caves and swimming spots not to miss

Best Cenotes near Cancun & Tulum

Cancun's cenotes range from fresh water springs to crystal clear rivers running through caves.

Tap forward for the best, easiest cenotes near Cancun and Tulum you can visit

First stop: Cenote Yal Ku in Akumal, very near Turtle Beach. A large, freshwater spring, it flows directly into the Caribbean.

After the cenote, visit Akumal Beach to swim with the sea turtles and sting rays

Give the wildlife their distance and obey all posted guidelines.

Next stop near Cancun: visit Cenote Azul, the Blue Cenote, Riviera Maya

cliff jump halfway between Cancun and Tulum

Our favorite cenote for cave swimming and diving is Cenotes Dos Ojos

Many cenotes in the Riviera Maya have tours available for swimming or diving (experience required)

The best group of cenotes near Cancun: Cenote Siete Bocas

Swim between caves and sinkhole openings, jump into deep pools from small cliffs

Explore the Mayan ruins of Tulum after visiting the cenotes

Biking to the beach and ruins complex is the perfect end to a day between Cancun and Tulum.

Some Cenotes near Tulum and Cancun are very built up while others are deep in the Yucatan jungle. Cenote Zaci in Valladolid is an amazing sight.

This is the most unique cenote, our favorite: Cenote Zaci, downtown Valladolid

This amazing cenote is an enormous cave with platforms and cliffs to jump from while bats fly overhead.

For more info including maps to the best cenotes near Cancun and Tulum, check out the complete article.