Exploring the natural freshwater sinkholes, or cenotes, is a unique experience when visiting Mexico’s Riviera Maya. There are thousands of cenotes throughout the jungles of the Yucatan peninsula. Find out more about the best family friendly cenotes near Playa del Carmen in this guide.
Riviera Maya Cenotes with Kids
Cenotes are a fun alterative to going to the beach, some with additional features like rope swings and diving platforms. Over 200 cenotes in the Riviera Maya, mainly around Tulum, are connected by the extensive underground network of rivers and caves of the Sistema Sac Actun.
Between the natural shade and cool fresh water, cenotes are also great places to cool off on hot days. The most common types of cenotes in Riviera Maya are cave, semi-open and open cenotes. An open cenote is formed when the cave ceiling has fallen into itself.
One of the best ways to explore the cenotes near Playa del Carmen is to book a private or group Tulum cenotes tour. We have visited the cenotes between Tulum and Playa del Carmen as part of day excursions on our Riviera Maya family holidays.
Related: Family Activities in the Riviera Maya Mexico
Best Family Friendly Cenotes near Playa del Carmen
On one family trip, we went to the Gran Cenote and Cenote Jardin del Eden. During our most recent family holiday in Riviera Maya, we visited Cenotes Casa Tortuga as part of a Tulum day excursion that included Sistema Sac Actun and the Tulum ruins.
Other popular Tulum cenotes for families include Cenote Dos Ojos, Cenote Azul, Cenote Zacil Ha and Cenote Yax-kin. In this post, I will share our experiences visiting Cenotes Casa Tortuga, Cenote Jardin del Eden and Gran Cenote Tulum with kids.
Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum
Carretera Tulum – Playa del Carmen km 239, Ejido Jacinto Pt, Tulum, Quintana Roo CP:77760 | cenotescasatortuga.com
A great option for families, Casa Tortuga is a natural park with four differently shaped cenotes, Cenote Wisho, Cenote Campana, Cenote Tres Zapotes and Cenote Jaguar.
The depths of the various cenotes at Casa Tortuga range from 1 to 8 metres. Two of the cenotes are caverns with stalactities and stalagmites to see, while the two larger, deeper cenotes have jumping-off points and areas for swimming.
Facilities at Casa Tortuga Tulum include toilets, snorkeling gear rentals, zipline (additional fee) and a restaurant.
Cenotes Casa Tortuga is located 14 km (20-minute drive) north of Tulum and about 53 km (40-minute drive) south of Playa del Carmen.
Cenotes Casa Tortuga, Carretera Tulum – Playa del Carmen km 239, Ejido Jacinto Pt, Tulum, Quintana Roo CP:77760 Mexico
Opening Hours: Daily, 9am to 5pm. The cenote tour lasts 1 hour 40 minutes.
Entrance Fee: Entrance fee starts from 350 MXN per person and includes life jacket rental. Under 4s enter free.
Contact: +52 (984) 322-2222 | cenotescasatortuga.com
Cenote Jardin del Eden
Carretera Fed. Cancun – Chetumal Km 266, 77734 Quintana Roo, Mexico | facebook.com/p/Cenote-Jardin-del-Eden
Cenote Jardin del Eden is a beautiful open water cenote surrounded by lush greenery. One of the most popular activities at Cenote Jardin del Eden is cliff-jumping off the diving platform at its 12 ft (3.6m) high cliff.
Below the diving platform is an entrance to a deep underground network of caves popular with divers. Cenote Jardin del Eden is the only cenote in the area that allows scuba diving. The caves extend deep under ground, offering scuba divers the unique experience of exploring incredible underwater formations including stalactites and stalagmites.
A popular option for cenote day excursion is to combine a visit to Cenote Jardin del Eden with the nearby Cenote Azul and Cenote Cristalino. For our family cenote excursion from Playa del Carmen, we visited Gran Cenote, which is closer to Tulum, and then Cenote Jardin del Eden on the way back.
In the middle of Cenote Jardin del Eden are the rocks which used to be the roof of the cenote. The rocks are submerged about 1 foot underwater, which make a nice resting spot. One of the best things to do at Cenote Jardin del Eden with kids is snorkelling to see the little fish, tree roots and unique rock formations.
Cenote Jardin del Eden is located midway between Tulum and Playa del Carmen. The drive to Cenote Jardin del Edem is about 40 km (30-minute drive) north of Tulum and 25 km (20-minute drive) south of Playa del Carmen.
Facilities at Cenote Jardin del Eden include toilets, snorkeling gear rentals and a small snack bar. You can rent a snorkelling mask for 50 MXN each.
Cenote Jardin del Eden, Carretera Fed. Cancun – Chetumal Km 266, 77734 Quintana Roo, Mexico
Opening Hours: Daily except Saturdays, 9am to 5pm
Entrance Fee: Cash only entrance fee is 200 MXN for adults and 100 MXN for children ages 4+ and includes life jacket rental. Under 4s enter free.
Contact: +52 (984) 873-0038 | facebook.com/p/Cenote-Jardin-del-Eden
Gran Cenote
Highway 109 Tulum – Coba, 77796 Quintana Roo, Mexico
One of the most famous sinkholes in Mexico, Gran Cenote is actually the main entrance to Sistema Sac Actun and comprises an open-air cenote surrounded by caves. Since many of the caves and tunnels at Gran Cenote are not fully submerged, you can get through and explore parts by swimming or snorkeling.
Gran Cenote is about 200 feet deep, and the water is crystal clear and ideal for snorkeling to see the underwater life and unique rock formations. There are catfish and turtles to see swimming about in Gran Cenote.
Gran Cenote is located about 5 km (10-minute drive) from Tulum and about 66 km (50-minute drive) south of Playa del Carmen. The cenote is conveniently located to combine with a visit to the Tulum Archeological site.
Facilities at Gran Cenote include showers, toilets and snorkeling gear rentals. Locker rentals are also available. There are no restaurants on site at Gran Cenote, but there are food stalls near the entrance.
Gran Cenote, Highway 109 Tulum – Coba, 77796 Quintana Roo, Mexico
Opening Hours: Daily, 8am to 5pm
Entrance Fee: The entrance fee is 500 MXN per person and only cash is accepted. Under 4s enter free.
What to Bring for Visiting Cenotes with Kids
In this part of the Riviera Maya cenotes guide, I will go through what you need to bring along for visiting cenotes with kids. Many family friendly cenotes near Playa del Carmen are popular attractions and most will have on-site facilities such as lockers, restrooms and snack bars.
Most cenotes do not allow visitors to use insect repellant or sunscreen, even biodegradale or reef-safe varieties, since chemicals can pollute the water and damage the aquatic ecosystems. Come prepared with a sun hat and sun protective swimwear.
Top essentials to pack in a backpack or waterproof dry bag for visiting the cenotes of Riviera Maya with kids are;
Sun hat and sun protective rash vest and swim shorts – Pack long sleeve, sun protective rash vests and swim shorts to comfortably wear with life jackets since sunscreen is forbidden at Mexico cenotes.
Water shoes – Bring along water shoes for making your way around the cenotes since some areas can be rocky and slippery.
Masks and snorkels – We usually bring our own masks and snorkels, but you can also rent snorkeling gear on site.
Quick drying towels and change of clothes – Bring along a quick drying towel and an extra changes of clothes especially for the kids. We have a couple Dock & Beach Quick Dry Towels that are always packed for our beach holidays and road trips.
Bottled water: Some cenotes will have a small snack bar or restaurant on site or near the entrance, but it is worth packing along bottled water for your family. Note that some cenotes will not allow outside food, so you will need to check the rules of the cenote you are visiting about bringing your own food.
Cash – Remember that the cenotes around Playa del Carmen and Tulum only accept cash. Entrance fees range from 80 to 500 Mexican pesos (MXN) and children under 4 years old enter free.
Additional items: Other items to bring to a day excursion at the cenotes include a waterproof phone holder.
Riviera Maya with Kids Map
I have also pinned the best family friendly cenotes near Playa del Carmen in my “Riviera Maya with kids” Google Map Guide. For a direct link to the map to bookmark, click here. To explore the map, click on the door sign with an arrow just before the map title.
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Pin for Later – Best Family Friendly Cenotes near Playa del Carmen
This post was updated on 25 March 2025 with up to date information on visiting the best family friendly cenotes near Playa del Carmen. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, so if you do click through and make a purchase I may receive a small amount at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
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