Gran Cenote : Explore its Sapphire and Celeste waters
Sapphire blue water on one side and Celeste on another, with both sides connected by a cave with bats in them. Water so clear that you can see the base and fishes without a snorkel. And turtles swimming aimlessly around you. This is Gran Cenote for you!
What are Cenotes?
The word cenote comes from the Mayan word D’zonot, which means well. They were sacred to the Mayan people as they believed them to be the residence of their Rain God – Chaak. The Mayans offered a lot of objects including human sacrifices to please Chaak. Today cenotes are nothing but sinkholes with permanent water meant for swimming.
Millions of years ago, a meteorite struck Earth, wiping away the Dinosaurs. The region where it hit is in present day Yucatan Peninsula. Upon impact, the soil became loose and with time it collapsed in a lot of places, exposing the water underneath. The water is extremely fresh and clean since it has been filtered by the soil.
Cenotes are of 3 types: cave, semi-open and open with cave being the youngest in age. Cenote Azul, another must visit cenote, is an open cenote while Gran Cenote is a semi-open one!
Gran Cenote
Gran Cenote is famous with tourists and since it gets packed in the afternoon, we wanted to reach there early in the morning. Well, it didn’t happen since the discussions with other fellow travellers at the breakfast table went on for a good couple of hours (I am extremely grateful for those discussions since they changed my wife’s and my perspective for good). We reached Gran Cenote around 12:30 pm, paid our entrance fees, took a quick shower, rented a locker and were ready to jump into the water!
The setting of Gran Cenote is dramatic. It’s right in middle of a jungle with Sapphire waters and stalactites. Swimming in such scenery is an experience worth having. Luckily, there had been a forecast for rain that day and hardly anyone had turned up. We almost had the cenote to ourselves to explore. We had our snorkels with us to see the underwater rocks and fishes. It’s a beautiful world inside. Infact, Gran Cenote is also famous for scuba diving. And since cenotes are connected by each other via underwater caves, you will dive here but emerge in some other cenote.
Read : Why should you swim in Cenote Azul
There is a cave right in the middle which you can cross and reach another section of the cenote. There are bats inside the cave to up the adventure quotient. I was pleasantly surprised on reaching the other side. The water is shallow and the colour is Celeste or Sky Blue. The water is so clear that you can see the base and fishes without a snorkel. We were not the only ones swimming in this area; there were a couple of turtles too! I spent the next 15 minute just to observe their amusing behaviour. These variety of experiences makes Gran Cenote a must visit.
Gran Cenote – useful information
Location
Gran Cenote is located 5 kms from Tulum on route 109 towards Coba
Entrance Fee
Entrance fee to Gran Cenote is 180 Mexican Pesos (10 USD). It’s one of the more expensive cenotes in the region
Timings
8:00 am to 4:45 pm, Monday to Sunday
Facilities
You can rent snorkels, life-jackets and a locker to store your valuables. The price is 30 Mexican Pesos for a locker. There are changing rooms and showers at the cenote as well.
How to reach Gran Cenote from Tulum
Taxis: It will cost 100 Mexican Pesos for a one way taxi ride from Tulum to Gran Cenote.
Bike: Biking to Gran Cenote is a great option too. It won’t take more than 30 minutes to reach the cenote and jumping in these fresh waters after exercising is going to be fun.
Rent a car: Rent a car and go cenote hopping around the area. Gran Cenote has enough parking spaces and it’s free.
Walking is also an option but it will take an hour. You can also ask the ADO buses going towards Coba to drop you at Gran Cenote. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a colectivo (shared vans) to take us to the cenote. I have heard mixed stories about colectivos from Tulum to Coba; some say there are and some say there aren’t any. Incase you find one, would love to know the details about them.
Other cenotes near Gran Cenote
Cenote Calavera (also known as the Skull Cenote) is 2 kms before Gran Cenote on the same road.
Sincera Tip
- To avoid the crowds, visit early in the morning or an hour before closing.
- You can snorkel in most of the cenotes in Yucatan and hence I suggest buying a snorkelling gear. It’s a great investment! You can also rent a snorkel but the economics favour buying it.
- Do carry a pair of water shoes to avoid cuts from the rocks inside the water.
- Gran Cenote is a great spot for underwater photography. If you are planning to use your mobile phone, then buy a waterproof camera pouch. It’s very affordable and easily available on Amazon.
- Please don’t use any sunscreen since it affects the marine life. There are a few brands which market themselves as reef safe but I personally don’t believe them.