Cenote Azul : Why you should swim in this natural pool
Any trip to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is bound to have a swim in cenotes. With plenty of beautiful cenotes around the region, it’s a difficult decision to shortlist the ones you want to visit (wish time weren’t a constraint!). However, whatever list you make, the stunning Cenote Azul should definitely feature on it.
What are Cenotes?
The word cenote comes from the Mayan word D’zonot, which means well. They were sacred to the Mayan people as they believed them to be the residence of their Rain God – Chaak. The Mayans offered a lot of objects including human sacrifices to please Chaak. Today cenotes are nothing but sinkholes with permanent water meant for swimming.
How were the cenotes formed?
Millions of years ago, a meteorite struck Earth, wiping away the Dinosaurs. The region where it hit is in present day Yucatan Peninsula. Upon impact, the soil became loose and with time it collapsed in a lot of places, exposing the water underneath. The water is extremely fresh and clean since it has been filtered by the soil.
There are 3 types of cenotes: cave, semi-open and open with cave being the youngest in age.
Enough of science! Let’s jump into Cenote Azul!
Cenote Azul
Before landing in Mexico, I had extensively researched about the cenotes and Cenote Azul was recommended by everyone. At Playa del Carmen too, whoever we (my wife and I) met affirmed that Cenote Azul is a must visit. It was a Sunday and after a 1 hour walk post lunch we boarded a colectivo (shared vans) to the cenote. Once you pay the entrance fees there is a small walk before you reach two stunning blue colored swimming ponds. The colour is simply unbelievable! The larger swimming hole, which is more popular as well, is a few metres ahead. The major visitors to most of the cenotes are tourists but Azul is an exception. It’s very popular amongst the local families. And given it was a Sunday, there was a sizeable crowd.
The larger hole has different shades of blue and green in different areas and one cannot resist jumping in the water. That was my first mistake! The water is cold!! It’s fresh and clean but cold. I quickly came out of it and sat on a rock with only my legs immersed into the water. After a minute or so I started feeling ticklish on my feet. Aha! I was getting a fish pedicure, that too for free! There are other species of fish as well and I will strongly suggest carrying a snorkelling gear or renting one to swim underwater to witness them and rock formations. The snorkelling gear also helped us shoot our underwater videos.
The most fun section of the cenote is an area above the cave or cliff from where you can jump into the water. It’s not that high but then it’s not that low as well 😛 . For 15 minutes we kept on asking the person behind us to jump ahead of us thinking that will build our confidence to make the plunge. That moment never came and even the iguanas (you are going to find a lot of them) seemed disappointed with us. Nonetheless, we went back into the water and swam underwater into the caves. The water is deep here and incase you don’t know how to swim, would recommend renting a life jacket.
After spending a good 3 hours in the main cenote we went for a swim in one of the blue ponds. The cenote was about to close in 15 minutes else I wouldn’t have dragged myself out of that water. Cenote Azul was our first cenote experience ever and high benchmarks had been set!
Cenote Azul – useful information
Location
Cenote Azul is located 30 kms south of Playa del Carmen and 35 kms north of Tulum on highway number 307 which connects Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Type ‘Blue Cenote’ on Google to get the exact location
Entrance Fee
Entrance fee to Cenote Azul is 120 Mexican Pesos. If you want to pay in USD then the price will be 7 USD. For kids between 4-8 yrs, the prices are either 80 pesos or 5 USD
Timings
8:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday to Sunday
Facilities
You can rent a snorkel for 70 Mexican Pesos and a life jacket for 40 Mexican Pesos. You will either have to submit your driver’s license or deposit 400 Mexican Pesos.
Unfortunately, there are no lockers at Cenote Azul. The bags are kept on the area just outside the pools. I found it safe but still would suggest carrying limited cash. You can keep your money inside a waterproof pouch and put it inside your pocket (if your swimming trunks/shorts have pockets).
There are a couple of refreshment shops which sell chips, ice-creams etc.
How to reach Cenote Azul from Playa del Carmen
Colectivo from Playa del Carmen to Cenote Azul
Colectivo is the best and the cheapest way to reach Cenote Azul. Colectivo are shared vans which run extensively between all the popular spots in Yucatan. They are frequent, cheap and convenient (most of them have ACs . One way charge from Playa del Carmen to Cenote Azul is 35 Mexican Pesos per person.
Catch the colectivo from Calle 2 between 15th and 20th Avenue. Ask the driver to drop you at Cenote Azul. While returning back, cross the highway and catch a colectivo heading back from Tulum to Playa del Carmen.
The other option is renting a car. There are a few parking spots at Cenote Azul, so parking won’t be a problem especially on weekdays
Other cenotes near Cenote Azul
Cristalino and Jardin del Eden are two cenotes very near to Cenote Azul which are also famous. You can combine all 3 of them in a single day.
Sincera Tip
- To avoid the crowds, either visit Cenote Azul on weekdays or just after it opens.
- You can snorkel in most of the cenotes in Yucatan and hence I suggest buying a snorkelling gear. It’s a great investment! You can also rent a snorkel but the economics favour buying it.
- Do carry a pair of water shoes to avoid cuts from the rocks inside the water.
- Cenote Azul is a great spot for underwater photography. If you are planning to use your mobile phone, then buy a waterproof camera pouch. It’s very affordable and easily available on Amazon.
- Please don’t use any sunscreen since it affects the marine life. There are a few brands which market themselves as reef safe but I personally don’t believe them.