Cenote Santa Bárbara — Attraction in Yucatán

Cenotes de Santa Bárbara is the kind of place I always return to with joy—and every time I leave, I’m already thinking about coming back. The cenotes are incredibly clean, crystal-clear, and breathtakingly beautiful. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experience.

The site offers convenient transportation to each cenote, but for those who enjoy a bit of adventure, they also provide complimentary bicycles so you can explore the area at your own pace. There’s no time limit for swimming in any of the cenotes, and the hours are generous (from 10 AM to 5 PM), allowing you to plan your visit entirely on your own terms.

One of the things I appreciate most is how safe and well-kept everything is. There are no bothersome insects or dangerous animals, and the cleanliness extends to all areas, including the restrooms. The entry price is reasonable, especially when compared to similar attractions in the region.

I highly recommend choosing the package that includes lunch. The food is absolutely delicious, with handmade corn tortillas and traditional Yucatecan dishes like cochinita pibil, poc chuc, and empanadas—my personal favorites. Throughout the area, you’ll also find palapas offering cold drinks and snacks. While you’re welcome to bring your own beverages, the prices on-site are fair, and I usually enjoy just ordering from there.

In short, if you love nature, culture, and authentic Mexican flavors, Cenotes de Santa Bárbara is a must. It’s peaceful, stunning, and an ideal day trip...

Wanted a solid cenote experience and this was great. We went with our 6 year-old who is a little more adventurous and it was a perfect fit. 4 fantastic cenotes, each picturesque and fun. Some platform jumping (4 feet at the highest), but no rope swings or other daredevil stuff (would have been fun for me but not necessary). We arrived at 11am on a Saturday and left around 3 pm, and could tell that we mostly missed the big crush (maybe it was light attendance due to January weather?)

Lifejackets were required and the lifeguards enforced that. I wish my kid had been just a little taller so that we could have used the bikes they offer to the cenotes, but the truck/horsecarts worked fine (as with any horse-involved tourist activity, you do have to hurdle the guilt over the animal use). Also, bring your goggles! for the second cenote, though they rent them there for 20 pesos (a little more than $1 US).

A new splash pad, near the 4th cenote was a real draw for her, and gave us time to relax. Only the 4th cenote (cocom) has elevator access, but even that seems remarkable for Cenotes in general.

Didnt try the restaurant, which is pretty affordable and gets good reviews, but did get some chicken fingers and nachos from the snack bar next to the splash pad. It was a break from trying to convince our kid to eat more mexican food. The restuarants menu had nice Yucateco options if thats your bag.

Easy day trip from Merida (there, 3-4 hours on site, and back by about 4pm)....

Perfect way to visit a range of cenotes not far from Merida. We went on a Sunday leaving Merida about 8:45 and arriving for 10am. It was perfect timing as we arrived at all the cenotes first and were able to enjoy them before the crowds arrived. We spent 3.5 hours there including lunch which was a good amount of time.

The whole facility is very well run, clean and with plenty of facilities such as bathrooms, showers, shaded rest areas and little shops at each cenote entrance. The paths between cenotes are clearly signposted and the paths in good condition and easy to walk.

We took the horse drawn truck to the cenotes and back. Be warned it is a very rough ride especially as our horse went quite fast.

We did the cenotes in order. 1, 2 and then 3 last. The first cenote is completely enclosed and about 10m from the surface. The second is less enclosed but much deeper. This one was the most fun as you can jump off the platform into the water which kids and adults alike did. The third is the most open and picturesque. It is the only one where you can’t see the bottom and it has lots of fish.

We also had the lunch which was part of our ticket price. The food was traditional Yucatan food. It was excellent and very reasonably priced. Drinks and dessert were not included but these were also very reasonable.

We were only one of 3-4 groups of tourists with everyone else being local Mexican families. Feels like a place for Mexicans and not tourists which is...