Playa del Carmen · CENOTE SWIMS NEAR PLAYA
240 reviewed
The Riviera Maya is built over an underground river, and the cenotes are where it surfaces: jade pools in the jungle, open sinkholes, half-lit caverns. Ranked below are the best cenote trips near Playa, with what each includes, what it costs, and which one to pick for a first swim.
Small-group day trip from Tulum to Chichén Itzá, swim at Cenote Xux Ha, and stroll Valladolid with lunch, snacks, and hotel pickup.
“Dream trip for me had always wanted to see ruins and was not disappointed. Guide was great very knowledgeable. Was great to see all the history”
Four-hour ATV, zipline, and Mayan cenote swim at Extreme Adventure Eco Park with hotel pickup from Playa del Carmen and tequila tasting.
“Overall it wasn’t a bad experience, but there were some elements I didn’t know going in. Guides are great and very attentive. Activity park is an hour away from main resorts, they rush you through 4 activities quickly instead of allowing you to pick one or two and really enjoy those activities. The ATV riding is a waste of time where you just go around in the same circle several times. You once everything is complete they make you wait an entire hour while they try to sell you things and then they dismiss everyone at the same time for your hour long journey back to resorts. This took a…”
Early-morning snorkeling at Akumal for sea turtles, then a guided swim in the Yucatan’s Yax-Muul cenote. Value, gear, and timing.
“Take a waterproof camera. I’d do it again. Sea turtles and the cenote all in one trip ! Hope that’s how you spell it. Lol”
Tulum ruins, a cave-style cenote swim, and snorkeling at Yal-Kú Lagoon, finished with beach club lunch and round-trip transport.
“Excellent activities, guide, driver, scheduling. If you suffer from motion sickness--the full day of activities requires a long time in the van, sometimes with bumpy dirt roads. My daughter and husband had a tough time with the full day of travel, though loved the activities. I loved the whole thing!”
Off-road buggy rides in Playa del Carmen jungle, a refreshing underground cenote swim, and a visit to a Maya village with snacks included.
“Was a great experience both that all guides are amazing, I was a bit worried about the village tour as we’ve been on similar in Dominica but this is nothing like this. The family and children are happy to see you. And you get the opportunity to buy them bags of food and give them to them direct which was lovely. The buggies were great fun and the cave skin was amazing we was travelling as a family highly recommend”
Tulum ruins plus Akumal turtle snorkeling and a cenote swim in one long day, with hotel pickup, tacos, and reef-friendly rules.
“This trip was amazing. There was just the right amount of time at the ruins of Tulum, the snorkeling with sea turtles was fantastic- they take you out on a boat and then you slowly snorkel back in together as a group. We not only saw, but stuck around and watched at least 5 turtles. The tour guide even towed me with my two year old on a float to help support him so that I could snorkel the whole time instead of trading out with my husband. And then the Cenote was an organized snorkel around a circular cave. It was so much more than I pictured when I…”
Can-Am buggy through Riviera Maya jungle plus cenote cave swim and snorkel from Playa del Carmen, with hotel pickup for small groups.
“Fernando and Rigo were amazing tour guides. They took great pictures of the group. The cenote was beautiful and quiet.”
Swim a Tulum cenote, snorkel with sea turtles in Akumal, then unwind at a beach club with lunch and included gear.
“The can that we were travelling in broke down twice on the way there. The driver (Ricardo) and the guide ( Henry ) were very good. If you have a moustache beware your snorkeling mask may not fit. Consequently the snorkeling part was a bust for me. The Cenote part of the trip was super Interesting however the pictures that they offered you to purchase at the end you had to buy all of them at 120$ US dollars . You couldn’t just buy a certain package for a reasonable amount. There loss because we would have purchased something reasonable.”
Tulum Ruins, Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich swim, and Akumal sea turtle snorkeling in one day from Playa del Carmen with guides and lunch.
“Tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. She spoke great English and organised a guide for the Ruins part to speak both German and English (due to having some people from Netherlands etc. in our group). She clearly knew a lot about the culture, species and traditions. She answered all the questions asked and shared interesting facts about the ecosystem in the caves. She briefed the group at all times what's in the itinerary and kept us posted about timings etc. Lunch was also amazing! Highly recommend this tour if you're interested in the culture and aren't afraid of the dark (haha!). The cave/cenote was absolutely beautiful but the snorkeling…”
Private Chichén Itzá day trip with cenote swim and Valladolid lunch from Playa del Carmen, with hotel pickup, admissions, drinks, and pro guide.
“Our tour guide Mario was an incredible host. We saw and learned so much. Worth the investment of time and money.”
Zipline, bridges, rappelling, and two cenote swims in Tulum. Includes tacos, a drink, snorkeling gear, and safety-minded guides.
“The excursions provided at Selva Maya Evo Adventure was great! Never been ziplining but afterward I am glad I did. The cenotes that we visited were nice. The staff were very friendly, professional and caring of your fears. I highly recommend”
One early bus day linking Chichén Itzá, Cenote Saamal, and Valladolid with lunch and guided storytelling in English.
“Overall tour was good. Very passionated guides both with the bus and the one Chichen Itza. The company is actually one of the few or only fully mayan-owned here in Cancun”
Chichén Itzá and cenote swim from Playa del Carmen with Maya village, Valladolid stop, lunch, and pickup plus extra entry fees.
“The cenote and tour at chichen itza were all great, and well guided. When getting picked up from Playa Del Carmen, the excursion is closer to 15 hours total than 10-12 due to the out of way pick ups in Tulum (which takes up the first few hours of the day). There’s also a lot of forced gift shop time that’s a bit tiring. If in budget, I’d suggest a private tour that goes more directly”
Riviera Maya half-day tour with guided Tulum ruins plus two cenotes. Learn Mayan history, swim in Mariposa and Chen-Ha.
“Visiting Tulum ruins was fascinating and a great historical experience. Our guide, Freddy, was very knowledgeable, had a good sense of humor, and was proud of his Mayan heritage. The cenote experience was also very good and very refreshing. The tour was very good and a good value.”
Guided Chichén Itzá, Cenote Chichikán and Valladolid day trip with skip-the-line entry, optional swim, tequila tasting and lunch.
“Our amazing team with Henrique and Kevin were unbelievable! Truly exceptional experience and they truly complemented the group and each other. Kevin’s knowledge about the Mayan’s, their culture, traditions and beliefs were outstanding. We got so much from this and we highly recommend both Kevin and Henrique! Henrique got us to every stop with a smile on his face and was always willing to smile and chat with us all! Thanks family! Hope to see you soon!”
