Second stop of our day tour…read more Hubbers and fam-in-law mentioned maybe going to a cenote during our Merida visit. I felt like it was a daily discussion. Me? Had NO idea what a cenote is, so like a normal person, I googled it. And once I found out what it was, I agreed that we have to check one out. When Hubbers booked the day tour, he made sure a cenote was one of the stops. He's never been to one either, so it'll be a first run for both of us! We paid ahead of time and given our bracelets while we were still on our way, so we didn't waste any time lining up to buy tickets. (We were allotted only an hour for this stop, so that was a plus.) We got our assigned lockers, changed into swim wear and locked up our belongings. There are strict instructions once we got there: you must rinse off thoroughly (loved those rinsing stations, the water pressure was heavy and strong!) then you have to claim your vest, and other than water shoes, no footwear is allowed at the cenote. (They have a store selling them for around $20US.) We made our way to the main attraction and what a sight a cenote is! It's a bit of a trek going down to the water and for a few minutes, I regret not paying for the shoes, but once we got to the bottom, I'd quickly forgotten about the inconvenience. It's an absolute wonder this whole place is. It was almost overwhelming, but in a good way. Water was cool, but we welcomed it most especially after being in the heat the whole day. There's a line to do that high jump, but it went by fast. Jumping off is the best way to get in (for me, at least) and I gotta say that was exhilarating! And fun! We made sure to put our timers on since we were on a time crunch, but we enjoyed every second we were in the water. We could have spent the whole day just being one with nature. It really is like nothing else. TIPS: 1) Bring water shoes. Walking barefoot to the stairs and then going up and down them was a bit of a challenge. Some parts were slippery. So those shoes will be very handy. We had to climb and descend those stairs very slowly while holding on to the rail for safety. 2) If you're on a time constraint (like we were), having your swim gear on before getting there will save you a ton of time. The bathroom and changing stations can get busy and there could be a wait. You would rather spend that time in the cenote. I learned there are thousands of cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula. This first run was amazing. I wouldn't mind coming back to this particular one but will most likely check out others first before coming back. One more tip: not all cenotes allow swimming, so plan accordingly. We loved it. Highly HIGHLY recommending.

Beautiful Cenote and location. Tickets can be bought for general admission or general admission and…read morebuffet. If you don't select the buffet, their Jade restaurant is delicious. If you drive, there will be stops where people will attempt to sell you tickets. Just know tickets can be bought directly on sight or online, no need to stop along the road. You can only wear water shoes into the Cenote, no sandals. If you don't bring water shoes you will walk barefoot. You will only be allowed to bring your cellphone into the Cenote. I recommend a water proof cell phone case.

I didn't realize Chichen Itza was one of the new seven wonders of the world! I don't remember it…read morebeing on the list, but I also didn't know the list can change based on popularity poll...SMH. I believe Chichen Itza is a one of the new seven wonders of the world because it's among the best-preserved and largest archaeological sites in the world. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I'm still glad I got the opportunity to visit Chichen Itza. So much history! The culture of the Mayans; their way of life, the ingenuity and the science are fascinating and amazing. Be prepared to experience some tropical heat. I recommend going as early as you can to avoid crowds and the heat. It gets hot under the glaring Sun. There is no shade around the main Pyramid. A good guide or a tour company also is very helpful. I found the history provided by our tour company to be very inspiring, insightful and interesting, yet sad at the same time. "As one of the most important city-states in pre-Hispanic America, Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico today. Chichen Itza, one of the New 7 Wonders of The World according to UNESCO, since July 7th, 2007" - https://www.chichenitza.com/ Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza "This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centres of the Yucatán peninsula. Throughout its nearly 1,000-year history, different peoples have left their mark on the city. The Maya and Toltec vision of the world and the universe is revealed in their stone monuments and artistic works. The fusion of Mayan construction techniques with new elements from central Mexico make Chichen-Itza one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatán. Several buildings have survived, such as the Warriors' Temple, El Castillo and the circular observatory known as El Caracol." - https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/483/ I had no expectations when I came here, since I hardly knew anything about Chichen Itza. I didn't expect to thoroughly enjoy and love this trip as much as I did. I highly recommend visiting Chichen-Itza if you get the opportunity.

What a pleasure to get to see one of the world's 7 wonders. Using Google Maps can be misleading…read morebecause parking and payments are on the other side of the highway and signage is not clear at all but with some patience and asking locals, you'll eventually find it. Once you finally sort it out though, it's absolutely worth the trouble. Highly recommend!

The food was great (traditional options) and the cenote didn't feel very crowded even though there…read morewas a tour bus. We arrived about 11:00 and when we left at 1:00 the parking was full.

This is the only cenote I was able to make it to during my short Cancún trip. My fiancée and I came…read morehere after visiting Chichen Itza. Yokdzonot is just a 10 minute drive away from Chichen Itza. If you're not on a group bus tour, this is a must visit. When we came here, we were the only people. It was an amazing experience. This cenote is maintained by locals and not many tourists know about it. When we got here, we saw some 3-4 locals got into the water and cleared up the fallen leaves. It is much cheaper than any of the other cenotes we were considering. While some cost at least 50-100 USD, this cost about 3.5 USD. And that included life vests. They also had a rappelling line above the cenote. The water was a clear turquoise blue and had mangrove roots along the edges.

We chose this one over the one nearby near Cancun because if it's overstimulation of tourist…read more Very pleasant afternoon no staff or volunteers were overbearing we were basically left on our own which was perfect Stunning stone limestone carvings and quite high central pyramid upon a condor was perched as I looked over the whole Yucatán

Love love love this. I loved learning about the history of this place. Be careful climbing up the…read moresteep steps. They didn't look like much until I started getting closer and closer. They are very steep and no railings on either side. Remember, whatever goes up, must come down. Be careful!!! Beautiful area, a lot of history and information given.

Well kept and very nice sculpture. It's hard to cross over but I enjoyed it from afar.read more

Really nice monument it is an easy walk down to the main avenue which is also worth doing. The…read moremonument is part of a roundabout and is very large and easy to see. I need to go back and take some pictures as I circled the monument in an Uber, but it is way too nice to not spend more time there.

Beautiful beautiful beautiful…read more This was an amazing site to visit. Being able to come here, have a Mayan guide tell us the history of their people and land was amazing. We came in January and it was still hot. I suggest when they offer you the umbrella and drinks, take it. The sun/heat was brutal.

This was one of the most amazing sites of my whole life and I've been to a few. It is so well…read morepreserved and beautiful. I honestly can't do this place justice. Our guide Felipe was amazing. Felipe is a private guide I've used on numerous occasions over the years. He actually lives in Cozumel so the trio might have been more expensive than using someone else, but his education and sharing of knowledge at times bright tears to my eyes. This whole trip bright tears to my eyes. Even now, sitting at home I'm stuck with just how magical this place is. There are many Mayan buildings and they are still excavating and restoring. They are just amazing. We got to hug a Tree of Life Tree. We got to see wild orchids. There were two dogs that apparently live there and seem happy and not wild. My daughter and her friend climbed to the top and it was high. Just such an amazing trip. It was about $25 per person to get in,

As far as cenotes go, this is probably one of the BEST you can visit in the region. It's completely…read moreunderground (there is some steep stair-maneuvering involved), but once you dip into its cool waters you'll be glad for the effort to get there. We were there on a not-too-busy Wednesday afternoon and our group pretty much had the place to ourselves. It was glorious! This cenote is right next to another magnificent cenote: Cenote Dzitnup. They are both equally spectacular and I highly recommend paying the extra to do both. Just be prepared for the crazy check-in process, where "volunteers" will meet you at the parking lot to "escort" you to the ticket booth 50' away and then demand payment for their services. Just walk on past these folks ("no gracias" is a good term to learn in general when traveling in the area) and directly to the ticket booth. You'll also need 25-pesos to rent a life jacket (required) at *each* cenote. Yes, the coordination could be better here but hey, when do you get the chance to swim in a cenote? Other than the sort of stress-inducing check-in process and the stair climbing, this place is well worth the visit. Plan at least an hour per cenote. Bring towels!

While this is the first time my husband and I visited on August 12, 2019 about 1230p, I felt like…read morethere were drawbacks that weren't worth the 5 star compliments written by everyone else who went. As we came into the establishment, we realized that we only had enough money for 1 cenote. They persisted that we needed a guide being our first time there; but I mentioned that we didn't have enough pesos to even give a proper tip, because we spent most of our money at Chichén Itzá and the tolls and the gas to get us from Cancun and back. The gentleman stated that it was ok anyway. So away we went. They insisted that we needed pictures taken by them and that we could look at them later. We politely declined because we had no money to give them above and beyond the cost of the tickets. I had noticed that previous reviews had stated that we would have to have a life jacket and to rinse off. I was expecting both but had no money for a life jacket anyway. He asked us if we wanted to use the facilities and we politely declined. He shared with my husband the history of centote's; which it was fairly interesting (he decided that walking really fast and talking to my husband and not really bothering for me to catch up, was the best idea). So while my husband told me of some of the history afterwards, I didn't hear much of it straight from him. He also showed us the top of the cenote and asked us if we wanted to be a daredevil and jump down into it. Again we politely declined. As we headed down the steps, he told us to cautiously walk down since it was slippery and to hold onto the rope. We did do both. But again, I was being left behind. He did take our picture with my iPhone; so that was nice. The picture wasn't the best quality but it was nice to have anyway. Then he expected a tip. All we had was 25 pesos. While I know that wasn't a lot and I had told him, he asked "Is this it?" I really wanted to state that I could have it back and you could have nothing; but I kept my mouth shut. Anyhow, the cenote was much much cooler than we expected. It took awhile to get into the water but we finally did it. The black fish in the emerald water is actually cat fish. We were one of the few that didn't have to have a life jacket. We got some great pictures and we were glad that we did it; but I don't think we will be coming back. I did use the bathroom on our way out; and I realized that they had no toilet seats. While squatting was fine for me to do, I'm trying to figure out who takes the toilet seats and what they do with them. ‍

Visit Jan 2021 Museum is closed…read moreCenote is closed because of COVID. Too many people visit here would be no way to manage social distancing in the cenote Within Merida city limits Go early and have the place to yourself and beat the heat Can climb the other pyramids- not the one you seen on the postcards Like others have said. Read up on what you are looking at and you don't need a guide If you've been to the big two (uxmal and chichen itza) this site is much smaller but well worth the visit

Love this place. Very interesting. A lot of walking. Will take future visitors there in the future.read more

It's a can't miss, must-see and a must-explore when in the magical town of Izamal…read more It was the first thing Hubbers and I explored upon arrival of this modest town. How massive this whole place is! I was also impressed at how well maintained the walkways and grass are. Took a minute to truly take in its outer beauty, and we eventually made it inside. I felt a lot of history walking through the main halls and walkways. There was a sense of honor walking the same floors Pope John Paul II had been. The golden wall of the church's sanctuary stood out immediately. Pews and floors were clean. They maintained its simplicity. More exploring and we discovered a museum upstairs for a modest fee (I believe it was $10MX/pp.) I spent a lot of time looking at some historical artifacts and reading through a lot of its history. It was quite educational. Don't forget to stop by the gift shop for a souvenir. Price point is very fair. Five centuries this structure has been here. I can only imagine what it has gone through that whole time and yet, here it remains still standing strong. TIP: It's a bit of a climb via stairs on one side or cobblestoned ramp on the other, but nothing to make you out of breath. If anything, the most bothersome was the heat and humidity, but once you see this majestic structure with your own two eyes, you forget about all that. It really is a sight to see. So glad of the stop. Would do it again given the chance.

We took a tour a couple of days ago that brought us to Izamal, where we explored the Convento San…read moreAntonio de Padua. The monastery was founded in 1549 by Franciscan friars, and when the building's construction began a few years later, it was erected on top of a pre-hispanic, Mayan structure (Paphol-Chac). The building was completed in 1561 (later additions were made). The open atrium of the monastery is still today second in size only to the atrium at the Vatican. Most of the stone used to build the monastery came from the ruins of Paphol-Chac. The monastery was painted yellow when the rest of the city was, and it's a stunning building - and great to photograph! They are preserving and restoring some original frescos on the building, which you can see when you walk up to the exterior. You may walk into the church and other areas of the monastery depending on the day and time of your visit. Pope John Paul II visited the monastery in 1993, and there is a statue of him outside the monastery. Definitely worth a visit to explore and photograph if you're in Izamal!