Cenote Abalá, Yucatán Municipality of Abalá Ruta de los Conventos Yucatán's cenote route Camino Real (Yucatán)
An open, sheer-walled cenote at the edge of Mucuyché with deep blue water, a wooden staircase and a jump from the rim, run simply by locals.
From Mérida: 55 min by car (45 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Tours to Cenote Yaal Utzil
Day trips and guided outings from Maní often include Cenote Yaal Utzil; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Merida
From Merida: Chichen Itza Tour, Izamal, Cenote Ik Kil and Food
★ 4.9 (578) · From US$74
How to get to Cenote Yaal Utzil
- From Mérida: about 55 min by road (~45 km)
- Nearest airport: Mérida (MID), 1 h 27 min by car to Maní
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About Cenote Yaal Utzil
Cenote Yaal Utzil is on the western edge of Mucuyché, a village of about 490 people in Abalá municipality, roughly an hour's drive south of Mérida. It is a separate site from the cenotes of Hacienda Mucuyché a few hundred meters away: a small, locally run cenote you visit on your own, with no tour attached. On maps it sometimes appears as Cenote Mucuyché. The Maya name is usually translated as "good son".
It is an open cenote, a collapsed sinkhole with vertical rock walls and a round pool of clear blue freshwater at the bottom, with fish easy to see. A wooden staircase about 12 meters long takes you down to a platform at water level where you can leave your things. The braver jump straight in from the rim. Sources differ on how deep it is, from about 19 meters to more than 50, but either way it is well over your head, so weaker swimmers should use a life jacket, which can be rented on site. Small caves in the walls are home to motmots, the long-tailed birds the Maya call toh.
The place is modest: a gate, a few steps, the staircase and the pool. Local vendors sell snacks, drinks and fresh oranges. Because it is cheap and close to Kankirixché and the hacienda cenotes, it is easy to visit two or three cenotes in one trip from Mérida, or to stop here on the way to or from Uxmal.
How to get to Cenote Yaal Utzil
Drive from Mérida: 55 min, 45 km
From Mérida take Highway 261, the road to Uxmal, south through Umán and turn east at Hacienda San Pedro Ochil toward Abalá. Go through Abalá and on to Mucuyché, about 57 km in all and roughly an hour. On the way into Mucuyché, pass the small roundabout with the Virgin of Guadalupe; the cenote entrance is just beyond, on the left by a large tree. Shared vans from Mérida's Parque San Juan (Calle 67A between 62 and 64) go to Mucuyché.
Directions to Cenote Yaal Utzil on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Cenote Yaal Utzil
- Mérida · 45 km by road, 55 min
- Campeche · 169 km by road, 2 h 20 min
- Valladolid · 181 km by road, 2 h 35 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 Yaal Utzil: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Daily, about 8:00–17:00 (2021 listing; confirm locally). Showcaves.com · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- About MXN 60 per person; life jacket rental extra. Posta Yucatán (Feb 2025) · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- Self-guided; no tour needed. Showcaves.com · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Cash and a towel; the water is deep, so rent a life jacket if you're not a strong swimmer. Yucatán Today · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Cenote Yaal Utzil: what to see and do
Go down the 12 m wooden staircase to the floating platform and swim in the blue pool.
Jump into the water from the rim if you're a confident swimmer.
Watch for fish below and toh birds nesting in the cave walls.
Buy fresh oranges or a cold drink from the local vendors.
Add Cenote Kankirixché and the Hacienda Mucuyché cenotes nearby.
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Places to stay in Cenote Yaal Utzil
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cenote Yaal Utzil.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Maní often include Cenote Yaal Utzil; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at MID (Mérida): about 1 h 27 min by road to Maní, then 35 km more to Cenote Yaal Utzil, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mérida (MID), about 1 h 27 min by road from Maní, the base for Cenote Yaal Utzil.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming or snorkeling at Cenote Yaal Utzil, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Maní: download a map of the way to Cenote Yaal Utzil before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Cenote Yaal Utzil warm
Cenote Yaal Utzil shares the climate of Maní, 35 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
Underground water keeps much the same temperature all year, so Cenote Yaal Utzil is good in any month and coolest to visit in the hottest ones (April, May, and July).
See the month-by-month climate of Maní
Weather in Cenote Yaal Utzil now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Maní
Maní is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Cenote Yaal Utzil, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
Closest to Cenote Yaal Utzil
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Cenotes Hacienda Mucuyché · Cenote · 0 km away
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Cenote Kankirixché · Cenote · 3 km away
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Yunkú · Village · 5 km away
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Abalá · Village · 8 km away
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Hacienda Temozón Sur · Landmark · 9 km away
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Hacienda Ochil · Landmark · 12 km away
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Hacienda Sotuta de Peón · Landmark · 13 km away
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Mayapán · Archaeological site · 15 km away
Near Cenote Yaal Utzil
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Cenote Yaal Utzil
Cenotes in Yucatán · 28 Cenotes near Maní · 8 Cenotes near Mérida · 9Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.