From your hotel
Cenotes near Occidental & Iberostar Cozumel
29 cenotes mapped within 60 km, nearest first. The closest is about 40 min by road.
Cenote Pass is not affiliated with, endorsed by or representing Occidental & Iberostar Cozumel. The hotel's name is used only as a reference point to measure from.
This page covers: Iberostar Cozumel · Iberostar Waves Cozumel · Occidental Grand Cozumel.
The closest cenotes
- Cenote Azulopen27 km · 40 min
- Cenote Cristalinoopen27 km · 40 min
- Cenote Chikin Hacavern29 km · 40 min
- Cenote Chaak Tun33 km · 50 min
- Cenote Nicte-Ha38 km · 55 min
- Cenote Dos Palmas38 km · 55 min
- Cenote Yax Kinopen39 km · 55 min
- Cenote Dos Ojoscave39 km · 55 min
- Cenote Yaxmuulcave39 km · 1 h
- Cenote Dreamgatecavern40 km · 1 h
- Casa Cenoteopen40 km · 1 h
- Cenote Jardín del Edénopen42 km · 1 h
- Cenote Calaveracave48 km · 1 h 10
- Gran Cenotecavern48 km · 1 h 10
- Cenote Cristal y Escondido50 km · 1 h 15
Distances are straight lines; the drive is an estimate stretched for real roads. We hold no opening hours and no confirmed prices for any of these — check the listing before you set out.
What a cenote is
A sinkhole in limestone that exposes the groundwater underneath. The Yucatán peninsula has almost no surface rivers — rain soaks straight through porous rock into one connected aquifer, and a cenote is a place where the roof collapsed and you can see in.
They come in four types, which are one sinkhole at four ages — open, semi-open, cavern and cave. Which one you want depends on light, temperature and whether it is raining.
What to expect at the gate
- Payment is almost always cash at the gate, and entry, a locker and a life jacket are often separate payments to different people.
- You will be asked to shower before getting in. It is not a formality — it takes off sunscreen and repellent before they reach water people drink.
- The life jacket is usually a condition of entry, however well you swim.
- Go early. Almost all of them are calm at opening and busy from eleven.
What to bring
- — Cash in small notes
- — A quick-dry towel
- — A long-sleeved rash guard instead of sunscreen
- — Water shoes — limestone is sharp and slick at once
- — A dry bag for your phone
Common questions
- Are there cenotes near Occidental & Iberostar Cozumel?
- Yes. We have 29 cenotes mapped within 60 km, and the closest, Cenote Azul, is about 27 km away — roughly 40 min by road.
- What is a cenote?
- A sinkhole in limestone that exposes the groundwater beneath. The peninsula has almost no rivers — rain soaks through the rock into one connected aquifer, and a cenote is where the roof collapsed and you can see in.
- Can I go on my own, or do I need a tour?
- Almost every cenote charges at the gate and needs no booking. You can arrive by hire car, taxi or colectivo. A tour saves you the transport, not the entry fee.
- What should I bring?
- Cash in small notes, a towel, a long-sleeved rash guard and water shoes. No sunscreen or repellent — almost every cenote bans both, and there is a rinse shower at the gate.
Plan the whole day
One cenote in the morning, lunch, and a ruin or a town in the afternoon — with the driving counted.