Cenote Xcanche — Attraction in Yucatán

I visited Cenote X'Canche on February 29, 2020 after spending time exploring the nearby Ek Balam Ruins during the morning.

The entrance for this cenote was located at the entrance to the Ek Balam Ruins, so it was perfect to pair them together for a day trip during my stay in Valladolid. I took a shared taxi from Valladolid to Ek Balam (from the corner of Calles 44 and 37). The entrance fee for the cenote (plus my bike rental) was 170 pesos and there was the option to walk, rent a bicycle or take a bicycle taxi along the 1.5 km gravel pathway to the cenote. I rented one of the colourful bicycle cruisers and began the journey. I loved cycling along the quiet path through the jungle!

Upon arriving at the cenote, you could park bikes against trees and they were watched by the staff. There was an open-air changing room area, bathrooms and outdoor showers to use before entering the cenote. The cenote itself was surrounded by jungle and was a beautiful, large, deep cenote that was open to the sky. There was a very steep and narrow wooden staircase leading down into the cenote. I suggest going down backwards as it makes it a little easier and is less scary! There were spaces on the rocks along the side of the cenote to leave your belongings and there was a staff member in the cenote keeping watch.

The cenote was absolutely gorgeous! The water was a beautiful turquoise colour and was so clear. There were lots of black little catfish swimming around, tree vines hanging down from the ground level into the water, and a wooden boardwalk and small bridge around the perimeter of the cenote to explore or take photos from different angles. The water was so refreshing and lovely! I visited during the morning and there was hardly anyone else there, which was amazing. There were platforms for jumping into the water (I didn't do it) and a zipline across the cenote that you could pay extra to do.

Having visited many cenotes in the Yucatan during this trip and previous ones, Cenote X'Canche is definitely in my top five! Would recommend visiting here after exploring Ek Balam as the water is that much more refreshing! Getting back to Valladolid was easy and there were shared taxis waiting in the parking lot...

Worth the money - buy all the adventure stuff and enjoy it. This is our third cenote of this trip, and our 8 year old says it is by far his favorite (Oxman and Zaci are our other two). We had a lovely morning at Ek Balam, went to the car for our swimsuits, and then paid the tricycle drivers to take us on the path. For 900 pesos our family of three bought the transportation, cenote entrance, ziplines, abseiling, etc. At first we thought that was steep but after watching our 8 year old sail across the cenote on the zipline we decided $15 US a person for ziplining and for the expression on his face was one heck of a deal. He jumped off the rope swing about 25 times, we jumped off a variety of ledges, and swam our hearts out under the tiny water fall and all around the cenote. I know it seems like a lot of money, but this family had the time of our lives. We were there from 10 to 1 and 8 was the max number of people we shared the cenote with at any given time. It was MAGICAL. Our son is a Star Wars fanatic, and he told me he felt like were in a secret part of the Ewok village. Yes that's nerdy. But it's also really fun. So so so glad we stopped after an early morning at Ek Balam (and then we had lunch in Temozon at Carnes Concepcion. It was DELICIOUS). Truly---one of the very best days...

We were not expecting to go to this cenote, but it was worth going to. Capped off a great day. You either walk in or rent bikes. It is around 2 kilometers from the parking lot. When you arrive at the top, you take a shower before anything, bring a towel. There is a zip line, but you pay an additional $50 pesos. You go down the steep stairs to the water that is fantastically clear and refreshing. There are alot of small catfish that avoid you. There is a rope swing free to use and a boardwalk all the way around. At the top there is a restaurant, hammocks and washrooms. Overall a very nice place except at the parking lot, there are people there to "help you" and watch your vehicle, but want a tip when you return. They seemed a little shady, we had already moved everything to the trunk before getting there. On the way out they were helping someone change a tire, so it could just be us nervous in a new place. We spent around 1 hour in the water and left completely cooled off after a hot afternoon. We never tried the restraunt, but they allowed us to use...