Cenote Santa Cruz Tulum — Attraction in Quintana Roo

Large circular swimming space that is beautiful and feels peaceful down a road away from the highway. When you arrive, there is an open doorway but no sign and it is not on the highway, so we questioned if we were in the right place. Enter off the highway and there is an empty lot with a small welcome sign on the ground. Worn down shacks and an open space reveal one gravel path forward. There is a hand painted small sign that says cenote with an arrow. Follow the winding gravel path (lots of potholes) to the parking lot. Motorcycle and bicycle parking available. There is a hut where an attendant will take payment. There are some small snacks and items for sale in the hut. We paid cash, but not sure if they may have accepted credit card. No sunscreen, bug spray, or body products. Keep the cenote clean. It is a precious ecosystem. The attendant sends you into the park to use the showers and toilets first. Inside the park, there are picnic tables under shade from trees. The cenote is a circular lagoon. There are a couple of areas that are deep and large, good for swimming. Be careful of the mossy rocks along the sides. Much of the cenote is very shallow which is why swim shoes are recommended. The uneven rocky land underwater is slippery from moss but not too hard to move past if you do have bare feet. We used hats and rash guards to protect from the sun while swimming since the water is not covered or in shade....

We only visited smaller cenotes (no big parks) during our trip in Tulum, and Cenote Santa Cruz was the best of them all. The water is crystal clear, there are tons of colorful fish of all sizes, and we even spotted a few turtles. You can jump in from a couple different platforms (none of which are high) so this is first and foremost a quiet cenote where you can lounge and enjoy nature. Perfect for families! Rocks to get in and stand on are slippery and rough, so swimming shoes are a plus. Swimming vests are free.

There are lots of different spots to settle in around the cenote, as well as many lounge chairs and picnic tables. The entrance kiosk sells snacks and there’s a restaurant on site. The toilets are clean and there are ample changing cabins.

One note: Finding the place is a bit tricky. From the road you’ll see a green sign that says “Santa Cruz” and an arrow pointing left, and then the gate says “Rancho Santa Cruz”. Nothing indicates a cenote from the road but this is the right spot. Go down the rocky road to the large parking lot and you’ll see signs that say “Wayak Santa Cruz”. You’re...

5 stars to mother nature (but not to the business, keep reading) and the beauty of this cenote. Crystal clear cool water, fishes and turtles swimming next to you, still some wonderful natural landscape.

Went on Tuesday August 9 at 10 am and stayed till two. Not crowded.300 pesos per person.

You are required to shower before entering, sunscreen and mosquito repellent forbidden while in water

I was there for a natural cenote and that's why I give it 5 stars. It's obviously much better than cenote suytun and arguably better than samaal cenote ( close to Valladolid). Though Samaal was only 150.

Here's what would not get a 5 star rating , so you need to be the kind of person that can deal with this:

Restrooms, showers, dressing rooms and restaurants are a shame..

Restaurant offered a buffet for 250 pesos but it didn't look appealing at all, we left when we got hungry. ( We enjoyed it for ~4 hrs).

I'd go back again for sure!!, Just know what...