Cenote 24 km north of Valladolid
A community-run open cenote in the forest by Ek' Balam, with bikes to get there, a zip line and rappelling.
X'Canché is an open cenote in the forest about a kilometer and a half from the ruins of Ek' Balam, and it is the natural place to cool off after climbing around the site. Its round pool, roughly 40 meters across and more than 15 meters deep, sits at the bottom of rock walls draped in roots and plants, and wooden stairs lead down to a swimming platform.
The cenote is run by people from the local ejido. In the early 2000s they explored the area, cleared the access and organized themselves as a cooperative, training in first aid, adventure activities and visitor services. Today the money from tickets and activities goes back to the community.
You can reach the cenote on foot along a trail from the Ek' Balam parking area, or rent a bicycle or a pedal tricycle with a driver. Besides swimming, there is a zip line and rappelling down into the cenote, and the site has a restaurant with regional food, a crafts shop and simple cabins if you want to stay overnight near the ruins.
What to see and do
Ride a rented bike or pedal tricycle along the forest trail from Ek' Balam.
Swim in the round, deep pool at the bottom of the cenote.
Try the zip line or rappel down the cenote's walls.
Stay overnight in one of the community's cabins to visit the ruins at opening time.
Getting there
X'Canché is next to Ek' Balam, about 30 minutes north of Valladolid by car via Highway 295 and the signed road east to the ruins. From the Ek' Balam parking area it is a 1.5-kilometer walk or bike ride. Life jackets are provided.
24 km north of Valladolid
Directions from Valladolid on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Cenote X'Canché
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cenote X'Canché.
Tours & activities
Guided tours, tastings, and day trips in and around Cenote X'Canché.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Photos
Weather warm
Cenote X'Canché shares the climate of Valladolid, 24 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec.
Make Valladolid your base
Cenote X'Canché is an easy trip from Valladolid, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Valladolid
-
Cenote Oxmán
· Cenote · 4 km away
A deep open cenote on the grounds of an old hacienda just outside Valladolid, with hanging roots and a rope swing. -
Cenotes de Dzitnup
· Cenote · 5 km away
Two cave cenotes side by side, X'Keken and Samulá, lit by holes in the rock ceiling, a short ride west of Valladolid. -
Cenote Suytún
· Cenote · 8 km away
A cave cenote with a stone walkway into the water, famous for the shaft of light that falls on it around midday. -
Xocén
· Town · 11 km away
A Maya village south of Valladolid, held to be the "center of the world" and home to a venerated stone cross; community-run tours. -
Uayma
· Town · 12 km away
A quiet village with a 17th-century church whose façade is painted red and white with stars and rosettes. -
Temozón
· Town · 13 km away
The home of Yucatán's carne ahumada: smokehouses line the main road, and local carpenters carve cedar furniture. -
Cenote Hubiku
· Cenote · 15 km away
A large cave cenote near Temozón, lit through a hole in its roof, on a hacienda that also makes and sells agave spirits. -
Ek' Balam
· Archaeological site · 23 km away
A walled Maya city north of Valladolid with a huge acropolis and some of the best-preserved stucco sculpture in the Maya world. -
Grutas de Balankanché
· Cave · 35 km away
A Maya ceremonial cave near Chichén Itzá with offerings still in place; closed since 2020, with a reopening announced for 2026. -
Cenote Ik Kil
· Cenote · 36 km away
A round, open cenote with vines hanging down to the water, a few minutes from Chichén Itzá; good for a swim after the ruins. -
Chichén Itzá
· Archaeological site · 38 km away
The great Maya city of the Yucatán and a World Heritage Site: El Castillo, the Great Ball Court and the Sacred Cenote. -
Cobá
· Archaeological site · 54 km away
A large Maya city in the forest by two lagoons, about an hour east in Quintana Roo; rent a bike to ride between its groups. -
Cenote Yokdzonot
· Cenote · 55 km away
An open cenote west of Chichén Itzá, rescued and run by a cooperative of Maya women from the village of Yokdzonot.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.