Oct 29

Oct 29 What To Know Before You Go: Cenotes in Tulum, Mexico

While we were preparing to make our last trip of the summer to Mexico to visit several cenotes we kept getting the same question: what exactly is a cenote?! To put it simply, it’s essentially a sinkhole full of groundwater that has been exposed by collapsing limestone. Some are pretty simple in that they mostly look like lakes whereas others are a labyrinth of tunnels and underwater caves (insert creepy feeling here).

Admittedly flying standby down to Cancun during the last week of summer was dumb and we nearly didn’t make it back but after waiting nearly 6+ hours we finally got onto one of the last flights back to ATL but not before experiencing a good, ole’ fashion police shake down that left us with no money and rattled nerves BUT before that we spent the weekend jumping into cenotes, practicing Spanish and eating ALL of the tacos.

We were planning on staying in Tulum which is about a 1.5 hour drive from Cancun so we rented an exceedingly cheap rental car and started our drive. We stopped off first at Pescadores (fishermen) which was a super cute microbrewery situated on the side of the road. Surprisingly we were the only ones there! Maybe microbrews haven’t taken off yet but if you picked that place up and set it down in Atlanta, it would be exceedingly popular.

We then accidentally spent WAY too much money on a whole box of various craft brews and continued our drive to Tulum. At this point we were in the hotel zone and passing loads of mega resorts that had crazy imposing entrances. We’ve never stayed in one of those resorts but they were super packed out with folks. Admittedly I find myself to be a bit of a travel snob so I tend to stay away from resorts like that but I mean, maybe one day. You do you, ya know?

When we finally pulled into Tulum, the sun was just going down causing the drive through the mangroves to be a bit tricky but we finally pulled up to our funky and cozy AirBnb tucked into some trees and behind a cutesy wooden door with also a cutesy pup.

Now, this place was cute. Like, very cute. The pool was cute. The room itself was cute. Everything was CUTE. And also cool….and cute. Whenever we travel we love to find unique AirBnbs whether it’s a circus wagon in Amsterdam, a literal tree house in North Carolina or a tent on the beach in Mexico, we love some weird places to stay.

You better believe Justin was all about this place because it had a kickn’ AC.

if you know us, you know we love to get some local food. After dropping off our stuff we found this crazy cool food truck park on the edge of the jungle with some killer tacos, of course.

I always, always suggest trying out the local foods whenever you travel. I know that sometimes it can really push you out of your comfort zone but that’s where you grow, ya know? There have been more times when we’ve tried the local food and been absolutely blown away than we have been left wanting. To be honest, I’ve gotten food poisoning more often in America than anywhere else soooo…take that how you will.

Okay, so what you’ve come here for! Here are some cenotes I recommend you go see and some cenotes advice!

1.) Cenote Calavera: Aptly named Skull Cenote because of it’s one large opening and two smaller ones, this one was probably my favorites. It definitely tucked away and more of a locals haunt which, of course, means I like it the most. We spent several hours there jumping into the tiny “eye” hole portion of cenote. When you jump in and look up, you’ll be met with loads of bats taking daytime naps. The cenote isn’t very expensive but you definitely have to tread water if someone is currently on the ladder or the rope swing so be prepared for swimming. Also, you cannot wear regular sunscreen or bug repellent when visiting the cenotes. You MUST wear an organic, reef friendly sunscreen from companies like Sun Bum. The chemicals in regular sunscreen can damage the cenotes and basically slough off your skin and get stuck in the water until it collects and collects into a disgusting film. So, be nice to the cenotes and wear Sun Bum.

2.) Gran Cenote- At first I was hesitant to visit this cenote because it’s the most popular one in Tulum. However, once we visited it we realized why. It’s gorgeous, weird, and definitely super interesting to snorkel. I would highly suggest you bring some pesos because all of the cenotes take cash as well as bring your own snorkel gear so that you don’t have to spend any additional money renting your own. The Gran Cenote has swimming areas where you can dive, tread water, stand and just kind of chill so it really is good for all age levels. There is also some pretty neat wildlife as turtles nest in the cenotes, bats sleep in the cenote ceilings and small fish swim around and nip at your feet. This cenote is quite literally about five minutes down the road from the Cenote Calavera so it’s a great one to add to your list as you can hop from one to the other. There also typically isn’t any food or drinks for sell at the cenotes so I would suggest bringing a cooler with you. However, do not bring any sort of glass (just like at a pool) and they don’t like for you to bring alcohol so…decide what you will. We ended up renting an Ice Mule Backpack Cooler from Hertz and filling it with ice, snacks, drinks, etc. We also brought our own drybag that we bought in Dominica with our snorkel equipment, Sun Bum sunscreen, GoPro and our rental car keys and phones.

It was quite busy when we went during the weekend so obviously I would think that going during the weekday would probably be best. A lot of companies sell tours which seem nice but you can definitely go it alone if you’re trying to save some dollars.

3.) Cenote Clandestino- Now this one is VERY different from your typical cenote. if you’re looking for something funky, then definitely give Clandestino a visit. It’s quite far away from the other two as it’s situated square in the middle of the major tourist, eclectic area near the beach in Tulum. We didn’t stay in this area as it was quite expensive. This area was chock full of boutique hotels, one off shops and restaurants that were three dollars signs on Yelp. And I don’t know about you but that’s not really our bag. We prefer the $1 tacos to a $20 salad. I might be a travel snob but when we were walking around the tourist section of Tulum, there were shops reminiscent of Bangkok where you could find any manner of prescription drugs and $500 sunglasses. I just didn’t like it. I much prefer the area away from spaces like that.

Okay, rant over.

So, Clandestino doesn’t even market itself as a cenote and, from the outside, it looks just like any other bar or restaurant. You’d never really know what’s inside if you didn’t step in, walk down the candle lined hallway, through a small path through the jungle and out into the main bar area.

When you emerge from the jungle trail, you’re met with a small bar and kitchen area with some wooden seats surrounding a small cenote. You can throw on your swimsuit, order a beer and enjoy the water. We didn’t go swimming because at this point we had spent the whole day in the water but we ordered some awesome cocktails and sat near the cenote while listening to some pretty good music.

While it’s not necessarily a dynamic cenote, it’s definitely interesting and worth a visit. At night, the cenote rages on but now it becomes lit by a victorian-esque chandelier hanging from the mangroves above. It’s definitely a place where you could hang around for several hours swimming, eating/drinking, people watching. So, if you’re down for a pretty unique cenote visit, give it a go.

Tulum is a magical place full of interesting natural attractions and absolutely fantastic food. While it can be overrun by tourist shops near the beach, if you stay closer to town you’ll be rewarded with nice people and easy access to grocery stores and local restaurants.

Give Tulum a try and also remember your Sun Bum!