As spring quickly approaches and summer is not far off, the time for sargassum to be present on the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean has already begun. The brown seaweed is basically harmless but does emit an unpleasant odor as it decays on the shores of Cancun’s beaches, sometimes causing tourists to avoid the beaches altogether. So we’re going to tell you about the top 7 cenotes near Cancun to go swimming in when the beaches are covered with Sargassum.
Anyone who vacations in Cancun wants to spend time outdoors, and visiting cenotes, which are naturally made sinkholes filled with water, is a great way to do that and still get a chance to swim and cool off.
Cenote Siete Bocas
Cenote Siete Bocas is a cave cenote that is special because it has seven different entrances, which is where the very fitting name comes from. It is known for its amazing rock formations, the water’s beautiful color, and its cliff-jumping option. Cenote Siete Bocas is just over an hour from Cancun, making it one of the closer cenotes, and admission is around $25 USD.
@crybabee2u Cenote Siete Bocas #cancunmexico #memories #friends #cancunexpat #singlelife #retiredlife #cenotesmexico ♬ Nature Love – Nature Sounds
Cenote Kin Ha
Cenote Kin Ha is a cave cenote that is said to be the entrance to the Mayan underworld and is part of a larger ecological park that has another cenote you can visit too. It has mesmerizing blue water and a large hole at the top that lets the light in. Cenote Kin Ha is only 50 minutes away from Cancun, making it even closer than Cenote Siete Bocas, and admission is about $23 USD.
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@tequitaro 📍: Cenote Kin-Ha, Puerto Morelos #cenote #mexico #quintanaroo ♬ Trip – Axero
Cenote La Noria
Cenote La Noria is one of the best cenotes on the Ruta de Los Cenotes because the water is so clear that it allows you to see fish swimming around. Beautiful stalactites can also be seen when visiting this cenote, which is one of the lesser known along the route. Cenote La Noria is only an hour away, not far from the Kim Ha cenote, and admission is only $10 USD.
@chocolatico_blanco #fyp #cenote #puertomorelosmexico ♬ sonido original – Nai
Cenote Azul
Cenote Azul is an open cenote with beautiful turquoise water and two different sections to swim in, consisting of a deeper pool with a cliff jump and a shallower pool perfect for kids. It’s common to see fish in the cenote and even feel them nibbling at your feet, according to some visitors. Cenote Azul is a bit further away, just over 2.5 hours from Cancun, and the entry fee is approximately $8 USD.
@trinidad.papi Cenote Azul 🌊 taxi – $1200 pesos (round trip from playa del carmen), entry fee – $150 pesos for a grand total of $1350 pesos (Roughly $67.50 USD) #traveltiktok #movingtomexico #expatinmexico #blackexpat #fitnesstravel ♬ Roxanne – Instrumental – Califa Azul
Cenote Cristalino
Cenote Cristalino translates to “Crystal Clear Cenote,” and that is the most distinguishing feature of this open-air cenote, which is often said to have some of the clearest blue water in the region. It is also known for having remarkable rock formations below the water’s surface, and it has lush tropical greenery surrounding the cenote. Cenote Cristalino is about an hour and 20 minutes away, and the cost to enter is a little over $8 USD.
@thedorarose Jumping Cliff into a 30ft Cenote 😅 was not in my plans!!! 2023 we just doing new Sh*t 💛 #fyp #mexico 📍 Cenote Cristalino in Playa del Carmen 🇲🇽 #playadelcarmen #traveltiktok #travel #travelbucketlist #traveltok #travelmemories #blacktiktok #blacktravelfeed #capcut #locs #blacktiktokcommunity #blacktiktok #blackgirlswim #cenotesmexico #cenote ♬ MotIvaTiOn – .
Gran Cenote
Gran Cenote is one of the most well-known and most visited cenotes in all of Mexico, popular for its connection of caverns and caves to swim through, along with an open-air cenote. Visitors can walk along wooden boardwalks that are surrounded by tropical greenery and see fish, and maybe even some turtles, in the crystal clear water. Gran Cenote is just under two hours away from Cancun, and admission is around $27.
@trendytraveler SAVE this for your next trip to TULUM 🐢 🌴 This is one of my favorite cenotes! Gran cenote is located just about 3 miles from downtown Tulum, but I recommend getting here early to avoid the crowds 😊 FOLLOW #trendytraveler for more travel tips! ✈️ #tulum #travel #cenote #cenotes #grancenote #mexico #rivieramaya #cancun #quintanaroo #travelbucketlist #travelwithme #travelmexico #traveltiktok ♬ The Night We Met by Lord Huron – Hanna Cole
Cenote Ik Kil
Cenote Ik Kil is located near the famous Mayan landmark of Chichén Itzá and is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cenotes in the Riviera Maya. It is an open-air cenote that was formed by the roof collapsing in, allowing light to shine through and tree roots to hang from the top to the water down below, which makes for breathtaking scenery. Cenote Ik Kil is the furthest away on this list, at around 2 hours and 45 minutes away, but definitely worth the trip, and entry is about $8 USD.
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