This article contains affiliate links. When you book a hotel, a car rental or an activity through these links, we receive a commission from the advertiser at no extra cost to you 💕. By using them, you support us while paying exactly the same price 🙏. We earn a commission from the advertiser at no extra cost to you 💕. Thank you!
Our partners
CONTENTS
THE HISTORY OF CENOTE SECRETO MAYA 🇲🇽
Swimming in Cenote Secreto Maya 💧 is an almost mystical experience. The Maya believed cenotes were passages to the afterlife. The word “cenote” comes from the Mayan dz’onot, meaning “sacred well.”
Cenotes are natural sinkholes, formed when the roof of a water-filled cave collapsed. There are an estimated 10,000 on the Yucatán Peninsula 🇲🇽! For the Maya, they were the main source of fresh water, and a place for offerings: precious objects, and sometimes even human sacrifices…
Secreto Maya is an open cenote: a huge open-air sinkhole surrounded by greenery, with water about 50 meters deep. It’s about thirty minutes north of Valladolid. Adeline and I discovered it in October 2021, and it was one of our best cenote moments 😍.
THE MAP OF OUR MEXICO ROAD TRIP 🗺️
To help you plan your itinerary, we’ve gathered every place from our 30-day road trip in Mexico 🇲🇽 on an interactive map: cenotes, Mayan sites, beaches and stopover towns, from Yucatán to Quintana Roo. Click on each pin to discover the place in detail 📍. And to keep it handy during your trip, open it in Google Maps: you’ll find it easily on your phone 📱.
Our itinerary
Our trip to Mexico
1 month8 stops2 states: Yucatán & Quintana RooCar + ferry to the islands
The stops, in order
- 1
Cancún
1 night
Arrival by plane, then last night before the flight home
- 2
Holbox
3 nights
Beaches, sunsets and a timeless vibe
- 3
Valladolid
5 nights
Suytun, Oxman, Ik Kil, Chichén Itzá, Ek Balam
- 4
Mérida
3 nights
Uxmal and the 3 cenotes of Cuzamá
- 5
Bacalar
5 nights
The lagoon of seven colors and its cenotes
- 6
Tulum
4 nights
Ruins, Coba, Sian Ka'an, Cenote Azul and Calavera
- 7
Cozumel
4 nights
Scuba diving and snorkeling
- 8
Isla Mujeres
3 nights
Jet skiing, beaches and the end of the road trip
CENOTE SECRETO MAYA, A HAVEN OF PEACE 🌿
A CENOTE THAT WAS STILL A SECRET IN 2021
If you’re staying in Valladolid, you can do lots of cenotes like Ik Kil, Hubiku, Suytun, Oxman or X’Canché. The area around Valladolid keeps a very authentic feel, which you find less of on the coast, between Tulum and Cancún and their huge hotel complexes 😑.
We went a day or two after our visits to Ek Balam and Hubiku. In 2021, Cenote Secreto Maya was still tiny and very little known: no tour operators came here, and a boutique hotel was being built right next door. We were alone for 30 minutes, before being joined by a very friendly Belgian couple 🙂. Then no one, really no one, for the rest of our visit.
Since then, the place has grown quite a bit: there’s now a boutique hotel with cabins at the edge of the cenote, and some tours from Valladolid stop here. Even so, it’s still much quieter than the best-known cenotes.
TARZAN-STYLE JUMPS
Showering is mandatory before swimming 🚿: you have to be clean to enter this sacred place. You then go down a staircase to reach this huge sinkhole, and wow, it blows you away 😍.
You can jump from a rock right at the top, about 22 meters up! It’s not a real platform, just a high rock at the edge of the sinkhole, and frankly, it’s really scary 😱. For us, it was completely out of the question. Luckily, there’s a Tarzan rope at about 7 to 8 meters: just swing out and let go at the right moment 🤪. That’s already high enough, and it’s quite a thrill!
We stayed 2 to 2.5 hours, between swimming, jumping and moments of absolute calm. This open cenote shows us the power of nature, and how small we are in the face of it 🌎.
SECRETO MAYA OR ANOTHER CENOTE NEAR VALLADOLID? 🤔
- 🌿 Secreto Maya: an open, quiet cenote, with the Tarzan rope and the 22-meter jump. Ideal for escaping the crowds.
- 📸 Suytun: the most photographed cenote, with its beam of light, but much busier.
- 🦇 Hubiku: a spectacular underground cenote, often included in tours.
- 🐟 X’Canché: our favorite, right next to Ek Balam, with jumps and lots of fish.
- 🌴 Oxman: a cenote on an old hacienda, also with a Tarzan rope.
HOW TO GET TO CENOTE SECRETO MAYA ⏳
BY CAR
The cenote is on the road from Yalcobá to Xtut, about 25 to 30 minutes from Valladolid. Allow about 2 hours from Mérida and 2¼ to 2½ hours from Cancún or Playa del Carmen. We were staying in Valladolid with our rental car, and that’s clearly the easiest option: there’s no direct bus.
BY TAXI OR ON A TOUR
From Valladolid, you can take a taxi, negotiating the round trip and the waiting time before you leave. Some tours from Valladolid now include Secreto Maya along with other cenotes.
BY TREN MAYA
Since our trip, the Tren Maya has served Valladolid from Cancún, Playa del Carmen or Mérida. From there, you need to take a taxi to the cenote.
RENTING A CAR IN MEXICO 🚗
To explore Yucatán and Quintana Roo, we think a rental car is the best option: you’re free to string together cenotes, Mayan sites and beaches at your own pace, without depending on bus schedules or organized tours 🌴.
We did our whole one-month road trip by car, and everything went really well. Here’s the agency we used and recommend, plus an alternative if you’d rather compare 👇
Our rental tip
Renting a car in Mexico
The agency we used, and an alternative to compare.
TouraCancun
Car rental in Mexico
We rented with them for our whole road trip: we recommend them without hesitation!
Our budget€95028 days, insurance included · ~€34/day
- Tested for 1 month
- Pick-up in Cancún
- Our go-to in Mexico
DiscoverCars
Rental comparison site
To compare several rental companies in a single search.
Excellent rating290,000+ Trustpilot reviews
- 1,000+ rental companies compared
- Free cancellation
- 24/7 support
To compare before you choose
Good to know before you rent
- Third-party liability insurance is mandatoryIn Mexico, it's often not included in the price shown online: check before you pay.
- A deposit on a credit cardAn amount is held on your card for the whole rental. Bring a card with a high enough limit.
- Your French driving license is enoughIt's accepted for tourists. The international driving permit is optional: only if you want one.
- Photos and video at pick-upFilm the car from every angle when you collect it, to avoid any dispute when you return it.
- Filling up at the gas stationCheck that the pump meter is at zero before the attendant starts.
- Watch out for “topes”These speed bumps are everywhere, sometimes without a sign: slow down as you enter villages.
For us, the car was essential: it let us do the cenotes around Valladolid back to back without depending on anyone 🚗. All our tips are in our article on renting a car in Mexico without getting scammed.
DISCOVER THE NEARBY MAYAN SITES 🦎
Explore the Mayan sites near here through nearly 40 articles about the Yucatán and Quintana Roo 🌍. Discover our best tips, itineraries, history, reviews and much more to make the most of your travel experience and dive 100% into discovering Mexico! It’s the perfect time to carefully plan your vacation ✈️.
DISCOVER THE NEARBY CENOTES 🧐
Now’s the time to explore the cenotes near here on my Mexico travel blog to make the most of your stay 🌟! You’ll find details on the history of these cenotes, our honest review, and captivating photos of your future discoveries 🌍. These articles will be essential resources for planning your trip to Mexico! 🗺️📸
CENOTE SECRETO MAYA PRICES AND HOURS ⏰
- 🕰️ Hours: every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It opens later than the other cenotes in the area.
- 💸 Our experience: in 2021, we paid 200 pesos per person (€10), life jacket and locker included.
- 📈 Today: the price has gone up; expect about 250 pesos (€13) according to recent sources. Check on site, it may change again.
- 🦺 Life jacket and locker: included in the price when we visited. The life jacket isn’t mandatory.
- 🅿️ Parking: free and large.
- 💵 Payment: bring pesos in cash. We explain everything in Where to withdraw money in Mexico.
It’s a bit pricier than the other cenotes in the area, but being almost alone in this place made us savor every minute 😇.
THINGS TO KNOW 🥰
As always, here are our tips for visiting Cenote Secreto Maya:
- 🍽️ There’s a food area on site. Little TIP: a few kilometers away, Restaurante Ahumados (which we knew as “Que Café”) was one of our best meals in Mexico 😋.
- ⏰ Come at opening to enjoy the quiet.
- 🤸 Tarzan rope at 7-8 meters, a 22-meter jump for the bravest.
- 🚿 Showering before you swim is mandatory.
- 🧴 No sunscreen or bug spray, to protect the cenote’s water.
- 🌡️ The water is fairly warm and reaches a depth of about 50 meters.
- 🦺 Life jacket not mandatory (if you’re like me, swimming is so much better without one).
- 🛏️ You can now stay at the boutique hotel, at the edge of the cenote.
- 💻 No need to book online for a simple visit.
OUR TAKE ON CENOTE SECRETO MAYA 💭
It’s a very beautiful cenote, maybe a bit expensive for some, but with that natural, faraway feel we love. In the middle of the jungle, the place has kept an authentic side you no longer find at every cenote. No one else with us, Tarzan jumps, a swim in total silence: everything was perfect 🥰.
Cenotes are the whole beauty of Mexico 🇲🇽. Not the towers of Cancún or the huge hotels of Tulum, which are quite impressive and almost scary. Make the most of this country to discover places full of charm and authenticity like this one. If you go in low season, you’ll enjoy it even more.
👉 What about you? Would you dare the 22-meter jump, or would you stick with the Tarzan rope like us?
FAQ: YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT CENOTE SECRETO MAYA ❓
Here are the questions we get asked most often about Cenote Secreto Maya. Got another one? Ask it in the comments 😉.
In 2021, we paid 200 pesos (€10) per person, life jacket and locker included. Today, expect about 250 pesos (€13), to be checked on site.
It’s open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a bit later than the other cenotes around Valladolid.
On the road from Yalcobá to Xtut, about 25 to 30 minutes north of Valladolid. A car is the easiest way to get there.
Yes: there’s a Tarzan rope at 7-8 meters and a jump of about 22 meters from a rock, for the bravest only. Always check that no one is below.
Yes, it’s a large open-air sinkhole surrounded by greenery, with water about 50 meters deep.
Yes, a boutique hotel with cabins has been built at the edge of the cenote. When we visited in 2021, it was still under construction.
We stayed 2 to 2.5 hours. Allow at least an hour to enjoy the swim and the Tarzan rope.
Much less than the best-known cenotes. In 2021, we were almost alone. A few tours stop here today: come at opening for some peace and quiet.
Suytun, Oxman, Hubiku and X’Canché, our favorite, right next to Ek Balam.
WHERE TO STAY IN MEXICO 🏨
During our one-month road trip in Mexico 🇲🇽, we stayed in 8 different towns, alternating between Airbnbs and hotels. And we were always very happy with where we stayed 😇.
We deliberately avoided “All Inclusive” packages. It’s not our idea of travel: we’d rather be in the heart of towns and villages, eat local and discover the country at our own pace 🌮.
OUR TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLACE TO STAY
- 📅 Book ahead in high season: the best places go fast and prices climb.
- 🚗 Private or secure parking if you’re traveling with a rental car. You’ll see, it’s not always available, but depending on the town it can be really worth having.
- ❄️ Air conditioning: essential in Yucatán and Quintana Roo, where it’s hot all year round.
- 🏊 A pool: up to you whether you want one at some of your stays, because it can quickly push the price up.
- 📍 A place close to the center: so you can do everything on foot in the evening. That said, if you like places outside town and you have the car, nothing forces you to stay near the center
- ✅ Free cancellation, to keep your itinerary flexible.
AIRBNB OR HOTEL IN MEXICO?
Both have their advantages. An Airbnb is ideal for more space, a kitchen and living like a local. A hotel is more convenient for one or two nights passing through, with a reception desk and often breakfast included. As for us, we liked both. It all depends on what you want, whether you’re with family, solo or as a couple, and how you like to travel.
HOW MUCH DOES ACCOMMODATION COST IN MEXICO?
There’s something for every taste and every budget. We paid between €40 and €100 a night for two. To be completely transparent with you: €1,800 for 29 nights, or about €62 a night on average (that was in 2021, prices may have changed since).
👇 Here are the 8 places where we slept during our road trip, with our review of each one.
Tested during our road trip
Our 8 places to stay in Mexico
AirbnbHotel
-
AirbnbHolbox
An incredible room, with the pool right next door to cool off. Just perfect!
- Room
- Pool right next door
- Incredible room
- Hotel
Valladolid
A stunning setting and a super spacious room, ideal for catching your breath between two cenotes.
- Very spacious room
- Pool
- On-site massages
- Airbnb
Mérida
A whole house just for us, with a small pool to relax.
- Whole house
- Small pool
- A bit out of the way
- Hotel
Bacalar
A gorgeous place right in the town center, with a superb pool.
- Hotel
- Superb pool
- Town center, far from the lagoon
- Airbnb
Tulum
A whole place with a pool, but very far out: you'll need the car.
- Whole place
- Pool
- Far out, car essential
- Airbnb
Cozumel
A clean, well-located studio, so you can do everything on foot from the town center.
- Studio
- Clean and well designed
- Close to the center
- Hotel
Isla Mujeres
A beautiful seafront hotel with a magnificent pool.
- Hotel
- Magnificent pool
- Seafront, a bit out of the way
- Hotel
Cancún
Right next to the airport: perfect for the first or last night of the trip.
- Hotel
- Close to the airport
- Ideal for the 1st or last night
MY MUST-HAVE TRAVEL GEAR 🧳
It’s a question that comes up a lot when preparing a trip “What should I bring?” That’s why you’ll find below some essential travel accessories to set off on vacation with peace of mind (your documents kept safe) 🛡️ . Planning ahead and getting these items in advance helps you save money and avoid paying for some of them on the spot, where they’ll cost you much more 💸 These are the accessories we took to Mexico and still use for every destination we travel to 👇.
Our road trip checklist
What to pack for Mexico?
Most of these items came with us throughout our 30-day road trip.
0 / 12 in my suitcase · check what you already have
- Essential
ElectronicsUniversal travel adapter
In Mexico, outlets are the American type: French chargers won't fit.
- Essential
ElectronicsPower bank
Long days between ruins and cenotes: your phone lasts until evening.
- Essential
Health & protectionBiodegradable sunscreen
Mineral and biodegradable, kinder to cenotes and reefs.
- Essential
Health & protectionMosquito repellent
Mosquitoes are everywhere, especially in the evening and near the jungle.
- Essential
Cenotes & beachWaterproof phone pouch
To film in cenotes and at the beach without any risk.
- Recommended
Health & protectionFilter water bottle
Tap water isn't drinkable in Mexico: filter it and avoid plastic.
- Recommended
Health & protectionTravel first-aid kit
Band-aids, painkillers, anti-diarrhea meds: enough to handle small issues.
- Recommended
Cenotes & beachWaterproof bag
Papers and keys kept dry on boats, at the beach or by the cenotes.
- Recommended
Cenotes & beachWater shoes
For slippery cenote steps and rocky seabeds.
- Recommended
Cenotes & beachMicrofiber towel
Light and quick-drying: perfect for swim after swim.
- Bonus
Travel & securityTSA lock
To lock your suitcase on the plane, with no risk of it being broken at security.
- Bonus
Travel & securityAirTag
To track your suitcase if your luggage is delayed or lost.
OUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS IN MEXICO 
During our 30-day road trip in Mexico 
, we filmed everything! From Holbox to Cancún, by way of Valladolid, Mérida, Bacalar, Tulum, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, we take you along with us step by step in our vlogs.
You’ll discover the cenotes we swam in, the Mayan sites we explored, the beaches that made us dream, our places to stay, our favorite spots to eat… and above all our honest take on each place: what amazed us, and what disappointed us a little 
.
If you’re planning your trip, or simply dreaming of getting away, these videos will give you a real glimpse of Mexico, far from the tourist brochures.
Our road trip on video
Our YouTube videos in Mexico
Now watching: Episode 1 · Discovering Mexico & Holbox
21 minEpisode 1Discovering Mexico & Holbox- 17 minEpisode 2Cenotes & Mayan cities
- 9 minEpisode 3Mérida, Uxmal, Cuzamá & the bats
- 13 minEpisode 4Bacalar, a hidden paradise
- 12 minEpisode 5Tulum, Coba, Sian Ka'an & Cenote Azul
- 12 minEpisode 6Cozumel, diving & snorkeling
- 17 minEpisode 7Isla Mujeres, jet skiing & the end of the road trip
21 min
17 min
9 min
13 min
12 min
12 min
17 minTHANKS FOR YOUR FEEDBACK
Thanks for reading this article all the way to the end 🙏! We hope it helps you plan your trip.
A question, a doubt about your itinerary, or simply want to tell us what you thought? Write to us in the comments. Your messages also help other travelers plan their trip, and they always make us very happy 💚.
And if our articles are useful to you, a quick review on Google or Trustpilot helps us enormously to spread the word about the blog ⭐. Thanks for following us!