Cenote 39 km southeast of Izamal
An open cenote west of Chichén Itzá, rescued and run by a cooperative of Maya women from the village of Yokdzonot.
Yokdzonot is a Maya village on the old highway between Mérida and Chichén Itzá, about 15 kilometers west of the ruins, and its cenote is one of the best community tourism stories in Yucatán. The name means roughly "over the cenote," and the village was built right beside it.
For decades the cenote was neglected and used as a dump. In 2005 a group of residents, many of them women, set out to clean it and build simple facilities, and they formed a cooperative named Zaaz Koolen Haa, "clean water" in Maya. Today a small group of women still runs it, and the money it earns stays in the village.
The cenote is a large open sinkhole with the water about 22 meters below ground level. A stairway leads down to wooden platforms, and the water is clear and deep, with life jackets and snorkel gear available. The cooperative also runs a restaurant serving home-style Yucatecan food, and sometimes offers cooking classes. Because it is off the main tour circuit, it is usually much calmer than Ik Kil.
What to see and do
Swim in the deep, clear water of the open cenote.
Have lunch at the cooperative's restaurant.
Ask about a Yucatecan cooking class with the women who run the site.
Stop on the way to or from Chichén Itzá.
Getting there
From Izamal, drive east toward Tunkás and then south to the old Mérida–Chichén Itzá highway (180), where Yokdzonot is signed; allow about an hour. Showering before swimming is required.
39 km southeast of Izamal
Directions from Izamal on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Cenote Yokdzonot
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cenote Yokdzonot.
Tours & activities
Guided tours, tastings, and day trips in and around Cenote Yokdzonot.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Photos
Weather warm
Cenote Yokdzonot shares the climate of Izamal, 39 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec.
Make Izamal your base
Cenote Yokdzonot is an easy trip from Izamal, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Valladolid · 55 km away
More around Izamal
-
Sitilpech
· Town · 7 km away
A village east of Izamal, linked by a bike path, whose venerated Christ is carried to Izamal every October 18. -
Kimbilá
· Town · 11 km away
A village of family sewing workshops west of Izamal, known for embroidered hipiles, dresses and guayaberas. -
Aké
· Archaeological site · 29 km away
Maya ruins with a platform of tall stone columns beside a working henequen hacienda; a causeway once linked it to Izamal. -
Cenotes de Homún
· Cenote · 35 km away
A Maya town ringed by dozens of cenotes, from open pools to caves, visited with local mototaxi guides. -
Cenotes de Cuzamá
· Cenote · 40 km away
Next to Homún: at the old hacienda of Chunkanán, horse-drawn carts on henequen rail tracks take you to three cave cenotes. -
Chichén Itzá
· Archaeological site · 54 km away
The great Maya city of El Castillo and the Sacred Cenote, about an hour east of Izamal; arrive at opening time.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.