Cenote 5 km southwest of Valladolid
Two cave cenotes side by side, X'Keken and Samulá, lit by holes in the rock ceiling, a short ride west of Valladolid.
Just outside the village of Dzitnup, about 7 kilometers west of Valladolid, two of Yucatán's best-known cenotes sit a few hundred meters apart under the same ticket office. Both are caverns: you go down stairs cut into the rock and come out in a dome of limestone over clear, blue-green water.
X'Keken is the darker and more dramatic of the two, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and a single small opening that lets in a shaft of light. Samulá is lighter and more open, with a round hole in the roof through which the roots of a tree drop down to the water, and on sunny days around midday a beam of light hits the surface.
Because they are so close to town, the Dzitnup cenotes are an easy half day from Valladolid and pair well with Cenote Oxmán, just to the north. They get busy with tour groups from late morning, so the first hour after opening is the calmest time to swim.
What to see and do
Swim under the stalactites in X'Keken, the darker cave cenote.
Catch the beam of light through the roof of Samulá, best near midday on a sunny day.
Buy the combined ticket if you want to see both; they are a short walk apart.
Ride a bike from Valladolid and stop at Cenote Oxmán on the same trip.
Getting there
The cenotes are about 15 minutes from Valladolid by car or taxi, west toward Mérida on the free Highway 180 and then south at the Dzitnup turnoff. Colectivos to X'Keken and Samulá leave from the center of Valladolid, and many people bike there. They are usually open daily from morning to late afternoon; showering before you swim is required, and sunscreen and repellent are not allowed in the water.
5 km southwest 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 Cenotes de Dzitnup
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cenotes de Dzitnup.
Tours & activities
Guided tours, tastings, and day trips in and around Cenotes de Dzitnup.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Photos
Weather warm
Cenotes de Dzitnup shares the climate of Valladolid, 5 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec.
Make Valladolid your base
Cenotes de Dzitnup 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. -
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. -
Cenote X'Canché
· Cenote · 24 km away
A community-run open cenote in the forest by Ek' Balam, with bikes to get there, a zip line and rappelling. -
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.