How it works
You leave Mérida in the morning and return in the mid-afternoon. First stop is Izamal, about 72 kilometers away, to walk around the convent and the yellow streets as long as you like. Then the van continues to Homún, inside the Ring of Cenotes State Reserve, home to the four Santa Bárbara cenotes: Cascabel, Chaksikín, Xooch and Pool Cocom.
The driver parks and waits at each stop. Nobody rushes your group and there's no need to coordinate with other travelers.
How to split your time
- Izamal, early: the convent atrium and streets reflect a lot of sun by late morning. An hour and a half is enough for the convent, the main square and, if you like, climbing Kinich Kakmó, one of the largest pyramid bases on the peninsula.
- Santa Bárbara, afterwards: you get around the property by bike or cart from cenote to cenote. Allow at least three hours to enjoy all four and eat there.
If your group includes kids or people who tire quickly, that's exactly the value of a transfer: it adapts to your pace.
What you pay on site
With the transfer you're paying for the day's air-conditioned van, driver and traveler insurance. Once in Homún, everyone covers their own cenote-park ticket and whatever they eat or drink there, plus a tip if they wish. Because the rate is per vehicle, it works out better the more of you travel together; the catalogue on this page shows the cost by group size, starting at 4 people.
If you'd prefer everything included with a guide, there's the Izamal and Santa Bárbara cenotes tour.
What to bring
- Cash for cenote entry and lunch.
- Your swimsuit on from the morning and a quick-dry towel.
- Comfortable shoes for Izamal and sandals for the cenotes.
- Biodegradable sunscreen.
Fun facts
- Kinich Kakmó, in downtown Izamal, is one of the largest pyramid bases on the peninsula.
- Homún has been part of the Ring of Cenotes state reserve since 2013.
- At Santa Bárbara you ride a bike from cenote to cenote.
Related tours
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
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
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
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
Frequently asked questions
Does the transfer include cenote entry?
No. Entry to the cenote park is paid at Santa Bárbara, as is lunch.
How many cenotes are at Santa Bárbara?
Four: Cascabel, Chaksikín, Xooch and Pool Cocom.
How far is Izamal from Mérida?
About 72 kilometers, roughly an hour by road.
Is there a guide?
No. It's private transportation with a driver.
Is the price per person?
No, it's per van.
