Cenote Cristal ***

Tulum has so many beautiful cenotes. Cenotes are underground freshwater sink holes that are all over the Yucatan peninsula. They are wonderful places to swim, snorkel or scuba dive. The water is so fresh and clear. It is a truly amazing experience to swim in the cenotes around Tulum.

One cenote that we love to go to is Cenote Cristal. Cenote Cristal is about 3km south of Tulum town. To get to Cenote Cristal you can take a taxi for about 40 pesos. We do not see the collectivos that go south to Carrillo Puerto as often and it less expansive for the 3 or 4 of us to take a taxi. Entrance cost to the cenote may vary but when we went to the cenote the cost was 40 pesos for an adult and 20 pesos for kids. The prices of the cenotes vary.

There are also some rules to remember when going to a cenote. One of the biggest ones is that you should not wear sunscreen or bug spray. There are some all natural ones on the market but really none is best. These cenotes are so beautiful and full of so many beautiful animals and we really do not want to damage that. This cenote is smaller then some others. I over heard a snorkel guide saying that the use of fins in this cenote may be damaging to plant and animal life in the water so you may not want to use them.

After paying our fee and walking down the pathway we came upon the cenote. It was beautiful. There were not a ton of people and it was very relaxing. There are 2 step entrances into the water. Do be careful because they do get very slippery. There was a rope to hold onto that crossed one section of the water and I saw a rope down at the bottom as well for those who are diving.

This is an amazing website that gives wonderful detail about many cenotes in this area. http://www.cenotesoftherivieramaya.com/5-5-caveguide.htm It gives the most in depth information on cenotes that I have found on the web.


Cenote Cristal is directly across the street from Cenote Escondido. Payment into Cristal gains you entrance into Escondido as well.