Cenote Azul
Three open-air freshwater pools, with a rock jump for those who want it.
Duration
1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs 30 min
Best time
At opening
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
Cenote Azul is an open cenote, under the sky: three shallow linked pools edged with rock and trees, with no underground passage. It is the easiest on the coast to take on, and the best choice if you are a middling swimmer.
A rock platform allows a jump of a few metres into the deepest pool. Small cleaner fish come and nibble at resting feet, which is a surprise the first time.
Getting there
On the federal highway between Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras, about twenty-five minutes south. Colectivo from calle 2 in Playa.
What the price covers
paid entry, rate to confirm; usually cash only
What to bring
- Swimsuit
- Sunscreen
Rules on site
A shower is compulsory and sunscreen is banned before swimming. The bottom is uneven and rocky in places: only jump from the marked platforms.
Other places in Playa del Carmen
- Quinta AvenidaForty pedestrian blocks of restaurants and shops, with beach access every hundred metres.
- CozumelThe island across the water, sitting on the world's second-largest coral reef.
- PlayacarThe beach south of town, wider and quieter than the central stretch.
XcaretAn eco-archaeological park built around underground rivers, with an evening show.