Cenotes Near Chichen Itza

Cenotes are unique natural wonders. This article features two cenotes near Chichen Itza located in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Both are near the world famous archaeological site of Chichen Itza. See link below for a list of additional cenotes in this area.

Cenotes Near Chichen Itza

Cenotes of Mexico — *Dos Ojos cenote features dramatic underwater scenes around every corner; photo by Richard Bilow*

Created by an organic geological process called karstification, cenotes form when limestone rock is dissolved by acidic rain water. The water seeps into the earth and carves out extensive underground cave systems. When the roof of a cave collapses, the result is a cenote. The underground caves commonly feature gorgeous stalactites and stalagmites surrounded by crystal clear water in hues of blues and greens. Cenotes are basically sinkholes in the earth, and there are thousands throughout Mexico. Sunlight dances through the cracks and openings in the rocks, while water flows below creating a work of natural art that is constantly changing.

Cenote Ik Kil

Cenote Ik Kil is a beautiful cenote very close to Chichen Itza. Its most distinguishing features are the distance from the large top opening to the water below, as well as the long vines hanging from the top down. The vines nearly touch the water. Looking up from water level, you see a gaping hole in the earth with trees and sky above. Several types of interesting birds fly across the opening. Then they land in the trees and on the vines.

While cenote Ik Kil is definitely beautiful and photogenic, it is also an extremely popular tourist attraction. Being located so close to the Chichen Itza ruins, results in consistently large numbers of visitors. From the time Ik Kil opens until the time it closes, the water and facility are filled with people wearing bright red life vests. Unfortunately, it feels to me like a theme park attraction. Yes, you can get some great photos for social media and other forms of sharing. However, they will not look like the exquisite images you see in National Geographic, no matter how great of a photographer you are.

A Quick Review of Cenote Ik Kil

In my opinion, the infrastructure created to accommodate the large number of tourist detracts from the natural beauty. I personally wish I had done more research and found a less popular cenote in a more natural setting. That said, we did not have the time required to explore beyond the cenotes located close to our lodging. So, my advice for anyone reading this article is as follow. Do a lot of advanced research. Then adjust your plans according to what you are personally looking for.

Cenotes Near Chichen Itza — *Cenote Ik Kil from above: photo by Kathy Leonardo*

My wife measures her experiences primarily with her taste buds. As a food writer, she can be critical of any dish that, as she often says, is “not worth the calories.” Sampling the exquisite indigenous cuisine of Mexico was a big part of Kathy’s trip. While most of the popular cenotes offer food for an extra fee, the cafeteria style food at Ik Kil was far from exquisite. Basically, Kathy felt like the food was pretty bad. I am not nearly as critical and was just happy to eat a large amount of food for very little money. If you do choose to visit Ik Kil, consider dining off site. Take a taxi to Hacienda Chichen for a fantastic meal in a wonderful setting.

Ik Kil is visited by many of the tour buses that go to Chichen Itzá. As a result, there will aways be crowds. Unfortunately, after our trip, we discovered, that one of our ETG writers had visited another cenote offering a more organic and less crowded experience.

Tsukán Santuario de Vida

Cenote Tsukan is one alternative that is close to Chichen Itza but a bit less popular. Also known as Tsukán Santuario de Vida, this site is not included in as many of the tours. So, you will find smaller crowds there. However, representative of the cenote do hand out pamphlets promoting this one at Chichen Itza. That said, Tsukán Life Sanctuary is specifically designed to be more natural and serene. It’s about 15 minutes from the ruins. Traveling 30 minutes or more from the archeological site, on the way to Merida, you can find more potentially less crowded cenotes.

Our writer Jonathan and his wife went to Tsukan a couple years back. They said it was beautiful and felt incredibly authentic. But we do have to remember, like Ik Kil, it is considered a “park.” Thus, some “theme park” structure exists there as well. This is also the case at most of the publicly accessible cenotes throughout the region. With literally thousands of know cenotes, many are not shared with the public. Some are so sacred, that only Mexican citizens can visit. Others are privately owned and completely off limits. According to Jon, Tsukan has relatively traditional vibe…making for a more authentic experience.

Other attractions at this site include a recreation of a Mayan Village called Casita Maya. Here you can experience Mayan Culture and get a glimpse into Mayan history. You can also learn about the food the Mayans ate and how they grew their crops. Other points of interests include a garden, cultural activities, and an “authentic Mayan meal” according to John.

You can find a list of more cenotes on the Chichen Itza website – https://www.chichenitza.com/blog/cenotes-near-chichen-itza