Mexico · CENOTE TRIPS IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN
Good cenote trips in Playa del Carmen fill up weeks ahead; the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Half-day ATV, jungle ziplines, and a natural cenote at Extreme Adventure Eco Park with pickup from Playa del Carmen and tequila tasting.
“This was a great experience. The tour guide Gio was so patient and supportive to my 9 year old granddaughter! It was her first time Ziplining and jumpimg in the Ceote! Transportation made it so much easier also. Our driver was great!”
Half-day snorkeling at Akumal for sea turtles plus a Yax-Muul cenote swim, with pickup, gear, and empanadas.
“If you have never been snorkeling before, or if you are snorkeling with children, this is a great tour. The guides are wonderful, professional, and make sure that everyone can use their snorkel and sees the same amount of turtles. Life jackets are also required, so no need to be an excellent swimmer. That said, the tour wasn't at all what I was looking for. Once you get to alkumal bay, there are TONS of people there, and each group takes a small boat out a few hundred yards, you hop in the water, and swim back to shore with your guide. If anyone happens to see a turtle, it…”
Get muddy on a jungle buggy ride from Playa del Carmen, cool off in an underground cenote swim, then visit a Mayan village.
“Be prepared to speed through the jungle and get nice and dirty! It was a total blast, my 7 year old loved it. The Cenote is completely hidden gem and the stop on the local rural village was an eye opener. I knew from other reviews that we would see another side of Playa del Carmen and I feared it would be exploitative of the people, but it didn’t feel that way. Everyone was so sweet and the kids all excitedly waved to us—every single one of them! Be prepared with some little toys and treats for the kids. There is an option to contribute to the community and of…”
Jungle buggy adventure from Playa del Carmen with a cenote cave swim and snorkeling, small-group 4x4 fun with hotel pickup.
“This was great we had Fernando as a guide you can tell he loves his job and is genuine. We felt safe and comfortable. He took photos please tip driver and tour guide they won’t ask but they deserve it. Be prepared to get dirty and bring a snack.”
Swim in an ancient cenote near Tulum, then snorkel with sea turtles at Akumal Beach, ending with lunch at a beach club.
“Absolutely amazing experience. Our guide Henry was amazing and our driver Victor was also amazing. Incredible experience definitely rememberable.”
Full-day Tulum ruins, cenote swim at Nohoch Nah Chich, and sea turtle snorkeling at Akumal with lunch and transfers.
“Super fun filled day, all of the excursions were beautiful! Saw turtles and a stingray during that part. Our guide for the day Israel was perfect, did a great job of explaining what we were doing and what was next!”
Private Chichen Itza day trip from Playa del Carmen, with Cenote Saamal swim, Valladolid lunch, and skip-the-line timing for less waiting.
“Wonderful tour! Amazing history shared by experienced guide. Swim and lunch were refreshing and enjoyable !!!!l”
Chichén Itzá, Cenote Saamal, and Valladolid from Playa del Carmen in one long day, with certified guides, lunch, and transport.
“Excelent service! Thanks Lalo, Hugo and Santiago. The best guides!!”
Chichén Itzá and cenote swim from Playa del Carmen with guided ruins, Maya village, Valladolid stop, and lunch. Hotel pickup included.
“Like most tours, this day included opportunities to buy extra items. One of our stops was to a local co-op where we learned about Mayan ways of doing things without Western, modern technologies. “Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s wrong.” We were happy to pick up a few handmade pieces made from obsidian. And we experienced having our items are ourselves blessed by a Shaman. There was also a man who offered to sell us personalized bottles of alcohol made from Anis. Each bottle label included a photo of each family / travel group. The drink wasn’t bad, but we didn’t buy our bottle. Overall, we were happy to…”
Guided Chichén Itzá day trip with early entry, cenote swim at Chichikán, Valladolid stroll, tequila tasting, and hotel pickup in Yucatán.
“Pastor & Baltazar were a great team guiding us through the whole trip and spilling mayan secrets :) Cenote was amazing after the day off heat, definitely worth to try experience. And tequila - well, to sie for. Please come with checked in bagage so that you can bring lots of it home!”
Small-group early start from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza, Ik Kil cenote swim, and Coba ruins with breakfast and lunch.
“Very educational tour with many facets of Mayan culture. Tonancy was an excellent guide and kept on task and weather driver David was able to get us there to get in line in time to climb the ruins. She knows a lot about the Mayan symbols and her explanation was very informative. I recommend this tour if you are interested in the history of the Mayan culture.”
Small-group day trip from Playa del Carmen to Coba and Tulum, swim at Multum Ha cenote, and visit the Mayan Museum.
“Tulum and Coba are 2 very different archeological sites, with their unique vibe (coast or tropical forest). The tour ended with a cenote that looked more like a cave, with perfect clear water.”
Chichen Itza, a blue cenote swim with zip line, and Valladolid food stops from Playa del Carmen in one long day.
“We took this tour out of Playa del Carmen after deciding not to rent a car for our trip. We enjoyed seeing Chichen Itza, the Cenote, and Vallodolid, but the latter two locations were way too rushed on this tour, and lunch was served way too late in the day for how long of a day trip it is. The tour company is a bit disingenuous and clearly has some kind of deal with the Mayan village stop that they take you to for lunch. Apparently all the guides follow a script in which they discourage you to spend money anywhere but the Mayan village. They also do not give…”
Beat the crowds on a long day from Playa del Carmen: early Ek Balam, Chichen Itza, a cenote swim, and a Mexican buffet lunch.
“We visited both Ek Balam and Chichen Itza, with a wonderful break in Chichikan cenote (including the swimming and lunch). Both of our guides, Frank and Ricardo, were great. This tour is highly recommended for first timers and for those who already visited these wonderful Mayan sites.”
Private Tulum, turtle snorkeling in Akumal, and cenote swimming with included lunch, gear, and round-trip hotel pickup from Playa del Carmen.
“Such a great tour! This tour is well thought out and amazing even down to the photographer. Our tour guide, Alma, was great. The kids adored her and talked about her the rest of the trip. I would highly recommend the private tour to anybody!”
Every kind of day out, and the best of each.
