Our Coba Cenotes & Ruins Day Trip offers a packed 1-day itinerary! You’ll visit 5 cenotes and climb one of the few Mayan pyramids still open to the public! You’ll get beautiful photo opportunities and have the chance to: snorkel, zip-line, jump off a high dive, and swim! The Riviera Maya region is unique for its picturesque Cenotes. “Cenote” means a natural sinkhole formed by the collapse of surface limsteone; an underground water system that has an opening to earth’s surface.
Coba Cenotes & Ruins
Overview & Map
Quick Overview
- Best Time of Year to Visit:
- Dry season: December – April
- How to Get There:
- Rent a Car – We rented a car from a vendor at our hotel (The Royal in Playa Del Carmen). This enables you to go at our own pace, stop at more cenotes, and avoid the crowds.
- They drive on the right side of the road.
- Guided Tours
- Rent a driver for the day for a set price
- Rent a Car – We rented a car from a vendor at our hotel (The Royal in Playa Del Carmen). This enables you to go at our own pace, stop at more cenotes, and avoid the crowds.
- Where to Stay:
- Distance to Coba:
- Tulum: 45 min
- Playa Del Carmen: 1.5 hrs
- Cancun: 2 hrs
- Distance to Coba:
- Navigation:
- Download an offline Google Map before you go. You may not have cell service. (How to)
- “Follow” our Coba Cenotes & Ruins Day Trip Google Map. This will save our recommended stops directly onto your Google Maps App
Coba Cenotes & Ruins Day Trip Map
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Things To Do
This is our Cenotes Highlight Tour of the top cenotes to visit in Riviera Maya. We recommend starting your morning at the Coba Ruins, then heading towards the many beautiful cenotes afterwards.
Coba Cenotes & Ruins Day Tour
Time: 1 Day
Coba Ruins – Nohoch Mol
Cenote Tamcach- Ha
Cenote Choo-Ha
Centote Multum-Ha
Cenote Zacil-Ha
Gran Cenote
Coba Ruins
Recommended Time: 2-3 hours
- Get there early (Before 10 am)
- We recommend heading to Nohoch Mol Pyramid first to beat the crowds pouring in from the tour buses. It’s a 35 minute walk through the ruins to get to there. You can rent a bike near the entrance or hire a pedicab driver too.
- We didn’t hire a tour guide, but if interested there are plenty of guides available when you walk up.
Nohoch Mol – Mayan Pyramid you can climb!
- 120 steps
- 2nd tallest Mayan Pyramid in the world
- Its one of the few Mayan pyramids still open to the public.
- The climb is well worth the view at the top!
Nohoch Mol Pyramid (After Crowd)
Nohoch Mol Pyramid (Before Crowd)
Top of Nohoch Mol Pyramid
Cenote Tour
Recommended time: 1/2 Day
There are 3 underwater cenotes about ten minutes away from the Mayan Ruins of Coba in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
1. Cenote Tamcach- Ha
2. Cenote Choo-Ha
3. Centote Multum-Ha
- Google Maps provided accurate directions.
- Here are directions if needed: From the Coba ruins parking lot – take a left onto the paved road. The road curves along a lagoon in the village of Coba. After about 1 minute of driving you’ll reach an intersection of a small road. At the corner there will be a blue sign with the names of the 3 cenotes and an arrow pointing to go Left. You’ll drive through a village.
- You can specify if you want to do all 3 cenotes or just one. Cost: $55-100 Pesos (about $2-4 USD per person), depends on how you bargain.
- $165 pesos to enter all 3
- Toilets, showers and changing room available
- Hours: 8am- 5 pm
Tourist Tip:
We learned that lunch is a good time to go because the tours are typically eating at this time.
1. Cenote Tamcach-Ha:
- Time: 1 hr
- Our Favorite!
- Underground cenote with 2 jumping platforms:
- 15 and 30 ft
- Divided into 2 sections: 1 for the jumpers and 1 for the snorkelers
2. Cenote Choo-Ha:
- Time: 30 minutes
- Enter: Go down a staircase (be careful, it’s slippery)
- Gives you a real cave experience, many stalagmites hanging down
- Crystal clear water, great for snorkeling
Stairs Down to Cenote Choo-Ha
Cenote Choo-Ha
3. Cenote Multum-Ha:
- Time: 30 min
- Best for snorkeling
- Small hole in ceiling, when the sun shines through the water lights up!
4. Cenote Zacil-Ha: Zip Line!
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Hours: 10 am – 5:30 pm
- Cost: $80 pesos to enter
- Small restaurant, snacks, areas to relax in the shade, restrooms, changing area
- Beautiful blue water: Good for swimming and families
- Zip Lining Offered! 10ft deep (be careful, I hit my foot on the bottom)
- $10 pesos per turn
- Go during the week so its less crowded (the area is not big)
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