Suytun Cenote may just be one of the most photographed and visited cenotes in Valladolid. We’re here to tell you all about it, and to help you decide if you should visit or not.
Chances are when you search Google for Valladolid Cenotes one of the top on the list will be Suytun Cenote. But is it really worth it? We visited ALL the cenotes in and around Valladolid, so we can help you decide if Suytun Cenote should be on your list or not. And answer the question… does Cenote Suytun live up to it’s Insta famous reputation?
We review our experience of Suytun Cenote and tell you what makes it unique among other local cenotes! We explain the options of how to get there from Valladolid, Tulum, Cancun and Playa del Carmen, along with the best tours. And something most other blogs won’t tell you (but we will) is how to get a discount on the entrance price. As well as all the extra little details you need to know before visiting.
We’ve blogged about and reviewed almost every single cenote in Valladolid. So link through to our master blog on Valladolid cenotes to compare each one.
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Table of Contents
Quick Suytun Cenote Facts
🌀 Type of Cenote – closed ceiling
💰 Price – 200 MXN pesos at the entrance or 150 MXN pesos if purchased online
➡️ Distance from Valladolid – 8.4 km
🚿 Amenities – changing facilities, showers, life jacket compulsory
🏡 Cabins available to book for overnight stay
🔍 Depth – maximum of 5 metres
🍹 Restaurant & gift shop
🛵 Best way to get there – taxi, colectivo, scooter or rental car
⏰ Timings – 9am to 5pm (last access 4pm), 7 days a week
🎒 What to Bring – towel & swimmers, Go-Pro, reusable water bottle
What is Special About Suytun Cenote
Suytun Cenote is Instagram famous. But why? What makes this cenote unique among all the others?
Well there is a platform into the centre of the cenote under a small hole in the closed ceiling. Catch it at the right time of the day and a beam of light enters through the crack. As a result, the light pierces through the darkness of the cenote and lands like a spotlight on the water. The perfect scene for any photographer… or Instagram influencer.
Naturally, this also means it’s very popular with tourists and visitors to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. So it gets very very very busy! But don’t worry because we’ll also explain the best time to visit Suytun Cenote to avoid this crowds.
How to Get to Cenote Suytun from Valladolid
There are a number of ways to get to Suytun Cenote depending on your preferred method of travel. In fact, we have visited Valladolid three times and have tried all different methods of transport in and around the area.
It takes just under 15 minutes to get to Suytun Cenote from Valladolid and is easy to find on the Highway 180.
In a nutshell, from Valladolid you can rent a bicycle, a scooter, a car or take a shared taxi (colectivo) or regular taxi.
Renting a Scooter from Valladolid
This was our favourite method of seeing the cenotes of Valladolid… given that we could visit several in a day, and it was an ADVENTURE! Scooter rental in Valladolid costs around 500-550 MXN pesos for 12 hours. This scooter rental here on Viator provides several options to choose from.
If you’re travelling by scooter, you can combine a visit to the southern cenotes such as Saamal cenote or Dzitnup cenotes, or the northern more remote cenotes of Secreto Maya, Sac Aua or Palomitas.
🛵 We took a scooter from Valladolid to Ek’ Balam ruins and the northern cenotes and can’t recommend it enough.
Renting a Car or Bike from Valladolid
One of the best car rental places in Valladolid is Ko’ox Balak. They provide an easy bike rental or car rental service and come with great Google Reviews. See the map above for their location.
Taking a Taxi to Suytun Cenote
Taxis to Suytun Cenote will cost approximately 140+ MXN pesos one way, and can be waved down anywhere. We recommend asking a few taxis, as that way you get an idea of what rates are fair during the time of your visit. For reference we took a taxi to Saamal Cenote in 2023 and paid 120 pesos, which is a few kilometres closer than Suytun Cenote.
Colectivo Taxi to Suytun Cenote
If you’re travelling on a budget, then grab a shared taxi or colectivo in the direction of Tikuch. The colectivo pick up point is marked above on the map.
We love travelling around Mexico by collective taxi as it’s a cheap way to get from A to B. Basically the taxis leave when they’re full, everyone paying for their seat. We took a collective taxi from Valladolid to Chichén Itzá and found them super easy and very reliable.
How Far is Cenote Suytun from Tulum, Playa del Carmen & Cancun
A day trip to Cenote Suytun from the Riviera Maya and Cancun is also manageable. The following distances and travel times for each destination are listed below.
- Tulum to Cenote Suytun – 95 km and 1½ hour drive
- Playa del Carmen to Cenote Suytun – 150 km and 2 hour drive
- Cancun to Cenote Suytun – 160 km and 2 hour 10 minute drive
We made the drive from Tulum to Valladolid by rental car, and enjoyed the scenery and easy to navigate roads. On another visit we went from Cancun to Valladolid by ADO bus which was comfortable and surprisingly fast.
If you’re planning a day trip to visit Suytun Cenote, then don’t miss the opportunity to visit some of the more remote Valladolid cenotes, or other things to do (post coming soon).
Suytun Cenote Tours from Tulum, Playa del Carmen & Cancun
There are many tours to choose from, for your day trip from Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cancun. Below we have selected the three best tours with the highest reviews. Browse each tour for your preferred day trip itinerary.
Suytun Cenote – What to Expect
Now you know your options for how to get to Suytun Cenote… it’s time to explain what to expect from your visit.
Suytun Cenote is a large complex, with restaurant, bar, gift shop and overnight cabins. It attracts many visitors throughout the day, so you can expect that during the middle of the day it gets very busy. In addition to this, the large tourist buses arrive during the day bringing hoards of people. Therefore, there are often long queues when it comes to getting that famous photo on the platform.
After you have purchased your ticket – read below for how to get a discounted ticket for Cenote Suytun – make your way to the entrance. You’ll be funnelled through the gift shop and out into the complex. To the right is the restaurant and cabins, to the left is the path towards the Suytun cenote, life jacket complex and showers.
Can You Swim in Suytun Cenote
Yes, you can swim in Suytun Cenote. The depth of Suytun Cenote is 1 to 5 metres, so it’s also easy for kids to swim in.
At this point, it’s relevant to mention that if you want to swim, it’s compulsory to shower and to wear a life jacket. Showering off soaps, lotions, mosquito repellants and so on, is a vital step in protecting the cenote.
Grab your life jacket from the chaleco room, grab a locker rental for 50 pesos if you don’t want to be worrying about your belongings while you swim. Then make your way along the path towards the cenote. However, there is also a stepped, paved area inside the cenote where you can keep you belongings if you’d rather save your 50 pesos.
Getting the Best Photos
As you walk down the stairs into the closed ceiling of Suytun Cenote, you’ll catch your first glimpse of the cenote and platform. This is always my favourite place to photograph a cenote. Coming in from an elevated position helps you catch the cenote in all it’s glory. In my opinion, it’s the WOW moment of all cenotes.
Ensuring that the platform is used respectfully, a lifeguard oversees tourists who are lining up to take photos. One by one, people are allowed to walk out onto the platform and stand for a photo. Note: that shoes are not allowed on the platform.
When it’s your turn to take photos be ready… you won’t have a lot of time. There isn’t great lighting in the cenote so if you are shooting with a manual camera you’ll need to be ready for low light.
At times the water level is higher and it covers the platform, during other times it doesn’t. Sometimes steam is also artifically produced, which creates a dramatic look within the cenote and makes for a great photo.
The most important thing to consider is the beam of light. If you come in the middle of the day the sun is high and the light shines perfectly through the overhead hole of the cenote. However if you visit early in the morning or late in the evening, the beam won’t be visible.
Cenote Kaapeh
There is a second cenote at Suytun – which is empty most of the time as the tourists tend to miss this one. Swimming is prohibited, but this semi-open cenote is certainly worth a visit according to everything we’ve heard. During our visit however Cenote Kaapeh was closed to visitors.
Suytun Cenote Tickets – Entrance Tickets & Discount
Now here’s a GREAT TIP we wished we knew before our visit! You can purchase your tickets online ahead of time and save money. That is right, my friend.
Book directly through the Suytun Cenote website and the cost of the ticket is 150 pesos or 130 pesos for children aged 5 to 11 years. Alternatively if you wait and purchase your ticket at the entrance it will cost 200 pesos. Nice little discount right!
The entrance fee covers life jacket rental.
Also posted on their website, they frequently release special events and discounted entrance with buffet and restaurant options. So be sure to have a look at their homepage for more.
Booking a Cabin
For something a bit different, book a night in one of the 2 or 4 people cabins at Suytun Cenote. Prices vary between 1000 to 2000 pesos for a single night accommodation. The best part is that this price includes free entrance to the Suytun Cenote.
Book your cabin through the Suytun Cenote booking platform and browse the pictures. The complex includes a swimming pool and the cabins each have private bathrooms.
Tips for Visiting Suytun Cenote
Our key tips for visiting Suytun Cenote –
- To photograph the light beam on the platform – visit at midday
- Avoiding the tourist buses – visit at the end of the day just be 4pm is good
- Book tickets online to save yourself a 25% discount on entrance price (see above)
Overall Thoughts & Review of Suytun Cenote
Here we go… our overall review on Suytun Cenote. I’ll be honest, it certainly wasn’t my favourite of all the cenotes we’ve visited. There I said it!
It lacked the wow factor for me. All the other cenotes in and around Valladolid have an energy… which you notice as soon as you enter. But Suytun Cenote failed to impress me somehow. Perhaps I had been mislead by over edited and photoshopped images.
I planned my visit at the end of the day, and despite the fact that the tour buses had left and it wasn’t overrun with tourists, it just didn’t excite me. The whole experience felt a little commercial. And given that we’re off the beaten track travel lovers, it was no surprise really that it didn’t hit the mark for me.
If I were to pick a favourite closed ceiling cenote near Valladolid, I would tend to recommend Xcanahultan Cenote (post coming soon) over Suytun Cenote.
But listen… if the idea of crowds don’t intimidate you and that circular platform and beam of light is calling your name… then do it! Don’t let me stop you.
More on Valladolid
We hope this post has helped answer your questions on Suytun Cenote near Valladolid. While you’re here browse through our other posts on Valladolid –
- Chichén Itzá – How to get to Chichén Itzá ruins & exploring with our self-guided tour
- Ek’ Balam – How to get to Ek’ Balam ruins & exploring with our self-guided tour
- Find out more about visiting our favourite Cenote Secreto Maya
- Read our review of our luxury stay in the Cenote Secreto Maya Bungalows
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