Mexico · CENOTE SWIMS IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 15 cenote swims in Playa del Carmen worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Review of Playa del Carmen’s ATV, zipline, and cenote tour, with practical advice on transport, costs, safety, crowds, and value.
“Horrible experience. The guide tried to steel money from us by overcharging the lockers. The company changed the booking date and time without warning us. The ATV is not in the Mayan Jungle. Don’t book this”
Snorkel with sea turtles at Akumal and swim through a crystal-clear Yucatan cenote on this practical half-day tour from Cancun.
“Our tour guide, Daniel San Francisco, and photographer Maxi, were amazing. Daniel was extremely knowledgeable about the areas we visited, was very friendly, funny, and easy to get along with. Maxi was very nice, though quiet, but his photography spoke volumes. The photos he showed the group at the end were amazing. They were a great pair, and took good care of the group. It was a little bit of a colder day (by Mexico standards), so the cenote and snorkeling with turtles were not busy at all. We saw multiple turtles, sting rays, and beautiful coral formations.”
Review of Playa del Carmen’s buggy jungle tour with a muddy ride, private cenote swim, Mayan village visit, snacks, tips, and transport advice.
“Very adventurous. The ride is bumpy and dirty and a simply excellent experience. My kids loved the experience. The cenote is amazing. Jump from rocks into the cavern. I could stay all day. The village experience in Playa del carmen included empanadas made by a village lady. They were so tasty even my extremely picky child would eat them. If you want an authentic feel and adventure, book it.”
Race through Riviera Maya jungle trails, trade the buggy for a clear cave cenote, and enjoy a small-group adventure from Playa del Carmen.
“This excursion was amazing, our guides were very nice and informative. Me and my partner both had the opportunity to drive and they gave us a lot of time and freedom to swim in the cenote. There was only 4 people in our group so we had the cenote to ourselves. 10/10 highly recommend booking this!!!”
Swim through a Tulum cenote, snorkel with Akumal sea turtles, and enjoy lunch at a beach club on this guided half-day outing.
“My boyfriend and I took the Cenote + Turtles tour, which I purchased as a gift for my boyfriend's birthday. Prior to the cenote, our tour guide Jesus Salas had taken lunch orders for the beach club later and made a mistake with one of our orders. Since we had many hours before lunch, we didn't make a big deal about it in the moment, choosing instead to correct the error separately after the cenote tour. When we did, he asked why we hadn't said anything before, and my boyfriend (not wanting to draw attention to Jesus's mistake) replied, "I must not have been paying attention." Jesus replied saying "yeah,…”
Review of a Playa del Carmen day tour combining Tulum ruins, Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich, lunch, and Akumal turtle snorkeling.
“Our guide Juan and driver Cesar were the best. They were passionate , kind and very knowledgeable of the days activities. Kept everyone safe and gave us an exceptional experience that would be a great memory for years to come.”
Explore Chichén Itzá with a private guide, swim in sacred Cenote Saamal, enjoy Yucatecan lunch, and visit colonial Valladolid.
“Yessica was our guide and she was fantastic! Not only was she really knowledgeable about the history, she was a great photographer! Her suggestions for pictures were great. I did not expect her to lay on the ground so we could get some once in a lifetime pictures but she did! So grateful.”
See Chichén Itzá, swim in Cenote Saamal, taste Mexican food, and visit Valladolid on a long, low-cost day trip from Playa del Carmen.
“Fantastic from start to finish. Eduardo and Hugo were fantastic all day. The sites were stunning, pick up was convenient, it was a great experience.”
Review of the Chichén Itzá tour from Playa del Carmen, with a cenote swim, Maya village, lunch, Valladolid, fees, timing, and practical tips.
“Highs: Really good guides. They were mostly engaged in keeping the group entertained along with providing great insights about Mexican traditions throughout the trip. Lows: Unfortunately, this experience wasn't ideal. Starting with miscommunication - the package I bought had hotel pickup included however I was informed 24 hours prior about having to arrive at a meeting point. They did arrange for a partial refund upon raising this issue. The whole day is filled with upselling - from stops at shops, selling stuff inside the bus, and more. They have often all the sale deeds would be towards "improving the community". Lastly, on the way back the bus inspite of being…”
Visit Chichén Itzá, swim at Cenote Chichikan, enjoy Valladolid, and learn Mayan history on a full-day Yucatán tour from $58.
“Frank our guide was very knowledgeable and happy to answer any additional questions. Fantastic early entry to Chichen Itza, so plenty time for selfies. Swim at Cenote and tequila tasting was amazing. Would definitely recommend to everyone, pick up from hotel was greatly organised and all extra bits like tax payments, life vest etc.”
Review of a small-group day trip from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza, Cenote Ik Kil, and Coba, with early entry tips and honest costs.
“Tonatzin and our driver was awesome! I would recommend them again! No complaints about the your. Tour guide explained everything so perfectly.”
Explore Coba, Tulum, Jaguar Park Museum, and Multum Ha Cenote on a small-group day trip from Playa del Carmen with lunch included.
“Very prompt pickup from our bahia principe grand tulum hotel lobby at 7.40am , the group was a total of 8 people perfect size. Took us straight to tulum ruins which was absolutely great & informative then onto paradise beach for an hour of free time. Resteraunt near coba was nice buffet lunch. Coba we opted to do the bicycle ride around the site with our guide,you can walk if you wish to. The cenote was very nice. Our guide offered to take family photos which thought was so nice of him. No hard sell of any items at all from this tour, I would recommend this small group tour.”
Review of a long Chichen Itza day trip from Playa del Carmen with Mayan food, cenote zip line, Valladolid, costs, and practical tips.
“We took this tour out of Playa del Carmen after deciding not to rent a car for our trip. We enjoyed seeing Chichen Itza, the Cenote, and Vallodolid, but the latter two locations were way too rushed on this tour, and lunch was served way too late in the day for how long of a day trip it is. The tour company is a bit disingenuous and clearly has some kind of deal with the Mayan village stop that they take you to for lunch. Apparently all the guides follow a script in which they discourage you to spend money anywhere but the Mayan village. They also do not give…”
Compare Ek Balam and Chichen Itza, swim in a cenote, and enjoy lunch on a long, early-starting Mayan sites tour from Playa del Carmen.
“This was an amazing experience learning about and seeing the Mayan ruins with an actual Mayan. Frank was so knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Our driver Graciel, the van, the company was timely and professional. Chichen I”
See Tulum’s Maya ruins, snorkel with sea turtles in Akumal, and swim in a cenote on a private full-day tour from Playa del Carmen.
“JP , our guide, made this private tour a great one. Alphonse, our driver, was wonderful as well. I would not hesitate to book this again. We did the ruins, snorkeling with the turtles, and the cenote with lunch and everything was top notch.”
Pick a coast, a ruin or a kitchen.
