Does anyone know of a cenote that is close enough to get to by bus, such as ADO or the collectivos? I have a fellow Canadian coming at month's end and would love to take her to one but really don't want to have to join / pay for a tour it in order to do so. I know there's heaps around here. I'm without car hence seeking the bus / collectivos option. Any suggestions would be great!
The closest cenotes are near Puerto Morelos, you can get to the road by bus but getting to the cenote themselves would prove more difficult as they are a few kilometers down the jungle roads. Another option is to head much further south, close to Xpu Ha (about 102 kms south of Cancun). There the cenotes are just off the side of the road, Cenote Azul is a good one, only 50 pesos to get in, right next door to one of the big cenote parks where they charge $50 USD (Kantun Chi). Here's a pic of Cenote Azul
We were just at Valladolid, a two hour express bus ride away, where there are two fine cenotes you can see with an inexpensive taxi ride from downtown (about ten minutes); plus, the city itself is worth a look. Start early, and you could roll in a visit to the very impressive ruins at Ek Balam, as well, in a long day in which you return to Cancun in the evening hours. What's impressive about the two cenotes I'm referring to, aside from their size, is that their roofs have not collapsed, and sunlight enters through a single opening in the ceiling as a shaft of light....
Hey Miss Canuck! I actually had you in mind this morning when I posted this. I recall you recently visiting a cenote...saw the pics on FB. I'll give your cenote an on-line look as my friend is not due for two weeks yet. Love the pic by the way! V...will also take a peek at your suggestion. A town / cenote combo sounds perfect!!...for both her and I. I've not been out of Cancun since arriving! I know, I know...
Marlo, I am not sure where V went in Valladolid but the cenotes there are more for a quick look than for diving repeatedly or swimming. Zaci is downtown and I would not swim there for love or money. It is a spectacular looking place with green tinted water. Can you say big time algae. Dzitnup and X'keken are probably where V went. They are quite nice but I would not want to hang out there all day. You can take the bus there as V points out and collectivo's run regularly to the cenotes and to Ek Balam. Valladolid is probably my favorite getaway weekend destination. The ruins at Ek Balam are among my favorites. They are still excavating and the tallest structure is a bit taller than El Castillo at Chichen Itza. Pack bug spray. The ones like Cancun Canuck described sounds like, by your own statement, like what you have in mind. But you MUST get over to Valladolid. There is a lovely hotel on the town square that I have been to many times - El Meson del Marquez. It isn't cheap but it is worth the $$.
Not sure if you can even still swim in Zaci...you could several years ago (which I've done several times) but for many years, swimming was prohibited. The two cenotes outside of Valladolid that I could spend hours in are: the one at Ek Balam and another called Xlakaj just south of Valladolid. The latter also has a pool and they sell snacks and beer.
The one near Ek Balam is nice. I like that one. The roof is gone so it's open on top. Imho most cenotes are going to be pretty cold this time of year, but if they are open on top at least you'll have the sun to warm you up.
Yeah, ain't NO WAY I go in a cenote before June or July. they are just WAY too cold. My kids have swum in Zaci, but I swear they get sick each and every time. They're gluttons for punishment though. Cenote Eden (right next to Azul) down the coast here more at Flickr: Search Mamahops' photostream Cenote Zaci (in Valladolid) more at Flickr: Search Mamahops' photostream I thought I had some of Dtiznup but I guess I wasn't using Flickr back then.
Thank you all for your suggestions. I should have mentioned that I was 'cenote-seeking' for visual purposes, not to actually swim. It's waaaaaaaaaaaaaay to cold for that, even for well-worn Canadian girls. She arrives this week. It will be her first time in this country. I find cenotes to be pretty cool (pardon the pun) and think she'd enjoy seeing one as well. Anyway, I'll let you know if we make it to any. Thanks again!
