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    Cenote Ik Kil

    4.4 (76 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Jason R.

    Cenote was my final stop on my tour from Cancun to Chicen-Itza. I looked at photos and reviews, prior to my trip to Mexico, so I thought I knew what I was in for. It's a beautiful scenic sinkhole. It was $6USD for a locker and a live vest. You will be asked to take a quick shower before entering and then you can make your way inside. Warning: the ground surface is very slippery and the walk down to the Cenote could be a little scar, as it's very narrow and folks are walking on both sides of the staircase. I did not know how deep the water was (I overheard a few people talking and they said 10 feet) however,I do not know how to swim, and I had an incident as a teenager, where I almost drowned, so I was very careful about easing myself inside the water. Once I was in the water, I got a little afraid because I couldn't feel my legs touching the ground and even with the live vest, I didn't feel comfortable. I quickly exited after about five minutes, but stayed around to watch the folks have a ball and leap off the top. My biggest regret was inability to swim and not enjoy to the fullest extent. I'd definitely say this is a worthwhile experience excursion, while visiting Mexico.

    Kelly S.

    Fun stop after Chichen Itza. It is on the way to Chichen Itza from Playa Del Carmen, Tulum or Rivera Maya. It is pretty commercialized with good bathrooms and lockers included in admission price (approx $9usd). You have to shower before walking down to the cenote. It is quite large and you are allowed to swim. They also have a spot to dive in from. The cenote walls are covered with vine and it's cool looking. Tip: not handicapped accessible and it has steep and somewhat slippery steps. Would not recommend for people with mobility issues

    People diving into the cenote
    Jay M.

    It is about 6 kilometers from Chichen Itza. Very good cenote. It is a part of a hotel but I suppose it is open to the general tourists as well. Great place to take a dive in and enjoy the swim. There are showers and changing rooms just a few steps from the entrance from where you can also get the life jackets in case you don't know how to swim or just want to be safe. The cenote is about three levels down. There are three levels to take a dive - the first one isn't actually much of a dive (just stepping down from the ladder into the water) but the second and third ones are at two different heights. So, someone enjoying the dives would enjoy it here. There is some parking space outside and a restaurant for refreshments. Overall, a great place to enjoy cenotes that this area is famous for.

    Yura L.

    Great little cenote! Highly recommend going there super early for great pictures. Highly recommend going right when they open so you have the cenote all to yourself. It does get crowded around 10:30/11:00 when all the tour buses start to arrive. We went right before checking out Chizen Itza and timing was perfect!

    Tyler L.

    This cenote is very large and very deep. First, you must take a shower before getting in and then they give you a life jacket - there are lockers to store your things. The entry here was included in our tour to Chichen Itza. It seemed like that was the case for many people as there were easily about 100 people at the cenote at the same time we were there. It was a definitely a nice stop during the tour. However, if you want to enjoy and relax at a cenote without large crowds, this place is to be avoided. There are plenty of others that are not so touristy.

    Cenote_Yucatan_Sanju-1
    Sanjay G.

    Great for quick dive, very popular among tourist due to tours and travel agency We did our chichen Itza tour from 13baktun tours and after chichen Itza, we came here. It was great, though I did not go into the water as a swimmer I can feel this. this Cenote is a big hole about 150 feet in the ground. Water was very clear, and you can see people diving down the water. There is locker room at a reasonable rate and they give you the life jacket. Stairs are there all the way to the down. But again, I guess if tour buses don't come here, it won't be that much crowded and, in that way, it can preserve its beauty. There are souvenir shops, restaurants, and park and you can pass your time here. Donno why our bus halted here more than 1.5 hr.

    January 2017
    Marissa C.

    This was one of the pit stops after seeing the Pyramids. We didn't get the chance to swim in it though, but I'm kind of glad because the water didn't seem so clean and there were a bunch of kids in there already. Pretty cool place to check out though.

    View from the bottom
    Melanie R.

    This Cenote is beautiful!! When I come back to Mexico I definitely want to check out more but since we were short on time, this was still a great stop despite lots of people! Cenotes are sink holes that result in natural swimming holes and beautiful caves! We definitely wanted to check at least one while we were here on our short little vacay. This one is pretty close to Chichen Itza (about 5 minutes) so it's definitely worth a stop after your visit to the ruins! Because it's near the popular Mayan ruins.. it'll most likely be crowded... but despite the crowds... you don't have to worry about lines unless you want to jump off the platforms into the pool. Otherwise just step right in! They have their own parking lot and plenty of it. There is an entrance fee.. which is included in most tours, but it's quite inexpensive and with bathrooms and showers included and also lockers. Once you walk inside, you're greeted with dancers and you can take your picture with them. Pretty sure they expect tips. Restaurant There is a buffet style restaurant, which was included in my tour. Food was ok! I was starving when I got there so I thought everything tasted pretty good. There's another restaurant with more food and alcohol as well. Swimming 50m deep (150ft) Various jump platforms to jump from Tips Shower is mandatory to swim Life vests were required Around 91 steps to get down to swimming area. No clue if it's up and down or 91 steps one way but it wasn't hard. Get views from the top and the bottom!

    Josh N.

    I want to give 5 stars because the Cenote was so neat but the place is such a crowded tourist trap and they charge for every little thing and it seems so chaotic with all the people I have to only give 4. That being said it was super cool to be able to jump in and float around this beautiful natural creation. The water was a cool 70 degrees and a bit chilly for me. I think everyone should experience it once.

    Welcome sign for Red Bull Diving Competition - Cenote Ik Kil
    Michael S.

    Popular, deep, and beautiful Ik Kil may be the most famous cenote in the Mexican Yucatán. Its convenience to the nearby Mayan archeological ruins at Chichen Itza makes it a regular part of many bus tours from Cancun and the Riviera Maya. Our tour group stopped here on the way to Valladolid and I have to admit that Cenote Ik Kil was the most professional/organized cenote we have visited in Mexico. Compared to most cenotes, Ik Kil offers many facilities for visitors including a store, changing rooms, restaurant, and cottages. Three times in recent years, Ik Kil was the site of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Guests aren't allowed to dive into the cenote from the opening at ground level which is probably a wise thing since the water is 85 feet (26m) below the surface. Instead, there are carved stairs down to a swimming platform at water level. Along the way down. there are a few view points to look out through the natural vines that stretch from the sky towards the water. The cold aqua pura of Ik Kil is refreshing and a bit intimidating since the cenote is 130 feet (40m) deep. The experience at Ik Kil is definitely more touristy and sterile than most cenote in the region which also makes it one of the best for providing a family-friendly, safe, and refreshing experience at one of Mexico's most famous, beautiful, and popular Cenotes.

    Trees and the vines coming down to the water
    Benedict A.

    This is quite a beautiful cenote on the way to Chichen Itza. Being part of the tour to Chitchen Itza, you stop by here for lunch and some playtime in the water before heading to the pyramids. The food at the restaurant was whatevers. Buffet style, but the flavors and tastes were just lacking. Alcohol not included in the tour price. After you're done eating you can goto the cenote. Before you get in the water there's a changing area and showering area where you can also rent a life jacket if you dont float well. The stairs leading down to the cenote can be treacherous. Being dimly lit, wet, and varying in size and length of the stairs, just be careful when going up and down the stairs. Its amazing that you can see through the top to the sky. And there's vines and roots from the trees hanging down from the top. The water is crystal clear and extremely deep. There's a ledge where you can jump from, about 20 feet up which is a great picture moment. Only thing I didn't like is how rushed you feel. Arriving and leaving all within 1.5 hours or so. But the views are spectacular, seeing how this is a naturally made body of water. And to cool off before you get to Chichen Itza. It's a must visit.

    Mike F.

    As is the case with most people here, I ended up stopping here during a day long excursion to Chichen Itza. I've read a lot of reviews, both on here and TripAdvisor, where reviewers complained about ridiculous crowds. I was lucky enough to not have that problem. When our tour bus stopped by here it was already late in the afternoon and the place was empty! Sweet! I opted not to swim in the Cenote, but if you wish to they have showers available so that way you don't bring your sweat, nastiness, and funk into the water with you. I'm no germaphobe, but it still sounded a little too "funky" for my liking, showers or no showers. With all that said, it is a beautiful site! The long stringing vines and deep blue waters are quite the site, especially from above. They have three different viewing spots above the top of the water of the cenote. From what our tour guide said, this cenote is 161 feet deep, so don't jump in unless you are an experienced swimmer. A little research on Wikipedia and I found out that the Mayans used to use these natural sinkholes as places to offer sacrifices to the "rain gods". In the early 1900's they actually found precious metals, artifacts, and human remains! Whoa! What a trip! lol Even though I did not swim in the cenote, I am glad to have had an opportunity to check it out! 4 stars. Yay! I'm a fan.

    Beautiful cenote
    Shirly C.

    VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE!! I had booked a package via my hotel for the Classic Chichen Itza...and they allow you to not only visit, but also swim in the cenote Whats a cenote? Its a natural sinkhole. By bus, this place is about 2 hours away from the hotel strip close to the Mayan ruins. They have a restaurant which serves pretty good buffet style food, but the service was blech. Had to ask 3 people just to get a fork. After you eat, you rinse off your body oils and head down the steep limestone staircase into the cenote. Be careful, the floors are wet and slippery! For those who can't swim, they do rent out lifejackets for $15 I believe. Once downstairs, you can wait in the "diving" line or go down via stairs. Overall, the place is beautiful and unlike anything I've seen before...minus the crowd...I only didn't like the lack of time (an hour to eat, change, and swim) because everything felt so rushed!

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    Review Highlights - Cenote Ik Kil

    It seems that this is what you do either before or after Chichen Itza, since they're in the same area.

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    Cenote Ik Kil - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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