We visited Valladolid and Cenote Zaci many years ago, and decided to revisit the cenote with our children. Cenote Zaci is located right in the town of Valladolid, and it is nice to be able to walk right to it. If you aren’t familiar with cenotes, they are water-filled sinkholes, and are usually beautiful places to swim!

We stayed at Hotel el Meson del Marques located on the central square in Valladolid. Therefore, it was easy to get to the cenote by foot, versus driving and trying to find a parking spot. We walked about four blocks to the cenote, about 10 minutes. There were plenty of signs along the way.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links; this blog receives a small commission from sales made through such links at no extra cost for you. All opinions remain my own.

There is not a ton of parking here, and the lot was crowded, so we were glad we walked instead of driving our rental car from Avant Car Rental.

When we were there in July 2021, there was a lot of construction going on, but it did not seem to affect the operations of the cenote.

There is a ticket booth at the top of the cenote. The entrance fee is pretty cheap and very reasonable.

When we went, it was $30 MXN ($1.50 USD). The cenote is open 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, 7 days a week.

Once you have paid, there are paths and stairs to go down to the water.

This was the scenic view from above.

Another view from about halfway down the stairs.

The view from the back of the cenote, where you can jump from a high platform.

This is a large, open-air cenote, with plenty of spots to wade or jump in.

There were a lot of people swimming here, as I am sure it is popular for both locals and tourists.

Most people were near the bottom of the stairs and swimming in the shallower parts of the cenote.

There are several spots to jump in from different heights, which is a definite bonus for a cenote. We always look for cenotes where you can jump in, or any that have extra features (zip lines, rope swings, etc).

Here are the kids checking out the higher jumping platform.

And this is my daughter taking the plunge!

@anationofmoms

Jumping into Cenote Zaci, Valladolid, Mexico. ##cenote ##cenotes ##cenotezaci ##valladolid ##cenotezacivalladolid ##cenotesmexico ##mexicocenote

♬ Adventure – André Branney

When we visited in the afternoon, there were many people there.

There is a restaurant right next to the cenote, which is a convenient place to eat. We took a look at the menu and the prices looked reasonable; e.g. $75 MXN for guacamole (about $3.50 USD), and cochinita pibil for MXN $105 (just over $5 USD).

Overall, we had a nice time visiting the cenote. The kids had a blast jumping in from up high, and it was nice that it was located right in town.

Pros: easy to get to, cheap, lots of spots to jump in, no life jacket required, large, restaurant on the property, right in town if you want to see other sights

Cons: can be busy

What to bring:
~ Skip the sunscreen and go with alternate sun protection if you feel like you need it. Much of the cenote is in the shade anyway, so it is unlikely you’ll need it.
~ goggles if desired
~ action camera
~ shoes appropriate for wet surfaces (stone platforms and stairs were wet)

Check out my Tips for Visiting Cenotes

Check out my other Mexico blog posts

Marysa

About the Author: Marysa

Busy blogger and mom of two girls. We love traveling and the great outdoors, and are always looking for our next adventure!