Gran Cenote

This cenote was my favorite out of all 3 we visited (dos ojos and Casa cenote were the two others we went to). Although crowded, it was absolutely beautiful and the caves were filled with bats, which was an amazing site!

I think swimming in the Cenotes were the highlight of my Tulum/​Cancun/​Chichen Itza trip!!! For sure. It’s so much fun to be able to swim in the underwater caves, especially here, where it’s super spacious and you can see some bats, swim with the fish (though some scare me) and just tread water for an hour or two!
We came here when it started to rain, but that luckily stopped pretty quickly. Don’t know if it was because of that or because this wasn’t the Cenote next to Chichen Itza, but it was not crowded at all here, which I really appreciated! Plus it was pretty huge, so well worth the higher price, compared to the Ik-​Kil location!

There are tons of cenotes of all different sizes in the area, and though this isn’t the biggest or most secluded, it’s one of my favorites for one reason: TURTLES! They have a ‘turtle zone’ where lots of cute little guys paddle around. You can buy little baggies of fish food to feed them. There’s no swimming in the turtle zone so as not to disturb them, but you can snorkel up next to it (it’s netted off) and still get pretty close to those cuties.
Even if you’re not a huge turtle fan, you can enjoy plenty of snorkeling and exploring. Like I said it’s not huge and it’s not one of the ones you’d go to on a scuba tour, but it was clean, beautiful water and plenty of little nooks and crannies to explore.
You can rent a locker and snorkel gear, and buy the aforementioned fish food or underwater cameras. It seemed to be a mix of families and tourists but when I was there in September it didn’t feel overly packed at all.
It’s a great way to spend a hot day and a good mid-​sized cenote to start with if you’re just beginning your Tulum adventure!

Oh man oh man one of the most amazing experiences. Beautiful and fun cenote. Definitely one of my favorites in Tulum. Absolutely amazing, totally worth it.

Turquoise blue water. clear and interesting geologic features under the water. Beautiful little fish and small deep crevices under the water. The tunnel cave system underneath shoots water out into the sea nearby creating a strong change of current systems where the cenote and ocean meet. Gorgeous… little corner of refreshing cool water full of life. Weekdays preferable. Gets less crowded before closing around 4 or 5 but currents a bit stronger near opening where the tides from the underground system that the cenote shares with the ocean kicks up. Tides affect the currents in the opening of the cenote.

This was the first in cenote I’ve ever visited, it was very beautiful, they have lockers to rent. My husband and I noticed that Monday was a very crowded day throughout tulum, some of the tourist spots were very uncrowded on Tuesday and Wednesday. Right before they close would probably be ideal. Spend at least an hour and a half.

I’d heard the cenotes (freshwater pools at the bottom of caves) were worth a visit from Tulum, so we stopped at the Gran Cenote on the way back from Coba since it made the most geographic sense. I’ve heard other cenotes (dos ojos, for example) are bigger and better.
This one appears small from the entrance to the pool, which you access after coming down a set of stairs and onto a dock where you can rent scuba or snorkeling gear – but it’s not required to swim. A couple parts of the pool are closed off from swimmers, where there are a bunch of turtles.
I didn’t swim, so I didn’t see the side of the cenote invisible to people who just hang on the dock, but I heard there was a really cool passageway to a larger pool on the other side.

Another well known Cenote to cross off my list!
As you walk passed the entrance, you might catch glimpses of peacocks and chickens. They have snorkel rentals here but we had our own so it wasn’t necessary. I appreciated this Cenote so much more than Ik-​Kil because it was WAY less crowded. Just a few people relaxing under the sun and taking a dip in the water and not shouting. They have wooden staircases and decks which definitely give off a nice peaceful getaway vibe. There is this cave-​like park that you can go through to get to the other side which was cool. You can see little fish and some turtles swimming around. I noticed that there were divers coming out from below the cave walls, makes me wonder what amazing finds and views you’d see down below in the dark with their flashlights under the cave.
p. s. the wooden decks can get really hot so walking around in sandals and flip-​flops would help

Gran Cenote is a good option if you are short on time and just want to check a cenote off your bucket list. It’s about a 100 peso (or less) cab ride from town. I felt that it was expensive (because they charge both for the entry AND to rent snorkel gear) and the site is quite small and crowded with many tourists. It’s not as clean as some of the other cenotes. It’s still a fun experience and the water is refreshing.

This was a magical experience! As a novice swimmer I was scared of so many wrong possibilities (eg drowning, sucking in water, visibility), but this is all at your own pace. I practiced just breathing in and out of the tube and getting acclimated to that. Then just wearing the mask in the water. Then just floating. Next thing I knew I was going into the batcave without holding on to the ropes. It was just amazing! Go at your own pace and you’ll be blown away too.

Cenote según Wikipedia, es una caverna de agua de origen kárstico, donde se juntan aguas subterráneas formando estanques profundos y no tan profundos. Existen varios tipos de cenotes: el cielo abierto, semiabierto y subterráneo o en gruta, para todos los gustos, qué buena onda es la naturaleza.
En este recorrido de la ruta de «mis cenotes», con Ventoccino mi motoneta, nos fuimos a conocer el Gran Cenote. Se encuentra ubicado a 3,5 KM de Tulum, por la carretera que va a las ruinas de Cobá. Este cenote es el más popular de la zona.
Lo más triste de este paseo, que mi cámara estaba enferma y no tengo como compartirles visualmente esta maravilla, espero poder transmitir lo que viví.
Sus hermosas aguas cristalinas son una verdadera obra de arte de la naturaleza, pero el problema que esta bastante fría, sales con piel de gallina. Este es perfecto para los amantes del buceo y snorkel. Tiene una forma circular donde podrás contemplar estalactitas y estalagmitas de millones de años. Tiene una profundidad de 10 metros, puedes descubrir cavernas, donde te impactará este peculiar mundo submarino.
En el lugar te rentan equipo de snorkel por si no tienes, pero te recomiendo comprarte el tuyo, ya que a largo plazo sale más económico porque en la Península hay más de 5000 cenotes, así que súmale si vas a varios. Tienen servicio de estacionamiento y baños.
Ahora viene la noticia triste, el valor de la entrada es de 10USD, es decir, $ 130 MXP, está algo caro pero vale la pena visitarlo si andas por la zona.

This was the only cenote we visited in Tulum (other was in Valladolid), and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Gran Cenote is probably a «beginner» cenote as it’s easily accessible (wooden staircases and platforms all around) with a shallow area on one side that you’re able to stand and walk around in. That said, some parts are very deep, and the cold water was incredibly clear and refreshing to swim/​snorkel in. In our case it was so nice to swim in fresh water, after a week of salt water showers! We didn’t see many fish, but there were quite a number of turtles sunning themselves in a protected area with few swimming alongside us.
Entrance fee is dirt cheap, and there are also life jackets and snorkels for rent, though the latter aren’t the best quality.
My tip– go right when they open (9AM or so) and you’ll have the place all to yourself. By the time we left, the place was packed with other tourists and beginner divers and the ambiance was completely different. Close to Tulum Pueblo and an easy taxi ride from the beach.

Probably one my favorite moment in Tulum. After a hot visit at the Mayan ruins, we decided to go to the Gran Cenotes and cool off. You will have to drive there or take a taxi, it’s not far from the ruins about 10 minutes. The entry fees to the cenote was cheap, about 110 pesos, then we got a locker for 30 and snorkeling gear rental fir 80. Couple tips: you can bring your own gear and make sure you have an ID if you rent some because they will keep it till you return it. The cenotes are amazing, the water is blue, clear and a little cold. We saw fishes, turtles. After you do be snorkeling, you can sunbathe on the wood deck. If you want to dive, you can, they take you inside the caves.

I’ve now visited 9 cenotes, and if you could only go to one cenote on your trip, I’d likely send you to Gran Cenote.
It’s easy to access since it is directly off the main highway out of Tulum, there is plenty of parking and the facilities have everything you’d need — changing rooms, restrooms, life jackets and rental gear. The grounds also have peacocks!
There are also multiple entrances to the cenote itself, so if a group of divers is on one platform and a family is on another, you can find your own area to enter the water and get some privacy.
Of all the cenotes we’ve visited, this one has the most diversity. It features impressive underwater rock formations, lush jungle and water vegetation, many different fish, fresh water turtles and overall, the space is just massive. You can swim around in rock formations and be completely enclosed in a dim cave, or you can watch as sunshine glistens and refracts underwater.
It’s hard to compare cenotes because they are all unique and beautiful, but you can guarantee Gran Cenote will be a hit for everyone from divers to sunbathers and kids to seniors.

Gran Cenote makes The Blue Lagoon look like a parking lot.
For those of you who don’t know what cenotes are, here’s the deal:
The Yucatan Peninsula has no rivers. It’s made of limestone and all the water seeps underground. The rivers are well below your feet. Through tectonic action, some of these get shoved up to the ground and form sinkholes filled with water. These are surface connections to subterranean water bodies.
In ancient times, the Maya would use them not only for fresh drinking water but also as sites for sacrificial offerings.
But that doesn’t much matter: they’re just beautiful.
We visited Gran Cenote during our trip and it was the amazing thing I’ll remember from our time in Mexico.
It looks like two sinkholes, separated loosely by a stone cross bridge under which bats hang in slumber and fly away when you drift by.
Over many centuries, organic debris fell and grew in these two holes, forming islands in the water on which palm trees and ferns flourish. Lily pads surround these islands and thick roots snake down from above.
We snorkeled. We saw the little silver fish and brushed up against the many small turtles who call this place home. I remember so well looking down through my mask and seeing the stalagmites and stalactites under water that took so many thousands of years to form.
It was amazing.