The four cenotes of Santa Bárbara
Four different cenotes and a lunch made by hand
The point of Santa Bárbara is that the four cenotes are genuinely different from each other, so you learn in one morning what a «closed» or «semi-open» cenote actually is. You move between them by bicycle or cart inside the grounds, which is half the fun. Lunch at the end: regional dishes with tortillas straight off the comal. Departure is at ten, so no early alarm.
Schedule: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
Homún, Yucatán
What is included
- Transport
- Certified guide
- Entry to all four cenotes
- Regional lunch
Not included
- Drinks with lunch
Itinerary
- Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Homún, through the ring of cenotes.
- Cascabel cenote — Closed, cave type. You descend inside and the water sits in half-light: the most striking of the four.
- Chaksikín cenote — Semi-open. You go down between limestone walls painted with Maya-themed murals.
- Xooch cenote — Semi-open, with a shaft of light that falls straight onto the water mid-morning.
- Pool Cocom cenote — Open and surrounded by vegetation. You swim along a channel out to the wide part.
- Regional lunch — Home cooking with hand-made tortillas. Plenty of time to eat without rushing.
- Back to Mérida — An hour back, arriving around five.
Meeting point
Our office at Calle 61 #518-B, Centro Histórico. If your accommodation is on the way to the tour or near the centre, we can pick you up there — agreed over WhatsApp
Questions
Do I need to know how to swim?
No. Vests are mandatory in all four and every one has stairs and platforms. Plenty of people only go in as far as they can stand.
Can I use regular sunscreen?
Better not. Cenotes only allow reef-safe sunscreen, and several ask you to rinse off before going in.
Is it good with children?
Yes, it is one of the calmest: little walking, four short stops and an early lunch.