The difference in one sentence
An open cenote has lost its entire roof and the water lies in the sun; a closed one keeps almost all its roof, so the water sits inside a cavern. In between are semi-open cenotes, with an opening that lets light in. All form the same way: water dissolves limestone and a cave roof collapses, according to Mexico's protected-areas commission (CONANP).
Choose an open cenote if…
- You're traveling with young kids or people who prefer open spaces.
- You want to swim in natural light surrounded by greenery.
- Enclosed spaces make you uncomfortable.
Choose a cave cenote if…
- You want the most dramatic experience: descending into a dim vault.
- You're into rock formations.
- You want to escape the midday sun.
Choose a semi-open cenote if…
- You want photos with light beams on the water, especially mid-morning.
- You're after a middle ground between light and mystery.
What applies to all of them
- A life vest if you're not a confident swimmer.
- No sunscreen or repellent in the water.
- Non-slip shoes for wet stairs.
What if you want all three?
Mary Tours' Santa Bárbara cenotes trip in Homún settles it: Cascabel is a cave cenote, Chaksikín and Xooch are semi-open and Pool Cocom is open. Tulum and Casa Tortuga also brings together four cenotes of different types. The office is on Calle 61 in Mérida's historic center.
| If you want… | Choose |
|---|---|
| To go with young kids | Open |
| Photos with light beams | Semi-open |
| Something dramatic | Closed or cave |
| To escape the sun | Closed |
| Greenery and a pond feel | Open |
| To try them all | Santa Bárbara (Homún) |
Fun facts
- Semi-open cenotes are the photo favorite for their beam of light.
- A cave cenote keeps almost all of its rock roof.
- Homún has all three types in one place.
Related tours
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
Cenotes · 7 h
Hacienda Mucuyché
A stone channel joining two cenotes
from $1,800 MXN per person
See itinerary
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM · daily
- 9:30 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to the estate, in the municipality of Abalá.
- 10:30 AM Check-in and historical tour — A guide from the estate itself explains how the henequen business worked and what survives of it.
- 11:00 AM Carlota and Azul Maya cenotes — Two hours in the water. To move between the cenotes you cross the channel, swimming or along the stone path.
- 1:00 PM Time for lunch — Yucatecan food at the estate restaurant, paid per order. There is a pool for anyone who wants to stay in the water.
- 3:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back.
Included: Transport, Guide, Entry to the hacienda and cenotes
Not included: Food, 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
Coupon −$300 MXN per personCaribbean · 14 h
Tulum and the Casa Tortuga cenotes
The only Maya city built facing the Caribbean
from $2,500 MXN per person
See itinerary
6:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily
- 6:00 AM Boarding — We leave from the downtown office. If your accommodation is on the way, we collect you there — agreed beforehand on WhatsApp.
- 6:30 AM Motorway to the rest stop — An hour and three quarters, with fifteen minutes for toilets and something light.
- 8:30 AM On to Tulum — An hour and a half more to the Quintana Roo coast.
- 10:00 AM Tulum archaeological site — Guided visit to the walled city: El Castillo, the Temple of the Frescoes and the Temple of the Descending God, with the sea behind.
- 12:15 PM Casa Tortuga cenotes and lunch — Four cenotes of different kinds, with a guided route, trails and changing rooms. Lunch is on site.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — Four hours back, with a stop halfway.
Included: Guide accredited by the Ministry of Tourism, Round-trip transport, Lunch, Cenote entry
Not included: Tulum archaeological site entrance, Drinks
Frequently asked questions
Which cenote is best for kids?
An open one is usually more comfortable thanks to the space and light, always with a life vest.
Are cave cenotes scary?
Some people find them so; they're fitted with stairs and lighting, but if you dislike enclosed spaces, pick an open one.
When do the light beams appear?
In semi-open cenotes, usually mid-morning when the sun shines through the opening.
Where can I see all three types in one day?
At the Santa Bárbara cenotes in Homún.
