THE BEST CENOTES OF VALLADOLID IN YUCATáN

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Day 33: Best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán: Xkeken, Samula, Hacienda Selva Maya, Hubiku, Popcorn, Agua Dulce, Xca'anjaltun and Suytun

Today we have to visit and get lost in some of the best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán, after yesterday it was time to visit Chichen Itza and the Ik Kil cenote, two of the essential places to visit in Mexico.

We are not going to deny that we have a long list of cenotes to visit, but knowing that it is impossible to visit them all in one day, yesterday we asked for advice on our Instagram account, deciding in the end for what we think are best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán and that they are none other than Xkeken, Samula, Hacienda Selva Maya, Hubiku, Popcorn, Agua Dulce, Xca'anjaltun and Suytun.

And so, when it is 7 in the morning, we go down to breakfast at the Hotel Mesón del Marqués room, our accommodation in Valladolid these nights, for when it is 7:45 to take the car and go to the first visit today, which does not It is other than the Xkeken and Samula cenotes, which open at 8 in the morning.
Before continuing with the story of the day, we have to say that yesterday we were warned that the best time at the photographic level would be noon, since in one of them the light enters through the top of the vault just at that time of day. And although we would have liked to heed the recommendation, we decided to take risks and go first thing in the morning, hoping that there are not many people and be able to enjoy the place alone, an experience that we have also been told, is really unique.

The distance that separates the cenote Samulá and Xkeken from Valladolid is around 7-8 kilometers, which we do in less than 10 minutes, so we have the great luck of when we park, see that we are the first to arrive and that apparently, At this time, we can enjoy some time in this same way.

Samulá and Xkeken Cenotes

The Samulá and Xkeken Cenotes are open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the price is 125 pesos per person to access the two cenotes, separated by several meters, or 80 pesos if you only want to visit one of them.

Best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán

We decided to visit the Xkeken Cenote first, finding a really incredible place, a wonder of nature in which the stalactites that miraculously emerge from the limestone rock seem like a fantasy world.

Xkeken

Feeling the nature in this way, taking a deep breath and charging yourself with energy has been, without a doubt, the best way to start the year.
We are in Xkeken for about 30 minutes and although with sorrow, we decided not to take a bath since we want to take advantage of the situation, to go to the Samula cenote, which is a few meters from here, hoping to also enjoy it without people, something we have to say is not usual If you don't come at this time.

And the truth is that we can say that we have succeeded fully, since we have the good fortune of being alone again for almost 1 hour, that we can take advantage of taking photos and also, take a bath that is the first experience in one of the best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán.

Samula Cenote

After the experience, the truth is that we could not choose between these two or the Ik Kil cenote, which we visited yesterday and were the most recommended by our followers. What we can say is that it is incredibly advisable to get up early and thus be able to enjoy these places alone, since as we have commented, this is a unique experience.

It's 9:45 we take the car and approach the Hotel Selva Maya, which belongs to the same chain of the Hotel Mesón del Marqués, where we stayed in Valladolid and where the Selva Maya cenote is, just 1 kilometer from the Samulá Cenotes and Xkeken.
Here we also leave the car in the area enabled, for free, to go through the ticket offices, where we pay 50 pesos per person with which they give us a bracelet that we must wear to access the cenote.

Maya jungle Cenote

The Selva Maya Cenote schedule is from 9 am to 5 pm and the price is 50 pesos per person.
Being located inside a hotel, just entering we have the perception that this place will be something else commercial that the first two we have visited, in addition to having a certain resemblance to the Ik Kil Cenote we visited yesterday.

Maya jungle Cenote

Despite its commercial nature, we cannot deny the obvious and the reality, and the cenote, as a whole, is very beautiful, although somewhat artificial, including a waterfall. To keep in mind that being smaller, more people are concentrated, so the visit is not as special as the ones we have done so far.

Maya jungle Cenote

We are here around 45 minutes, just to take pictures, since as we said today we will spend the day visiting the best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán and it is impossible to bathe in all, since we would not have time to visit all we want.

It's 10:15 or so when we get back to the car, now I walk to the Cenote Hubikú, 20 kilometers from where we are and where we arrived after touring the outlying ring of Valladolid at 10:30 in the morning.

Hubikú Cenote

The schedule is from 9 to 17h and the price of 100 pesos per person.
We leave the car in the parking lot and pay 100 pesos per person, so far the most expensive cenote we have entered, although it is also true that it has more services included than the rest we have visited.
It also has in its facilities with the Tequila Museum, something that makes it very interesting and attractive for organized groups, which are those who visit it regularly, so if you want to visit it, it is best to do it early to avoid the crowds .
They also have a buffet restaurant for 200 pesos per person, so this is another incentive and complaints for organized groups.

Maya jungle Cenote

The Hubiku Cenote is an underground cenote, with an entrance or an eye, which makes it truly spectacular, although once you access, by providing so many services, including some cement walls on the sides, the visit becomes somewhat too artificial, something that for us remains a little beauty.
Although it is also true and we will not deny, that after visiting several cenotes, it begins to be a little more difficult to decide which one we like the most, besides we are perhaps a little more demanding with what we are seeing.

More practical information to prepare your trip to Mexico
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Here we are approximately 45 minutes, in which we also entertain ourselves a bit visiting other areas of the enclosure such as the store, to return to the parking lot and continue with the tour of the best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán on this day of the trip to Mexico for free.

From here we go to the next cenote around Valladolid, which is none other than the Cenote Palomitas and the Cenote Agua Dulce, two of the most recommended and the photos we have seen, most spectacular, from where we are about 22 kilometers approximately .
We arrive after traveling several kilometers through a final stretch that they are doing to join these cenotes with the archaeological zone of Ek-Balam and after the last two kilometers we arrive at the parking lot where we are, again, that we are completely alone. So without thinking a minute, we go directly to the box office where we pay 80 pesos for each of them.

Popcorn Cenote and Fresh Water Cenote

The schedule of the Cenote Palomitas and Cenote Agua Dulce is from 8 am to 5 pm and the price is 80 pesos per person for each of them, which can be paid separately or together.

Access to the Popcorn Cenote

We have read that the Palomitas cenote is more spectacular than the Agua Dulce cenote, so we decided to visit it first, taking advantage of the fact that there is no one so that we can have this incredible place for ourselves.
We honestly would not be able to describe in words the sensation and what we see when our eyes get used to the gloom that we find once we access the stairs. That is why we believe that it is best to leave some photographs that we expect, show even if it is only a bit of how incredible nature is.

Popcorn Cenote

The truth is that after the experience we have to say that this is one of the best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán that we have been lucky to visit and that having the good fortune of seeing him without anyone, has been the icing on the cake.
After a completely alone bath and enjoying this incredible place, we approach the Cenote Agua Dulce, which you can access by car through a dirt path or directly walking along another path, since it is only 200 meters from the Cenote Popcorn.

Here we find another incredible cenote with a vault and a somewhat larger structure than the previous one, but just as impressive, although perhaps, somewhat more artificial, since in one of the areas there is a kind of platform, which makes it look less natural, although it is also true that the lighting makes the photos look really amazing.

Fresh Water Cenote

After the visit, where we have spent almost 1 hour between the two cenotes, the box office boy recommends us to visit the cenote waterfall, also known as the Xcanahaltun or Xca'anjaltun cenote, a cenote that practically no one visits and therefore That tells us, it's spectacular.
Without giving too much credibility, but being only 7 kilometers from here, we decided to approach before going to the Suytun cenote, which is our last cenote of the day.

Cenote Xcanahaltun or Xca'anjaltun

We parked at the same entrance, which we found without any other car, and after paying 90 pesos at the box office they accompanied us for several meters that separated us from the entrance two children of no more than 5 years, who together with a flashlight illuminate us while we go down some small spiral stairs that take us to one of the best cenotes that we could have never imagined.

Cenote Xcanahaltun or Xca'anjaltun

With an impressive, totally crystalline water color, in which it is absolutely incredible to see how the sunlight filters through the back by one of the eyes in the vault and being totally alone, the time comes in which we can say that we feel incredibly fortunate to do what we do and be able to live what we live.
Without a doubt, it is impossible to describe in words the sensations that we have had, just as it is impossible to describe how the sound of nature, which here is the most absolute silence, seems to want to explode in our ears.

We leave here with an incredible sense of peace, which in some way breaks the conversation we have with a person we cross and tells us that one of these most important companies in the country, which is none other than the famous Xcaret, is buying several cenotes in the area to exploit them as a theme park, paying the landowners some ridiculous sums. We do not know if this is true or not, all we know is that if this is true, unfortunately it is a shame, since places like these, in the middle of nature, should always stay that way.

After an hour at the Xcanahaltun Cenote, when it is 2 in the afternoon we decide to set course for the last cenote of the day, which is the Suytun cenote, considered another of the best cenotes in Yucatan, but at the same time also one of the most artificial, since it has a kind of platform, which although it is very photogenic, it is still too commercial.

We arrived there after traveling 22 kilometers in 30 minutes, parking in the parking lot enabled for it, in which we only found a couple more cars.

Suytun Cenote

We pay 90 pesos per person and we walk about 100 meters until we reach the entrance, where we find the most artificial cenote we have visited today, although as we said, the truth is that it is very photogenic, something that has given it a special Instagram space, being one of the most viewed cenotes in this social network.

Suytun Cenote

We leave you a map with the different cenotes of Yucatán that we have visited today among which are the Xkeken, Samula cenote, Hacienda Selva Maya, Hubiku, Popcorn, Agua Dulce, Xca'anjaltun and Suytun.

It's practically 2:30 in the afternoon when we decide that we have finished the tour best cenotes of Valladolid in Yucatán, returning to Valladolid, to go looking for a restaurant to eat.
We are only 8 kilometers from the city, so in less than 10 minutes we have the car in the parking lot of the Hotel Mesón del Marqués to go directly to the El Atrio del Mayab restaurant, located just in front of our hotel, next to the main square from Valladolid, where we ordered a guacamole, some papadzules and a stuffed cheese, water, beer, dessert and two coffees for 510 pesos, a price that we found super adjusted, both for quality and quantity.

Eating at the El Atrio del Mayab restaurant

We have just eaten when it is practically 5 pm, so seeing what time it is, we take the opportunity to tour Valladolid, this small and charming city, which has welcomed us for three days, showing us some of the most incredible places in Mexico.

What to visit in Valladolid

We want to start by saying that Valladolid has been a surprise for us. We had read that it is the third largest city in Yucatan, so we expected that its historic center would be more difficult to cover, something that contrary to what we thought has been very easy to do, also in practically one afternoon.
A good option to learn about the history and curiosities of the city is to book this free tour of Valladolid Free!

La Mestiza Park

Neuralgic point of the city, the Mestiza Park is the perfect place to start discovering Valladolid, in addition to the place where we are safe, you will spend several times of the day.

La Mestiza Park

Causeway of the Friars

Without a doubt, the most beautiful street in Valladolid. We recommend you visit it several times at different times of the day, as it changes as the hours go by, without losing a touch of charm.

Causeway of the Friars

San Bernardino Temple and Sisal Convent

Located at the end of the Frailer's Causeway, the San Bernardino Temple and Sisal Convent is one of the places you cannot miss in the city.

San Bernardino Temple and Sisal Convent

After enjoying the streets of Valladolid, something we believe is essential to get to know the city, in addition to being an ideal activity where you can spend a few hours without realizing it, it is 9 pm when we return to the Hotel Mesón del Marqués for dinner and at 10 in the evening fall in our room saying goodbye between dreams of Valladolid, a city that has given us unforgettable moments.

Day 34: Valladolid - Visit the ruins of Cobá - Tulum