Cenote Cristal and Cenote Escondido are two quiet open cenotes facing each other across Highway 307, about 4.8 km south of Tulum town. Cristal is a large pool with a jump platform; Escondido, also called Mayan Blue, is quieter, with more wildlife. 2026 guides report about 140 to 250 MXN, and one ticket often covers both.
Cenote Cristal and Cenote Escondido are two open cenotes facing each other across Highway 307, about 4.8 km south-west of Tulum town. Cristal is a large open pool with a jump platform. Escondido (“hidden”), also called Mayan Blue, is across the road and draws fewer people. An October 2026 guide puts entry at about 250 MXN with Escondido usually included; a September 2026 guide gives about 140 MXN each. Both suit swimmers who want something quieter than Gran Cenote and close to town.
Checked October 2026:
| Where | Hwy 307 south-west of Tulum, on opposite sides of the road |
| Distance | 4.8 km, about 7 min by car |
| Cristal | Large open pool with a jump platform (also called Naharon) |
| Escondido | Open cenote, fewer people, more wildlife (also called Mayan Blue) |
| Entry | About 250 MXN, Escondido usually included (Oct 2026 guide); about 140 MXN each (Sep 2026 guide) |
| Divers | About 300 MXN scuba entry (reported) |
| Hours | Not published |
Whether one ticket covers both in 2026 is not settled, so ask at the gate. The cenote entrance fees guide compares prices across the area.
Head south-west out of Tulum on Highway 307, the road toward Felipe Carrillo Puerto and the airport. After about 5 km the two cenotes are signposted, one on each side. By bike it is a short ride, but the highway is busy, so take care crossing between the two.
Map apps show several overlapping points for these cenotes and one places Cristal about 1.3 km too far west. Follow the roadside signs. The Tulum cenote map uses the Cristal entrance, and the getting around Tulum guide covers bikes, taxis and colectivos south of town.
Cristal is the more open of the two: a large pool with a platform to jump from, and plenty of room to swim.
Escondido is across the highway. An October 2026 guide says it has fewer people and more wildlife, which makes it the better choice for a quiet snorkel.
Both are used for cavern diving, with a separate diver fee. Swimmers stay in the open water.
The tour picked on this page pairs the Muyil ruins and a Sian Ka’an canal float with a swim at Cenote Escondido, in a group of six.
The water in cenotes along this coast stays at about 24°C all year, by dive-blog measurements, so swimming works in any month. The dry season runs from about November to May; September is the wettest month. Cenotes are inland fresh water, so the sargassum seaweed that reaches Tulum’s beaches in summer does not affect them. The best time to visit Tulum guide goes month by month.
Pack cash pesos in small notes, water shoes, a towel (rarely rented at cenotes), a mask if you have one, a dry bag and a rash guard or long sleeves instead of sunscreen.
Cenote Angelita, a deep dive-only cenote, is about 11 km further south on Highway 307. Back in town, the Cobá road leads to Calavera and Gran Cenote, each about 3 to 5 km from the centre. For a base, see the where to stay in Tulum guide. Every cenote is on the Tulum cenote guide homepage, and tours are on the tours page.
6 hours
A six-person day that pairs the Muyil ruins and a drift down a Sian Ka'an canal with a cooling swim at Cenote Escondido.
No pickup: meet on site
from$215
Check availability4 hours
A morning run from central Tulum to Gran Cenote, the jump platforms at Cenote Zemway and the mangrove edge of Casa Cenote, with snorkel gear, towels and transport between stops.
No pickup: meet on site
from$135
Check availability6 hours
Young guides from the Chemuyil community lead you on jungle trails to three dark cave cenotes with headlamps and wetsuits, then back to the village for a home-cooked meal.
No pickup: meet on site
from$56
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Often, but not always. An October 2026 guide says the Cristal ticket, about 250 MXN, usually covers Escondido too. A September 2026 guide lists about 140 MXN for each. Older guides say one ticket covers both for 120 to 150 MXN. Ask at the first gate whether your wristband works across the road, and keep it on.
They face each other across Highway 307 about 4.8 km south-west of Tulum town, on the road toward Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Cristal is on one side and Escondido on the other. Map apps place them inconsistently, with several overlapping points, so look for the roadside signs rather than trusting a single pin.
Cristal is the bigger, more open pool with a jump platform, so it suits people who want to jump and swim laps. Escondido has fewer people and more wildlife, according to an October 2026 guide, and suits a quiet snorkel. As the ticket often covers both, you can try each one on the same visit.
Yes, certified divers make cavern dives from these cenotes with a guide. A separate scuba entry fee of about 300 MXN has been reported. Cavern dives need Open Water certification and stay within sight of daylight. Swimmers and snorkelers stay in the open water.
No. There is another cenote called Escondido next to Cenote Cristalino near Xpu-Ha, about 40 km north. The one on this page is south of Tulum on Highway 307, opposite Cenote Cristal. The Sian Ka'an tour on this page lists Cenote Escondido on a day that heads south from Tulum, the direction of this one.
Cenote Angelita is a deep vertical cenote, about 60 m, beside Highway 307 about 16 km south of Tulum.
Cenote Calavera is a semi-open cave cenote 3.3 km from Tulum on the road to Cobá, close enough to cycle.
Gran Cenote is a semi-open cenote 5 km west of Tulum on the road to Cobá: two clear pools joined by a cavern, with wooden walkways and resident turtles.