La Ruta de los Cenotes – Cancun closest cenotes to visit in a half-day trip

Are you wondering where you can check out some Cancun Cenotes? Unfortunately, there are no cenotes in Cancun that you can visit. The closest cenotes to Cancun are located along the Ruta de Los Cenotes in Puerto Morelos.

La Ruta de Los Cenotes in Puerto Morelos is the best place to find the spectacular cenotes near Cancun. If you are staying in one of Cancun’s beautiful resorts and don’t want to leave for the whole day, visiting “la Ruta de los Cenotes” is the best option. In just a few hours, you can cover even two or three cenotes.

As a matter of fact, among the things to do in Riviera Maya, La Ruta de Los Cenotes (the cenote route) is one of the most interesting. You can, in fact,  visit so many cenotes in one day, because they are located along a road, one after the other.

Where is La Ruta de los Cenotes?

If you are interested in visiting Cancun Cenotes, the ones that you find in La Ruta de los Cenotes are the closest.

La Ruta de los Cenotes Puerto Morelos is a beautiful, well-paved 37km (about 20 miles) road through untouched, thick vegetation that runs from Puerto Morelos, a lovely fishing town situated about 35 km south of Cancun, to Leona Vicario, a non-touristic village on the way to Merida.

Along this road, you will find many beautiful cenotes of different types and shapes on both sides. Many of them have been transformed into fully equipped adventure parks offering a range of activities, including zip lines, quads, mountain bikes, and more, or modern representations of Mayan rituals, such as ceremonies or Temazcal.

They became part of organized tours for the short distance from the main hotels and the comfortable facilities. I am not really fond of this kind of activity, as I believe the cenotes can be better enjoyed in the tranquility of nature, without any man-made structures or noises, just birds chirping and monkeys howling.

However, tourism has become one of the primary sources of income for those communities that own or manage the cenotes, and they obviously try to make the best advantage of it. How to blame them?

Despite the tourist exploitation, I am happy to say they have managed to conserve the beauty of those cenotes, and you, a nature lover like me, can still enjoy them fully without spending so much time on transportation. Here I tell you my favorite cenotes in the Ruta de Los Cenotes.

Besides having visited some of them, I am writing this guide with the precious help of my friend, great photographer and major expert of the Mayan land, Sandra Salvadò, and our beautiful blog mexicocenotesandruins.com

If you know some Spanish, go straight there and leave my site; if you don’t, check out her blog anyway, just for the amazing pictures.

Actually, you will find some of her pictures on this blog as well.

Here is a map with all the cenotes you will find on the Ruta de Cenote. You will see the map on a sign right at the beginning of the road in Puerto Morelos.

What is a cenote

In the heritage of the Mayan culture, the cenotes of Yucatan are deep underwater lakes, or better said, sinkholes.

The entire flat and low region is made of limestone bedrock, which allows the rainwater to filter through the soil, allowing huge deposits of water and underground rivers.

The importance of the cenotes dates back to Mayan times, when the pre-Hispanic population inhabited this area. They used the cenotes not only as precious and unique sources of water provision but also as sacred places for their religious ceremonies.

I wrote more about the history and geology in my post on the origin of the cenotes.

La ruta de los Cenotes Puerto Morelos

Just like the popular towns of Homun and Cuzamà in Yucatan, La Ruta de los Cenotes in Puerto Morelos is another area where you can visit more cenotes in one day.

Here is a list of the best Puerto Morelos cenotes along “la Ruta de los Cenotes”.

1. Las Mojarras

One of the largest cenotes in Puerto Morelos. Las Mojarras is a huge open cenote with emerald-green water, 65 m long, and a 6 m platform for jumping.

They also have camping facilities, bathrooms, and changing rooms.  It’s located at km 12.6

2. Cenote 7 bocas

This cenote is the one I regret not having seen. It’s structured like a tunnel with 7 entrances ( 7 Bocas means 7 mouths in Spanish. And you can swim through the tunnel itself.

There is a small stair to enter, and it’s very deep and quite challenging, if not dangerous, for scuba diving. It’s located at km 16. (12miles)

3. Cenote Verde Lucero

Another open cenote with turquoise-green waters (depending on the weather) surrounded by lush vegetation with two platforms of different sizes to jump from. They also have a sort of zip line from which you can jump into the water. (km 17 – 12.7 miles)

After swimming, you can relax under the palapa and look for spider monkeys.

It’s open every day from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.

Cost 300 MXN (15 USD), 150 MXN (7.5 USD) for Mexican residents.

4. Cenote Kin-Ha

This is one of my favorites, and when I have a friend coming to visit, I used to take them there. The company that runs it always works with large groups and offers a guided jungle tour and a visit to another, larger open cenote.

I never do that and always stick to Kin-ha. It’s a cave cenote you need to climb down some stairs or, if you are brave, jump from a trunk. If you like to chill there and enjoy the magic of the jungle, they have drinks, some snacks, and hammocks to lie down and relax. I suggest you arrive early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

5. Cenote la Noria

This is my second favorite; it’s less known and more secluded, and it’s located right before Kin-ha on a detour on our right. You will see a small sign. It’s a cave cenote as well, with wooden stairs to get to a platform. You can also jump if you wish. They also have bathrooms where you can get change, but they are all very basic.

6. Cenotes Zapote 65,2 km

Cenotes Zapote is a Park that includes 4 different cenotes, 2 open cenotes, and 2 cave cenotes (underground).

The park offers various activities and packages on its website.

During the tour, a guide will assist you along your circuit, and the facilities have safety rails to access the cenote,s which are suitable for every age

There is a regional buffet with handmade tortillas presented in Yucatecan tacos and fresh water for you to purchase.

7. Cenote Boca del Puma 53.2 km

Adventure seekers will find their perfect spot at the Cenote Boca del Puma, a real park with seven ziplines and ATV-guided jungle tours. You can check out the full program on their website.

How to get to la Ruta de los Cenotes from Cancun

There are organized cenote tours from Cancun that would include one of these cenotes in the Ruta de Los Cenotes, but if I were you, I would either rent a car, or if you don’t feel comfortable, you could go by taxi.

If you book a taxi for 1 day for 2 people, it would cost about the same as an organized tour, but you will be on your own and can create your own itinerary.

How to get to La Ruta de los Cenotes if you are traveling solo

As a solo traveler, worry not, you can still get to la Ruta de los Cenotes, on your own with no fear, it’s just more expensive as you don’t get to share the expenses.

You can rent a car yourself and drive all the way there. It’s completely safe. Or if you don’t feel like driving, you can still hire a taxi. See below for more details.

How far is Puerto Morelos to Cancun?

If you are concerned about the distance, don’t be. Puerto Morelos is only 30 minutes drive from Cancun and very easy to reach either by bus or by car.

Visiting la Ruta de los Cenotes by car

The best way to visit La Ruta de los Cenotes is on your own, by car. From Cancun, you would take the Carretera federal direction Playa del Carmen.

When you arrive in Puerto Morelos, you have to make sure you drive up on the bridge, but keep to the right as if you were going into town. Past the bridge, before it ends, on your right, you will see the entrance and the map (picture above).

From Playa del Carmen, you will need to keep your right at the bridge in Puerto Morelos, and once you are at the roundabout below the bridge, you make a U-turn as if you were to go back to Playa del Carmen. Right after 200 mt, before the end of the bridge, you will see the sign to turn right.

There you are on La Ruta de Los Cenotes.

All the cenotes will be perfectly marked by a big road sign. You cannot miss them.

If you are concerned about renting a car in Mexico you can read my tips on how to drive in Mexico.

Visiting la Ruta de los Cenotes by bus 

There are no public transportation options that go to the cenotes; however, what you can do if you are coming from either Playa or Cancun is to take a bus from your city (Playa del Carmen or Cancun or the minivan, which stops all along the Carretera federal (main road), to Puerto Morelos.

• The big regular ADO buses that run every hour/ half an hour  (route Cancun – Playa del Carmen or Playa del Carmen- Cancun)
• The combo, which are white minivans, leave every few minutes as soon as they are full, and they stop along the main road.

PUERTO MORELOS RUTA DE LOS CENOTES MAP

For more cenotes

More about Mexico

• The best cenotes in Riviera Maya – an essential guide
• The best cenotes around Valladolid, Mexico
• The 15 best cenotes in Tulum that you absolutely cannot miss
• All you need to know about Cenote Cristal and Escondido Tulum