours of opening: 9am-5pm
The clear favourite amongst Valladolid’s cenotes was Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman, complete with its own rope swing and various jumping platforms. There is a large opening to the sky with cascading tree roots and vines, and being relatively unknown, you are sure to have the place to yourselves early in the morning. Cost: 30 pesos. Hours: 8am-5pm
Around the corner from Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman are cenotes Xkeken and Samula. Whilst Cenote Samula boasts impressive light rays and sparkling water, Xkeken on the other hand is almost pitch black and slightly unnerving to take a dip in. There was an air of quiet calm there, and the feeling you could only speak in whispers. Cost: 125 pesos for both cenotes. Hours: 8am-7pm
Right in the town centre of Valladolid is Cenote Zaci, a large open air swimming hole with a garden of trailing staircases that lead you right into the action. Cost: 30 pesos. Hours: 8.30am-5.30pm. We also stopped by Restaurante El Atrio del Mayab for lunch in the town centre which I can highly recommend, before making the journey back to Tulum. Along the main road/highway, there are many stores selling pottery and macrame products if you would like to take of piece of Mexico home with you 🙂
2. Tulum Town
My favourite of the cenotes closer to Tulum town was Cenote Corazón del Paraíso. More akin to a small lake with crystal clear waters and plenty of plants and cave structures to explore, this cenote is about a 15-20 minute taxi ride west of the town, and relatively unknown to the crowds that gather at Gran Cenote. Unlike most cenotes, mosquitos are far and few between here, and there is plenty of space to lay out and sun bathe in. There are also multiple decks and platforms to jump from, and tables, chairs and shaded areas if you plan to stay a few hours. Cost: 80 pesos. Hours: 9am-5pm
Cenote Calavera is a wee gem of a cenote, characterised by its resemblance to a skull. There is one larger opening (the mouth) and two small openings (the eyes) that are a blast to drop down into. If you’re the first to enter the cenote in the morning, you will wake the army of bats sleeping inside!
Unfortunately, the owner of this cenote is incredibly rude and tried to charge us 150 pesos. A pair of girls who came in after us also experienced the same level of terrible hospitality. The man may even tell you that he won’t open the cenote today (lies) if you arrive early. Cost: 100 pesos. Hours: 9am-4pm
One of the most popular cenotes in the area is Gran Cenote, only 2 miles down the road from Cenote Calavera. There is never a time that the cenote is quiet, with lines of 20+ people before opening, and at least 30-40 still remaining at closing. The draw card here is the variety of small tunnels and sub-caves to explore, as well as the few turtles swimming around. Cost: 180 pesos, ouch! Hours: 8.15am-4.45pm
Eating in Tulum Town
Alas, I was struck down with food poisoning/a fever for 2 days, however, we still managed to get a few good eats in prior to those 48 hours. In the Aldea Zama area, Chacabar is excellent (bring mosquito repellant), and in Tulum town, Bonita was great for burgers, as well as Antojitos La Chiapaneca for tacos. The Chedraui supermarket is well stocked with fresh produce, a bakery, souvenirs, home goods and a pharmacy. Tip: to avoid the long lines, pick up something from the pharmacy section and check out there.
3. Akumal
Heading north on the highway towards Cancun, you are spoilt for choice of cenotes. We decided on Casa Tortuga, which included a guided tour of 3 cenotes followed by free time at the open air cenote. Donning life jackets, the guide takes a group of ~10 visitors through the underground cave system, which involves swimming in the dark to get from A to B. There are two of these types of cenotes, and one open air style with jumping platforms and snorkelling opportunities. Cost: 400 pesos. Hours: 9am-6pm
We ventured over to Akumal Beach next for some sun, sand and salt, an organised beach with restaurants, chairs and umbrellas, and a calm ocean perfect for swimming and snorkelling. This area is known for its turtle population, albeit that section of the reef is cordoned off for paying visitors. The ocean at Tulum Beach is more rough, and may not be suitable for weak swimmers.
4. Coba
You definitely can’t leave Mexico without visiting some Mayan ruins, and Coba has some of the most authentic and climbable variety. Located 45 minutes northwest of Tulum (halfway to Valladolid), the Coba ruins are situated in a large jungle with multiple sites, and nothing can beat the peaceful vibe as you wander through the sun-drenched forest.
I recommend taking a stroll to the smaller ruins first, before heading to the main event. That way, you get the jungle to yourself, whilst avoiding the first wave of visitors to the main pyramid. On the way back to the entrance, hop on a tricycle taxi and feel the welcoming breeze as the day heats up. Tips: there are bathrooms at the entrance behind the ticket counter, BYO toilet paper to save some pesos. The entrance workers may charge you a ‘GoPro’ fee and provide a camera pass/ticket. I recommend putting your cameras away until you are inside to avoid this fee. Entrance fee: 70 pesos. Tricycle taxi: ~120 pesos (distance dependent). Hours: 8am-5pm
After chowing down a few snacks from the Coba vendors, we made a beeline to Cenote Tamcach-Ha. With steps leading deep down to an enclosed cave, the draw card here is the jumping platforms – a 5 and a 10 metre one, perfect for our flip-friendly group 😉 Cost: 55 pesos. Hours: 8am-6pm
5. Tulum Beach
If you’re after eco-luxury accomodation, trendy bars, restaurants and boutique shops, head on down to the Tulum Beach strip. Starting at the Tulum Ruins and running south to Casa Malca, this 10km stretch oozes bohemian vibes and is packed with delicious eats and beautiful views.
My top picks for restaurants include Ukami, a Japanese restaurant that makes superb sushi with a seaside-Mexican flair, La Popular, a beach restaurant attached to Nomade Tulum that serves fantastic fish tacos and fresh catches of the day, and Hartwood, an open-air restaurant specialising in local sea and farm food (reservations required; can be booked online a month in advance via email: reservations@hartwoodtulum.com)
Next door to Nomade is Casa Malca, an upscale hotel that used to be one of Pablo Escobar’s mansions and the epitome of laid-back luxury. Take a stroll through the grounds and admire the sculptures and art work, or set yourself up for a day of cabana lounging, drinks and food next to the glorious white sand beach. Note: there is a steep minimum spend for non-hotel guests to eat at the restaurant/use the cabanas ~$70USDpp, so wander on down the beach for a plethora of options that may suit better.
Cenote tips
The services at different cenotes may vary from a full restaurant, souvenir shop and pool, to literally a hole in the ground. Whilst some may offer change rooms, life jackets and showers, others may not so have your swim suit on already, especially if you plan to cenote hop 💪🏻
Most of the cenotes are surrounded by jungle so expect mosquitos, even in the underground cave variety. We found them to be particularly prevalent at Cenote Calavera. Wear insect repellant after swimming in the cenotes as both sunscreens and repellant may pollute the water.
Expect to share the cenotes with bats and fish! The fish may take the odd nibble/bite if you stay still in the water too long (usually not enough to break skin, but you will be surprised).
Arrive early to avoid crowds (impossible at the popular ones like Gran Cenote), and then spend your afternoons taco tasting, shopping and lazing at the beach.
Where we stayed
Our Airbnb accomodation was located in the Aldea Zama area, a relatively new suburb with modern and tidy apartments within walking and biking distance to restaurants and Tulum town. There is a large supermarket (Chedraui) nearby, and we cannot recommend the Airbnb we stayed in enough (cold beers, fruit and freshly made guacamole on arrival – need I say more?!) Our host Mathew was extremely helpful with getting us in touch with drivers pre-arrival to organise day trips out to Valladolid, Coba and Akumal. If you do not plan to drive, this is a time-efficient way to visit multiple sites in one day.T
Tips to getting around
With the exception of a few cenotes that are within biking distance from Tulum town (e.g. Cenote Calavera and Gran Cenote), most visitors will opt for white taxis, car rentals, and driver services to get them from A to B. Cellphone reception is surely lacking outside of the town areas (particularly mobile data), so your best bet is to ask your taxi driver to wait for you at the cenote, or have a phone plan that allows you to make local calls.
The average cost of taxis and drivers for our itineraries were as follows:
Aldea Zama to Tulum Town: 100 pesos
Aldea Zama to Tulum Beach: ~150 pesos, depending on how far down the beach you would like to go
Full day trip out to Valladolid: (up to 4 people) 160USD
Full day trip out to Coba (in a large passenger van, up to 10 people): 220USD
Full day trip out to Akumal: (up to 4 people) 120USD
We also organised a private ground transfer from Cancun Airport to Tulum with Happy Shuttle, who were happy to make stops at a small supermarket and Starbucks for us to pick up some supplies for the week ahead. Cost: 95USD
Currency
For entrance fees to cenotes and taxi rides, bring either Mexican pesos (preferred) or US dollars. Some restaurants do not accept credit cards or USD, and ATM’s may run out of cash so it is worth taking out some pesos before your trip. Most local banks do not give cash out to international bank cards, and supermarkets do not accept USD (they will accept bank cards).
For a live-action recap of the Mexico portion of this trip, check out the video below 🤘🏻