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    Light falling through the opening into a cenote at Dzitnup, Yucatán

    Photo by Adam Baker, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Stalactites over the water of Cenote Xkeken, Dzitnup, Yucatán

    Photo by Haakon S. Krohn, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Church of Dzitnup village, Yucatán

    Photo by Misael Lavadores, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Cenote Valladolid, Yucatán Municipality of Valladolid Eastern Yucatán

    Two cave cenotes side by side, X'Keken and Samulá, lit by holes in the rock ceiling, a short ride west of Valladolid.

    From Valladolid: 10 min by car (7 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Where to stay near Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Casa Quetzal Hotel · ★★★★ · 4.3 km from the center Prices Hotel Real Zací Hotel · ★★★ · 2.3 km from the center Prices
    Hotels in Valladolid Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Day trips and guided outings from Valladolid often include Cenotes de Dzitnup; 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
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Valladolid

    How to get to Cenotes de Dzitnup

    • From Valladolid: about 10 min by road (~7 km)
    • 5 km southwest of Valladolid
    • Nearest airport: Tulum (TQO), 2 h by car to Valladolid
    Rent a car at TQO Flights to TQO

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Valladolid, near Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Valladolid Mayan Bees Tour with Lunch or breakfast and Honey Tasting ★ 4.9 (205) 1 h 30 min From US$22
    Rio Lagartos guided boat tour- Ek Balam from Valladolid ★ 4.9 (162) 10 h From US$198
    Shared Mezcal Tasting Experience in Valladolid Mexico ★ 5.0 (130) 45 min From US$40
    Tulum Ruins and 3 Cenotes - Jungle Adventure ★ 4.9 (114) 8 h From US$199
    Chichen Itza skip the line - Cenote - Izamal from Valladolid ★ 4.9 (105) 11 h From US$189

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Cenotes de Dzitnup

    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.

    How to get to Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Drive from Valladolid: 10 min, 7 km

    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.

    Where to stay Hotels in Cenotes de Dzitnup Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Cenotes de Dzitnup. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Cenotes de Dzitnup: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Daily 8 am to 5 pm. Showcaves.com · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    A combined ticket for X'Keken and Samulá was 226 pesos for adults in 2025 (150 for one cenote). Life jackets and lockers cost extra, and you pay for a vest at each cenote. Showcaves.com · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    About 2 hours. Yucatán Travel (SEFOTUR) · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Around noon, when the sun shines almost straight down through the hole in X'Keken's roof. Showcaves.com · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    No guide needed; turn down guides who start explaining and then ask for a fee. Showcaves.com · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    A life jacket is required to swim. Showcaves.com · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Cenotes de Dzitnup: 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.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Casa Quetzal Hotel · ★★★★ · 4.3 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Real Zací Hotel · ★★★ · 2.3 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Los Frailes Hotel · ★★★ · 4.0 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel "El Zaguán Colonial" Hotel · ★★★ · 4.3 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Hacienda Margot Hotel · ★★★ · 4.3 km from the center Find on Expedia Villas del Angel Hotel · 2.0 km from the center Find on Expedia
    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Valladolid often include Cenotes de Dzitnup; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at TQO (Tulum): about 2 h by road to Valladolid, then 5 km more to Cenotes de Dzitnup, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Tulum (TQO), about 2 h by road from Valladolid, the base for Cenotes de Dzitnup.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on swimming or snorkeling at Cenotes de Dzitnup, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Valladolid: download a map of the way to Cenotes de Dzitnup before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.

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    When to go to Cenotes de Dzitnup warm

    Cenotes de Dzitnup shares the climate of Valladolid, 5 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    Underground water keeps much the same temperature all year, so Cenotes de Dzitnup 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

    Make Valladolid your base

    Twin towers of the Cathedral of San Gervasio and palms, Valladolid, Yucatán warm
    Yucatán Valladolid

    Cenotes de Dzitnup is an easy trip from Valladolid, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Cenotes de Dzitnup

    All 14 towns and sights around Valladolid →

    Near Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Cenotes de Dzitnup

    Cenotes in Yucatán · 28 Cenotes near Valladolid · 19 Cenotes near Tizimín · 16

    Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.