Why pair these two places
Izamal and Santa Bárbara are two of the most requested destinations from Mérida, and they work well together because they're so different: one is history and architecture on foot, the other is water and nature. They're also fairly close to each other, east and southeast of Mérida, so the drive between them doesn't eat up the day.
If you only have one day and want "a bit of everything" without heading all the way to the coast or doing a long trip, this is one of the most complete combinations.
Why Izamal comes first
The convent of San Antonio de Padua has a huge open atrium. By late morning the ground and the yellow façades throw off a lot of heat, so it's best visited early. You'll see the convent (built, according to INAH, on the Maya platform Ppap Hol Chak), the Kinich Kakmó pyramid and the streets of the center.
INAH records more than 2,500 years of occupation at Izamal, and Mexico's tourism ministry calls it the "City of Three Cultures." We have a full guide to the town if you'd like to arrive knowing more.
Afternoon at Santa Bárbara: five hours of cenotes
It's a little over an hour from Izamal to Homún along village roads. Homún is part of the Ring of Cenotes State Geohydrological Reserve, protected since 2013 and listed as a Ramsar site since 2009.
You spend about five hours at the Santa Bárbara property, moving between cenotes by bike or cart, with lunch served on site. The four cenotes are nothing alike:
- Cascabel, a closed cavern.
- Chaksikín, which opens just enough to let in a shaft of light.
- Xooch and Pool Cocom, open to the sky.
This tour or Izamal with two cenotes?
Mary Tours offers two similar combinations. The difference is the cenotes:
- Izamal and the Santa Bárbara cenotes: four different cenotes on one property and more time in the water in the afternoon.
- Izamal and two cenotes: the Yaxbacaltún and San Antonio cenotes, on a slightly shorter day.
Both include transportation, a guide, entry fees and lunch. If you love swimming and want to see how cenote types differ, Santa Bárbara gives you more.
What to bring
- Comfortable shoes for Izamal and sandals or water shoes for the cenotes.
- Swimsuit on and a change of clothes.
- A hat.
- Biodegradable sunscreen.
- A bag for wet clothes.
Fun facts
- At Santa Bárbara you ride a bike from one cenote to the next.
- Izamal's convent is built on top of a Maya platform.
- Homún is one of the 13 municipalities in the Ring of Cenotes reserve.
Related tours
Cenotes · 9 h
Izamal and the Santa Bárbara cenotes
Izamal early, and the whole afternoon in four cenotes
from $1,550 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Izamal.
- 9:00 AM Izamal — The San Antonio de Padua convent, raised on a Maya platform, the Kinich Kakmó pyramid and the yellow streets.
- 10:30 AM On to Homún — An hour and a quarter through small towns to the cenote grounds.
- 12:00 PM Santa Bárbara cenotes — Five hours inside: Cascabel in a cavern, Chaksikín with its shaft of light, and Xooch and Pool Cocom in the open. You move between them by bike or cart, and lunch is served on site.
- 5:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back.
Included: Transport, General culture guide, Entrances, Lunch
Not included: Drinks
Towns · 9 h
Izamal and two cenotes
Izamal’s yellow first, then two cold cenotes
from $1,300 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road. The guide uses it to explain where Izamal comes from before you arrive.
- 9:00 AM The yellow town — The convent and its atrium, among the largest on the continent, the baroque altarpiece, and then free time around the streets.
- 10:20 AM On to the Homún ring — Forty more minutes to the cenote area.
- 11:00 AM Yaxbacaltún cenote — The first swim, landing right after the morning’s walking.
- 12:15 PM San Antonio cenote and lunch — A semi-closed cenote that feels nothing like the first one, and lunch served right there.
- 3:15 PM Back to Mérida — Back to Mérida, arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Guide, Entry to both cenotes, Lunch
Not included: Drinks
Cenotes · 7 h
The four cenotes of Santa Bárbara
Four different cenotes and a lunch made by hand
from $1,450 MXN per person
See itinerary
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 10:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Homún, through the ring of cenotes.
- 11:00 AM Cascabel cenote — Closed, cave type. You descend inside and the water sits in half-light: the most striking of the four.
- 11:30 AM Chaksikín cenote — Semi-open. You go down between limestone walls painted with Maya-themed murals.
- 12:00 PM Xooch cenote — Semi-open, with a shaft of light that falls straight onto the water mid-morning.
- 12:30 PM Pool Cocom cenote — Open and surrounded by vegetation. You swim along a channel out to the wide part.
- 1:30 PM Regional lunch — Home cooking with hand-made tortillas. Plenty of time to eat without rushing.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back, arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Certified guide, Entry to all four cenotes, Regional lunch
Not included: Drinks with lunch
Transfers · 8.5 h
Transfer to Izamal and Santa Bárbara
The yellow town and four cenotes, with no group schedule
from $2,650 MXN per vehicle
Frequently asked questions
How long do you spend at the Santa Bárbara cenotes?
On the Mary Tours trip, about five hours on the property, with lunch included.
How far is Homún from Izamal?
A little over an hour by road between villages.
Does the tour include entry fees?
Yes. It includes transportation, a guide, entry fees and lunch. Drinks are extra.
Do I need to ride a bike?
No, you can also get around the property by cart.
Is it a good plan for kids?
It usually works well for kids who can swim or wear a life jacket. Check the conditions when you book.
