Cenote Valladolid, Yucatán Municipality of Valladolid Eastern Yucatán
A 50 m wide open cenote in the forest beyond Yalcobá, with jumps of up to 22 m, a Tarzan rope, a small boutique hotel and night swims.
From Valladolid: 45 min by car (34 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near Cenote Secreto Maya
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Tours to Cenote Secreto Maya
Day trips and guided outings from Valladolid often include Cenote Secreto Maya; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Valladolid
Valladolid Mayan Bees Tour with Lunch or breakfast and Honey Tasting
★ 4.9 (205) · From US$22
How to get to Cenote Secreto Maya
- From Valladolid: about 45 min by road (~34 km)
- Nearest airport: Tulum (TQO), 2 h by car to Valladolid
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Tours from Valladolid, near Cenote Secreto Maya
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About Cenote Secreto Maya
Cenote Secreto Maya is an open cenote at kilometre 9 of the road from Yalcobá to X'Tut, in the far northeast of the municipality of Valladolid. Yalcobá itself is about half an hour by road northeast of Valladolid, so the cenote is well off the usual tour circuit. It belongs to a small boutique hotel of the same name, whose cabins are scattered through the surrounding forest, but day visitors are welcome too.
The cenote is a roughly elliptical pool about 50 m across, with sheer rock walls, trees leaning over the rim and roots hanging down toward the water. A wooden staircase leads down to a wooden platform. The water is reported to reach 54 m in depth, and three flooded cave passages lead off from the main pool. What draws most visitors is the jumping: there are several heights to choose from, the highest at 22 m, plus a Tarzan-style swing rope. The owners have tried to keep the site as natural as possible, with few built structures.
Visitors receive a short Maya blessing on arrival. A day pass covers the cenote, a pool and wifi, and an "adventure" ticket adds rappelling, a visit to a cave, a melipona (stingless bee) experience and a drink. The hotel also sells a night pass for swimming in the cenote after dark, with transport from Valladolid. There is a restaurant serving Yucatecan dishes, and the hotel offers massages and other wellness treatments.
How to get to Cenote Secreto Maya
Drive from Valladolid: 45 min, 34 km
From Valladolid, drive about 30 minutes northeast to Yalcobá, then follow the road toward X'Tut for 9 km to the hotel. From Mérida, drive to Valladolid first (about 160 km on the 180D toll road or the free Highway 180). The night pass includes transport from Valladolid.
Directions to Cenote Secreto Maya on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Cenote Secreto Maya
- Valladolid · 34 km by road, 45 min
- Tizimín · 49 km by road, 55 min
- Playa del Carmen · 121 km by road, 1 h 50 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Cenote Secreto Maya: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Daily 10:00–17:00, all year. SEFOTUR, yucatan.travel · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- About 350 pesos per adult (SEFOTUR); a 2023 listing gave 250 pesos for the day pass, 400 for the adventure ticket and 800 for the night pass with transport. SEFOTUR, yucatan.travel; Showcaves.com (2023) · checked Oct 2026
- Time needed
- About 2 hours. SEFOTUR, yucatan.travel · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Cenote Secreto Maya: what to see and do
Jump into the cenote from one of several platforms, up to 22 m high.
Swing out over the water on the Tarzan rope.
Book the adventure ticket for rappelling, a cave visit and the melipona bees.
Swim after dark with the night pass, which includes transport from Valladolid.
Stay overnight in one of the hotel's forest cabins.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Cenote Secreto Maya
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cenote Secreto Maya.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Valladolid often include Cenote Secreto Maya; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at TQO (Tulum): about 2 h by road to Valladolid, then 29 km more to Cenote Secreto Maya, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tulum (TQO), about 2 h by road from Valladolid, the base for Cenote Secreto Maya.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming or snorkeling at Cenote Secreto Maya, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Valladolid: download a map of the way to Cenote Secreto Maya before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Cenote Secreto Maya warm
Cenote Secreto Maya shares the climate of Valladolid, 29 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
Underground water keeps much the same temperature all year, so Cenote Secreto Maya is good in any month and coolest to visit in the hottest ones (April, May, and August).
See the month-by-month climate of Valladolid
Weather in Cenote Secreto Maya now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Valladolid
Valladolid is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Cenote Secreto Maya, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Espita · Yucatán · 36 km away
Closest to Cenote Secreto Maya
-
Cenote Xcanahaltún · Cenote · 5 km away
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Cenote Agua Dulce · Cenote · 8 km away
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Cenote Palomitas · Cenote · 8 km away
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Sisbichén · Village · 9 km away
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Yalcobá · Village · 10 km away
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Chechmil · Village · 11 km away
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Uspibil · Village · 11 km away
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Cenote X'Canché · Cenote · 13 km away
Near Cenote Secreto Maya
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Cenote Secreto Maya
Cenotes in Yucatán · 28 Cenotes near Valladolid · 19 Cenotes near Tizimín · 16Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.