There are places in this world that have the power to take your breath away. The Grand Cenote in Tulum, is one of them 🐢
It's one of thousands of cenotes that can be found all throughout the Yucatán Peninsula. This one is particularly special as it has a large open top, but deep cavernous areas to explore as well. From snorkellers, to scuba divers, to swimmers, to sideline admirers, there's something for everyone here.
From the moment you arrive, the cool blue water will have you feeling invigorated and refreshed. It's a popular activity in the area, so it's best to get there early so you can beat the crowds. We arrived at 8:30am and there were a handful of people already swimming.
It cost us 180 pesos each (approx $10 USD) to enter the Grand Cenote. You can also hire snorkel gear and lockers, for an additional charge.
You're required to have a shower before swimming in the cenote, like most in the area. This helps to keep the water and the fish, happy and healthy. I wouldn't mind having one of these outdoor showers myself. I believe the water was pumped up from the cenote too which is pretty cool.
From there, we walked down into the cenote. There's a boardwalk at the bottom which allows you to explore the place before you jump in. In the centre of it all, is a kiosk where you can pick up items like snorkel gear, life jackets and locker keys. We brought along our own snorkel mask, but hired a locker for an extra 30 pesos. That way we could feel comfortable swimming around, without having to keep an eye on all our stuff.
Before our swim, we sat at the water's edge and admired the view for a bit. I couldn't believe how beautiful this place was. From the colour of the water, to the texture of the rocks, to the lush, green forest. It was straight out of a fairytale. I definitely wanted to pack it all up and take it home with me. I now have a pretty good idea of how I want my dream pool to look.
After the fish had finished nibbling on our feet, we started to swim around. Considering how hot the weather was, I was surprised by how cool the water felt.
To the right, there's a huge cave that you can swim through. It gets dark in there but it's not too scary. There's always the bats to keep you company. I couldn't touch the bottom but there's a rope to hold onto if you get tired. After a while, the top opens up again, and a private little cenote is revealed. That is, until the other tourists arrive. The water in there is super shallow and a really beautiful colour. We spent a lot of time in this area as it was on the quieter side, and felt a bit more peaceful.
We then made our way back to the main part of the cenote. I really recommend doing some snorkelling as it's a whole new world underwater. You'll start to notice all the little fish and turtles swimming alongside you, and you'll get to see the cool rock formations too. Plus, I had forgotten how peaceful it is underwater. It's so easy to forget your worries and just focus on your breath down there.
The grounds surrounding the Grand Cenote are set up nicely as well. You could spend a whole day there if you'd like. There's a huge grassy area for sunbathing and a heap of hammocks set up for afternoon sietas, or morning ones. No judgement here. We lazed about in the hammocks for a bit and then went for another swim.
Once we were done, we rode our bikes back to Tulum, along the highway. It only took us 15 minutes but in the midday sun, it was brutal. I don't recommend it in the Summer.
We did however come across the BEST taco stand in Tulum, in my opinion. There were a few locals eating there so we had to check it out. The stand was on the corner of the main road, just outside the Súper Akí supermarket. The salsa was made out of sun roasted tomatoes. They literally had them on the grill, out the back, in the sun. Seriously, if you're in town, and looking for cheap, delicious tacos, check this place out. Just mind the hot sauce. It's hot!
Wow! Great pics! That underwater picture is gorgeous, it looks like you are in the middle of the ocean, looking for some treasure. It certainly looks like one could stay underwater for hours.
Keep having fun! ✌
PS: what's your average number of taco eaten per day? 😅
Thanks so much. It was really cool under there. Definitely loved the sunbeams shining through.
Haha...oh my god. I've eaten so many tacos. It's getting ridiculous. I usually have about 3 a day. They're surprisingly filling.
Congratulations! Your high quality travel content caught our attention and earned you a reward, in form of an upvote and resteem. Your work really stands out. Your article now has a chance to get curated and featured under the appropriate daily topic of our Travelfeed blog. Thank you for using #travelfeed
Learn more about our travel project on Steemit by clicking on the banner above and join our community on Discord
PS: Did you know that you can support TravelFeed by claiming your free Byteball Bytes?
Thanks so much @travelfeed Appreciate it!
Congratulations, Your Post Has Been Added To The Steemit Worldmap!
Author link: http://steemitworldmap.com?author=jessicaoutside
Post link: http://steemitworldmap.com?post=the-magical-waters-of-the-grand-cenote-tulum-mexico
Want to have your post on the map too?
So cool those Cenotes.
When I was there 3 years ago, I actually saw one of these turtles laying eggs :D
Oh that's so cool! What a treat 😍
I wonder if I saw any of the same turtles that were being hatched on the day you were there. I like to think so!
Wow, this looks amazing! You just made me enormously jealous. Gotta add this place to my bucket list.Do you know, what the exact water temperature was ?
It's such an incredible place. I already want to visit again.
I'm not exactly sure of the water temp, but I read online that it's about 20°C. Such a welcome relief from the Mexican heat! I believe that most of the scuba divers wear wetsuits when diving there.
Oh oke, Its enough to swim without any gear. Assuming temperature does not get colder deeper :D
Oh yeah it's absolutely fine for swimming and snorkelling without gear. It's actually really nice. But as you say, not sure about the deeper dives. Some of the footage from various cenote dives looks so epic. I'd love to give it a go some day. Scares me a little though. I'll just work on my snorkelling skills for now and work my way up 😂
Hiya, just swinging by to let you know you're being featured in today's Travel Digest #274.
Please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider upvoting the Travel Digest if you like what we're doing.
Fantastic! Thanks so very much
Wow, the colour of the water is awesome ! Nice Pictures!
The colour was insane. So very beautiful. And thanks very much 🙏💙 I really appreciate that
Dear @jessicaoutside,
Thank you for the submission for our project – 1001 Places to Remember. Let us go through the content and will make an announcement soon for the posts which will be winning the rewards as well as qualify for the publication.
Stay tuned and Steem on!
@archisteem and team
Awesome - thanks @archisteem 💙
You are most welcome @jessicaoutside!
Just by looking at such tranquil water, I felt the peacefulness flow through me :) awesome trip to such a heavenly hidden spot in Mexico. Definitely a must visit for me in the future.
A month ago, I had no idea what a cenote was. Now, I can't live my life without them haha....so very beautiful 😍
Que lugar tan impresionante @jessicaoutside "Grand Cenote" es maravilloso el color azul que se puede observar alli. Saludos desde Venezuela
El color del agua era muy hermoso. Saludos desde México mi amigo 🙋♀️
LOOK AT THAT WATER!!!! Sorry, I know others have mentioned it already, but I can't help myself. We might end up visiting soon, @suitcasemama has Tulum on the brain now! :)
It's insane hey! Tulum is so worth it, if even just for the cenotes. And then there's the food too 😉
I'm already sold on the food ;) We actually have some solid Mexican food in Bangkok, but nothing beats authentic Mexico street tacos! But, wow, Cenotes is now on my radar, gorgeous gorgeous!!!
A magnificent blog with awesome photos and information @jessicaoutside How I'd love to swim in that crystal clear water.
Oh it was such a delight. The water was so refreshing! I hope all is well in your neck of the woods ❤
Everything is wonderful in my neck of the woods @jessciaoutside and appreciate you enquiring. Thank You! (:
Hello @jessicaoutside, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!
Thanks very much @creativecrypto 🙏