Our group of 8 friends booked the excursion with the cenote and sea turtle snorkeling recently…read more Booking was easy through Viator, a bit pricey but worth the experience.
We were picked up from our resort right at 7 am and then we made our way to the Cancun Adventures office to wait for two other couples from other resorts. This ended up taking quite a bit of time, but thankfully there is a coffee shop next door where we got some caffeine and a snack. They did offer us cold bottled water and bananas on the bus (I would bring extra snacks because by the time we finished at the cenote I was starving and had to pay $6 for a small bag of chips at the cenote).
The bus was pretty crowded with 12 people, and driving back into the jungle to the cenote was VERY bumpy. Be sure to take some dramamine if you get car sick!
Omar was our guide and he was amazing. He told us about the area of Mexico we were in, and talked about the cenotes and what we could expect at each stop.
Once we got to the cenote, we were offered a Mayan blessing, showered off, and headed into the cenote. They do not allow any photos or devices in the cenote. (They provide a locker for your stuff.) Once you get into the cenote they take your photos, which was kitschy and VERY expensive ($50 for one photo), but I get it's part of the tour.
I absolutely loved the cenote experience itself - it was so cool to learn about and Omar's background in biology made it very informative. This part was about an hour, then you could shop a bit (they are pretty pushy but you can politely decline).
Then we headed on to the snorkeling portion. I personally don't really love snorkeling, but it was fun to see the turtles! We saw about 4 or 5, but it was a bit chaotic with other groups everywhere.
Then we headed to the beach club for lunch. This private beach was peaceful and the food was delicious. I personally loved the beef burrito. Mix the hibiscus and lemonade half and half for a tasty beverage. There are some areas to relax and changing rooms, so bring dry clothes to change into if you want. Pack a towel!
Overall the tour took much longer than I was expecting, so be sure to plan for that if you have a dinner reservation or other evening plans. But I loved the experience and Omar was awesome.