Probably the most underwhelming snorkeling experience that I have had. This was my first time…read moresnorkeling in a lagoon and I was really excited because the water looked clear and beautiful on land. We came here with a tour guide around 11am in February, and the water was not only cold, but there were not many fish. When there were fish, it was the same type of fish over and over again. Maybe she just didn't take us to the right places, but I didn't see anything that excited me. I probably wouldn't want to come here again to snorkel. There are probably much better places for it!

Super fun experience. On a recent trip to Cancun for a wedding my friends and I decided to book an…read moreexcursion from our hotel and decided upon one that takes you to both a cenote and a laguna for snorkeling. Yal Ku happened to be the lagoon our guide took us to. Didn't get to explore the area too much but theres a parking lot, small changing rooms, bathrooms, and a small restaurant. Several other groups were there trying to snorkel at the same but it wasn't overly crowded. We first went and got our supplies...lifevests, goggles and fitted them. Once everyone was fitted we jumped into the water and were instructed to go to a certain area of the lagoon. Some areas had slightly poor visibility--I mean, it is a lagoon, can't expect too much. Some cool things I saw included this huge school of sardines swimming right next to me and some rainbow colored fish in another area. Almost didn't want to leave the water because I was so excited to explore. Made me want to book a snorkeling trip to an island asap... Anyway, when you do come out to the parking area, you might run into the ice cream man with those pinwheel crackers~get some!

This is a must see. You could literally spend a couple of days there. It was my favorite part of…read morethe trip! They have lots of restaurant options which is helpful. Food was just okay. But all the activities they offered was amazing.

Xel-Ha was not initially on our list during our visit to Tulum, but we decided last minute to give…read moreit a try and I'm glad we did! It provided an all inclusive, low key day exploring nature and enjoying the water. It's basically a massive lagoon where you can snorkel different areas, take an inner tube through the mangroves, ride bikes to the mangroves, eat and drink as much as you want (buy the all inclusive package it's worth it), and ride the water slides from the top of the lighthouse. The food was decent for a buffet at a water park. The three different restaurants had a variety of options. The bars around the park would make you drinks with quality spirits for an all inclusive like Bacardi, Malibu, etc. We were trying to order our tickets online the same day but we kept getting an error message. We called their helpline and purchased tickets over the phone. I was glad we did because we received a discount! Lastly, there are stations all around the park where you can get a locker and pickup snorkel gear, etc. Don't go to the first station you see. Walk to the main area of the park and choose a station close to your next activity. They also provide showers to rinse before and after and life jackets to wear while in the lagoon.

If you go, don't bother putting on any sunscreen because you will need to thoroughly shower so you…read moredon't contaminate the Cenote and help keep the fish & nature alive. It cost $10 to go in. They have a few different cenotes but the biggest one is all the way to the end. One side is very deep, and the other is a bit shallower. I recommend taking water shoes there are lots of rocks that are very slippery. On the deeper end they have an area where you can jump down from a high area. We did jump it was fun. The water on the deeper end is so clear and beautiful and I recommend going to the caves on that side as well if you know how to swim. Also bring googles so you can look under the water and see the beautiful clear water and the fish down there.

This cenote' is not the typical deep hole in the ground, it is more of what I harken to a swimming…read morehole. Several pools with crystal clear water. As others have noted, no sunscreen or lotions are permitted to preserve the eco system. Bring your water shoes!! There are lots of areas when you can cut your feet. If you go to the last area, and sit down on the edge, take your shoes off and the fish will come to nibble at your feet.

The best Cenotes I've been to in the Roo. Only a few local families visiting not a tourist trap,…read moreonly 1.5 km off the highway, about $20 per person. Clean facilities, good parking, I cant say enough good about this place! They have both open and cave cenotes, guided scuba tours available too for serious explorers,

5 different Cenotes in one area. Many options for what you can choose - self admission and access…read moreor guided tours that include lunch. As an English speaker, I'm not sure that the guided tour was worth it as the Spanish portion and explanations were long and the English versions were condensed (my bf understood both and said we got shortened versions). Most of what we got we already knew from googling. However, the all inclusive tour included food - which might be more worth it finances wise. The tour guide will walk and talk and show you each cenote, swim together in cenote 5 (you can't have access here as a self guide) for exactly 25 minutes. Then once the tour is done you're free to explore in your own. That lasts about 1.5 hours. We then had lunch - choice of pork chun, fish fillet or fish tacos. On the menu it ranges from 130 to 200 pesos a dish already. But included in tour, we got chips and salsa, fruit water (pineapple this time), our meal, and ice cream! After, we went back to swim and check out the spots really quick. Truly, it was pretty quiet and for the most part we had it to ourselves. 3 hours is plenty of time

This is the largest cenote we went to and was also the most expensive, however, the price also came…read morewith a life jacket which was mandatory for entering the pools. It made it a lot easier to swim in and the rocks and landscape were stunning. Lots of turtles and bats and birds were all over and the water was clear. I was a bit annoyed that were told they closed at 4:45 and at 4:20 Security was ushering everyone out.

First off, do not use Apple maps to find this place as it will divert you to some dive shop in the…read moremiddle of town. You'll need to use Google maps to get you to the exact location. This was our very first cenote on this trip. It's 500 pesos for adults and 250 pesos for kids that are less than 4'5" or so. Cash only. (If paying in US dollars, it's $30 US and $15 for children.) Be sure to collect your ticket. There is free parking out front as well. Once you go in, there are outdoor showers that you are expected to use to rinse off. No sunscreen is allowed. And before you get your Personal Flotation Device (PFD), they will check that you have showered. However, no one is actually watching you as you rinse off as some reviews have mentioned. They'll also provide a snorkeling mask too. You'll need to walk down some stairs and there's an option to rent a locker for 30 pesos. Some people left their belongings unattended, but you'll get a key for your locker and they'll hold your ID card until you return the key. It's a small area to snorkel around and you'll see a lot of turtles. There are some darker areas, and a waterproof flashlight would have been very useful during those parts. The water is super clear, so let's keep it that way. There's a large grassy area to dry off and relax. I would suggest bringing some snacks if you want to relax out in the sun because it does get cold in the water after awhile. There are no in and out privileges though. Overall, it's a nice little cenote to visit. I would recommend 1-2 hours depending on how much time you want to swim around. Park hours: 8:10 am to 4:45 pm, last entrance at 4:15 pm.

We love this cenote. Beautiful place to spend a couple hours in the afternoon…read more We rented bikes from town and biked our way to this place. Although we definitely recommend taking a car instead because the road can be quite dangerous and gnarly. This was one of the cheaper admission price cenote's in the area. The whole place is not very big but they do have a platform to jump off of and roped areas to separate the swimmers from the scuba divers. There's covered little patios for you to rest and have a snack. There's also showers for you to rinse off before and after you go into the water. Very quiet and peaceful, not crowded at all on the day we wet. Very nice time.

We drove by and thought the name sounded cool. We really knew nothing about this Cenote. The lady…read moreat the front desk was super sweet. Did not speak one lick of English which is ok cause I know enough Spanish to get by. They do ask for your blood type which was SO odd. I still don't know why, maybe due to mosquitos? Who knows. There were no other guests when we got there, at least we didn't think there were. We were asked to take a shower as it protects the wildlife in the Cenote. So, we took a quick shower. There is a jump off ramp and a rope for divers to use when getting out of the water. A lot more people come to this Cenote to dive vs just to hang out. We didn't want to dive. I actually didn't even get in the water, cause I stuck my feet in and a million sucker fish started eating at my feet. Like the ones in China that they use for pedicures. I would probably get eaten alive if I went in, so I passed. My friend went in and there were divers below him. That is awkward too! Like are their divers looking all up in your goods?! Cool place to check out and spend like 30 minutes, but that is about all.

If I could have given zero stars I would, but I had to give at least one star. Me and my husband…read morewent to Cozumel and rented a scooter and rode around the island and stopped in San Martin to get bottled water and the gentleman in the beach shack/ tiki hut charged us $119 on our credit card for two bottles of water and the ladies trying to sell their junk in the huts behind the beach shack are rip offs and scammers. Do not buy anything from any of these places. They are all thieves.

TRAVEL MEMORIES…read more Since I first began traveling, I have always preferred the off beaten paths. The blood of an explorer must run through my veins, which makes me sort of an anomaly in my family. NO ONE in my immediate bloodline of cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents or siblings does any real traveling outside of a hundred miles or so from their homes. While I have yet to visit Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the great canyons of the West or Alaska; I have ventured from Niagara Falls to the Panama Canal and Hawaii to St. Thomas. Cozumel, Mexico has been one of our most visited destinations. Since my very first visit, my absolute favorite thing to do is rent a jeep and just drive, stopping wherever the wind blows me. When we first arrived on the island back in 2003, it was our honeymoon, albeit 5 years after we'd gotten married. Everything south of the cruise ship ports back then was pretty undeveloped. The current cruise ship terminals did not exist and all you could see for several miles was thick brush! But drive long enough and suddenly it would give way to cozy pocket beaches and quiet ocean views along the narrow and poorly maintained 2 lane highways. Ahhh, it felt so free to break away from the touristy shops and just roll out like it was my own personal island. Our now 14-year-old was only 2 back then and I'm pretty certain we came home with his brother as a souvenir starting to bake in the oven after that trip. Fast forward to 2008 when we returned to the island with the kids and rented a 4 door soft top Jeep. So many memories from that visit, but one of our favorites was Playa de San Martin. Not so much for the beach as for the cozy little food stand across from it where a guy had a Mexican raccoon known as a coati for a pet. He was so friendly, and even climbed a nearby coconut tree and sliced two open for us to drink. One for the kids and one for us adults with a little rum added for flavor... LOL! It was the first time we ever had fresh coconut milk and to this day my youngest still loves it, although he doesn't quite remember why. On our most recent visit, the highway had become more developed and the touristy crowds had begun to follow our lead and find their way down this awesome Mexican highway, but it is still an enjoyable ride and far less crowded than the areas near the cruise port. The stand where the guy cut open the coconut had been paved over to make this once sleepy 2-lane road into a 4-lane highway. Replacing it is a restaurant by the name of Andale Bar & Grill. I'm happy for the progress, but I miss the little hidden gems that are slowly but surely disappearing. Below are links to view this same area on google maps 6 years apart. Google images of how it was then (street view 2009) - https://www.google.com/maps/@20.3664625,-86.8871167,3a,75y,322.43h,65.25t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1st6fHtdSQJcqf3HLfyOsxiw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 and how it looks now (street view 2015) - https://www.google.com/maps/@20.3665093,-86.8872736,3a,75y,298.53h,73.94t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgwpZmv0EskWvh4DuVnsHag!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 FINAL THOUGHTS If I've had no other impact on yelp, I hope I have encouraged families to spend more time together traveling. Take the off beaten path, get away from the touristy hot spots and find a new tradition. So much awaits you in this world we live and you can gather a basket full of memories if you'll just drive! 2016/61

One of my favorite Cenotes of all time, and I know we have a lot of options in the area but this…read morespot stands out for a variety of reasons: 1) Less Busy - This Cenote is definitely more famous with the locals and far less busy as compared to other tourist trap Cenotes. If looking for local chill vibes, this is your spot 2) Cost - One of the most reasonable places in them son entry ticket prices, almost half the price of other known Cenotes in the area 3) Family Friendly: Far more family friendly, not only they have a beautiful Cenote but also a train ride for kids plus have a man made zoo(with fake animal fixtures). It was a super nice train ride plus kids loved all the animal fixtures and the huge King Kong they have 4) Pool: They also have a dedicated pool area, so if you have folks or kids just wanting to chill by pool, they have adult and kid friendly pool areas. Overall we loved it here, the Cenote was beautiful plus you're able to do a zip line jump into the Cenote, super cool. We spent almost half a day here and thoroughly enjoyed it, we would definitely come back.

A beautiful cool way to spend the day. Fun, friendly and…read morepeaceful. Refreshing ethereal waters. Best ceviche in the area! Love that it's not crowded.