CENOTE CHICHIKAN — Attraction in Yucatán

We were "sold" on Chichikan by a very helpful official at the Yucatan boundary crossing. Normally I am really skeptical of pitches like these but something sounded intriguing. We opted for the ultimate package, which cost 600 pesos for adults and 400 for our kids, which at the time we thought was quite steep as it came to a total of 2000! Let me just say that this was some of the best money we have spent on our trip.

The cenote was very quite and lovely, though not the type that you would linger in for hours. It was quite cold but the depth and space were stunning. Did I mention that there were very few people in it and we were able to get some great pics. The little fish that tickled our feet had our kids giggling.

The Mayan village tour was spectacular. The staff really gave it their best and we were riveted! It is definitely worth it and our favourite part. It was also just our family so we really got to take our time.

The meal. There were two options which didn't seem like a lot at the time but both were delicious and very authentic.

The staff were wonderful and very helpful. Thank you Jessenia! You were great and really made us feel welcome and valued.

The facility is beautiful and I get the feeling that it will only get better in the future. I really recommend checking Chichikan out soon as this spot feels like a hidden gem, but is likely to become very busy. There are a couple of things that I think would have been great. There are so meny beautiful plants and I would have loved if there were information signs with them so I could learn their names and a bit more about them. The other thing that would have been interesting is learning about the age of limestone layers in the cenote as there is apparently pre and post metor impact layers that can be seen.

I can't recommend Chicikan enough! Thank you all so much, we will remember this experience for...

We visited Chichikan Cenote as part of a tour, and unfortunately, it was by far the worst stop of our trip. While it’s marketed as an authentic cultural experience, it felt incredibly commercialized and staged from the moment we arrived.

The buffet food was not authentic at all — spaghetti, mashed potatoes, and bland options that felt more like a cafeteria line than regional cuisine. To make matters worse, the wait staff were rude and seemed disinterested in providing even basic service.

We were told the gift shop featured handmade, local goods, but most items were clearly mass-produced. It felt like a trap to funnel tourists through a shopping experience that wasn’t remotely genuine.

There’s a mandatory life vest and locker rental — even though the cenote is shallow and calm. It’s clearly a way to squeeze more money out of visitors. The cenote itself was underwhelming — the water was murky, and it didn’t feel clean or well-maintained. I chose not to swim and skipped the tequila tasting because by that point, the entire experience had left a bad taste in my mouth.

The costumed dancers and photo ops (including a parrot that we later saw packed into someone’s car) made the whole place feel like a cheap theme park rather than a sacred or beautiful natural space.

If you’re looking for an authentic, peaceful cenote experience, I strongly recommend avoiding Chichikan. There are so many better options in the Yucatán that actually honor the natural beauty and cultural heritage...

We were looking forward to going to this place with Amigo Tours and we liked the experience, the staff was very friendly and the cenote was beautiful indeed. Everything was lovely, the artisans and the beautiful park with the hollowed tree and lovely nature around but, what we didn't like was that the music of choice when you get pass all that was "reggetón"...we thought it was going to be some Mayan music or maybe even sounds from nature. That took the magic right away! The tour guide told us that this cenote was administered by a real Mayan community and that they didn't have contact with the "real world," although I guess the choosing of music can be very important for the foreigner that is looking for a real connection with the Mayan environment, maybe they put that music just to attract the younger audience but we think other wise because we were very upset. The food was ok, not many things to choose that were authentic food (they'd mashed potatoes and spaghetti which is not that Mexican), we liked the meat for the taco's station but then again in the restaurant they'd techno music playing, which took us again out of the magical experience we just had inside the cenote. We couldn't even talk or enjoy the sounds of the birds around. At least at the cenote, we had a wonderful and peaceful time. It is very beautiful and magical inside the Chichikán cenote. Next time, I'll wear...