Santa Cruz Cenote: Light and Dark

The cenotes at Santa Cruz are two sides of the same coin: an open cenote lit by the sun and a closed one, tucked away inside a cave. It is a place of light and dark.

The facilities at the Santa Cruz Cenote

Santa Cruz is located inside a tourist center of the same name, and as such, offers a wide variety of commodities.

Eat traditional Yucatecan dishes at the restaurant and spend the night. You can sleep under the stars on the camping site or in one of the cabins; there are smaller ones, for two people, or larger ones for the whole family, which hold up to eight people. There are also “palafitos”, thatched-roofed open platforms with a mattress. Your reservation includes your lifejackets and access to both cenotes, as well as the pool.

And the activities keep coming, as there’s also a zip line circuit and guided tours around a grotto.

Inside the Santa Cruz Cenotes

Carefully climb down a set of wooden stairs into the dark entrance of the first cenote. The cavern is well lit and the sun shines (sometimes) through a hole in the roof. It might be one of the smaller cenotes you’ll swim in and it’s only around 5 ft. deep.

A small cave connects it with its sister cenote, though, as it’s easily flooded by the rains, it might not be accessible.

Unlike the first one, the second Santa Cruz cenote is semi-open and it’s much easier to access. Just climb down a wide concrete stairway that will lead you right to the edge of the water. This is the cenote they recommend you swim in if you are a senior or are traveling with children. It’s also the deepest of the two, with a variable depth that goes from 6.5 feet to 20.

The Santa Cruz Cenotes Guided Tour

If caves are your thing, Santa Cruz offers a guided tour of a grotto 2 miles long which is two and a half hours long. Listen to your guide as he or she explains how long it takes for places like this to take shape and what can we do to make sure they last for generations.

For more information and bookings go to https://www.cenotesantacruz.com/copia-de-cenote-santa-cruz-2