The BEST day trip to CENOTES from Mérida, Mexico! (TWO cenotes, a hacienda, & MAYAN food)

The Yucatán Peninsula is home to over 6,000 cenotes (our guide said 9,000+!), which are natural swimming holes that were sacred Mayan ceremonial spaces and today are popular with both locals and tourists to swim in.
We booked a tour with a local to experience two of these cenotes for ourselves, which were STUNNING, plus had a delicious Mayan lunch prepared by locals and visited an old Hacienda. It was such a fun day!
Want to go on this tour? You can book it here! www.airbnb.com/experiences/28...
See more tips & fun things to do in Mérida: adventuresofaplusk.com/20-fun...
🔗Links
Our camera + hiking gear: adventuresofaplusk.com/gear/
⌚Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:56 History + info about the cenotes
02:13 Cenote #1 (Cenote Kankirixche)
05:16 Cenote #2 (Cenote Yaal Utzil)
08:00 Enjoying a delicious Mayan lunch
10:20 Visiting an old hacienda
13:50 Thoughts on the tour
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👋🏼 About us
Hi y’all! We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we're a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.
We help travelers spend less time (and stress!) planning their trip and more time enjoying it! Our detailed travel guides, KZbin videos, and travel resources share the must-visit local eats, popular and off the beaten path sights, and tons of tips to make planning your next adventure a whole lot easier.
Note: We’ve linked a handful of items so you can see exactly which products we take with us. Full disclosure--if you click on these links and make a purchase, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. We will only ever recommend products we truly love, actually use during our adventures, and think you can benefit from too!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Sorry for the crappy GoPro audio in this one! Want to go on this tour? You can book it here! www.airbnb.com/experiences/280165 See more tips & fun things to do in Mérida: adventuresofaplusk.com/20-fun-things-to-do-in-merida-mexico Watch more videos from Mexico! 🇲🇽 kzbin.info/aero/PLZKRTK1yCEM7qGBR8P59r4rCCDeYSJBZb See ALL of our gear here: adventuresofaplusk.com/gear/

[@johnlenart597]

Starting to appreciate what historical places Mexico has to offer. The more remote places and the people are more genuine., as is going through the little towns in the U.S. and seeing the real history. Buenos tardes to the dogs, I'm sure they speak Spanish. 👍👍🏍🏍🏍🙋‍♂️

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

There is so much to see in Mexico! We've had nothing but good times in Mexico. There are of course real concerns in some areas, but there is so much to experience in other areas. The dogs were a highlight too!

[@12chipi]

I'm so glad Kathryn jumped off of the cliff! I loved seeing her overcoming her fear. Another great video, as always!

[@courtneykappel370]

We’re so late to this party but I still wanted to express how much husband and I enjoyed this video. We’re getting a Costco membership right now. 😂 But seriously, great footage of all of the high platform jumps at the cenotes and that historic hacienda looked like something from a fairytale.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you so much! We had so much fun on this tour and it was the perfect mix of all the things we like to do when we're traveling! Thank you!

[@nationalparksprincess3216]

What a fantastic experience! I really love that the tour is family owned ❤️ Moi was great!

[@my4hvids]

Loved seeing you guys jump together into the water!

[@Hilariousaurus]

This video was awesome!! 👌

[@queyshay]

Not the ‘jumping in the water’ fake out 😂😂😂😂. Omg that all looked so great!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

😂

[@richardparrott7192]

As an avid fan of dinosaurs and astronomy it was nice to learn the actual pronunciation of Chicxulub! A sensational video again A+K!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Some of those town and area names on the Yucatán are tricky to pronounce! We were thankful to have a guide. We hope you got to see the green comet!

[@bradgingerich6814]

Oh my goodness these cenotes are freaking amazing!!! The second one was truly magical! I’m so glad you got to do this and have so much fun!!! Also, the food looked amazing as well…we all would do well to eat at all the restaurants that you guys discover! You’re the best! ❤

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

This was really a perfect day for us! It had a little bit of our favorite things! Thanks, Brad!

[@sierraseb3311]

Wow, another adventure of places, foods and culture that I never knew existed. Thanks Again. A&K never disappoint.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@justlookin3]

Thanks for sharing this adventure with us. It’s always a treat.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrfiX725]

Wow, loved that meteor story!!! First time I've heard about it. And you got an big LOFL when Kathryn chickened out on the first jump.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

That story was new to us as well, but makes a lot of sense! Kathryn ditched me! 😂

[@no3ll3.]

The color of the water in those cenotes was gorgeous, and I can't believe there's one right next to Costco lol. That food looked awesome!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The cenotes were so beautiful and so fun to swim in!

[@stevedietrich8936]

That looks like a really fun day, cenotes, Mayan food, and a hacienda. Any one of the three would have made it a great day on its own.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It was a perfect mix of our favorite things!

[@ThePassportCouple]

What an awesome tour yall took! I had no idea about how the cenotes were created!! So Proud of your jump, that scares the heck out of me too!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We didn't know that about the cenotes either! We are excited to go back one day to see more and maybe jump in a few more! 😂

[@garygus5966]

WOW, says it all!!! What an amazing adventure!!

[@TheLvablebird]

Wow🤗! Fantastic in jumping into the water. Didn't know about those C. Thanks ooh the food😋 I like the off the beaten path and supporting the locales. Haciendo fabuloso. Muchos gracias🤗 from New México🌶️🌵

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We had such a blast on that tour!

[@rudyhachey7440]

what an adventure, K, I so appreciate your courage jumping off a cliff into the water, I must say I could not do that! As for Adam such a Dare Devil, nothing stops him!! Much enjoyed. Thank you!!

[@marlo7218]

That was so fun! Thanks!

[@joycemoses2411]

Beautiful waters and interesting history!!!

[@teriglad1]

This is fascinating. Thank you for sharing. As you said, just the right combination of things to see and do. That food look delicious.

[@beckyw9000]

The food looked amazing! Loved the history of the hacienda.

[@chapgood13]

This looked like an absolute blast, beautiful swimming holes!

[@ExpatNatt]

Wow! This looks incredible! ❤

[@marianonicolasguzman4870]

Love it! Come to Argentina guys 🇦🇷 I promise you'll find beautiful landscapes, delicious food and friendly people too

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Hopefully one day!

[@TerryAnnOnline]

Very beautiful. The guide was great.

[@pamguerrero6325]

What a wonderful opportunity to have a meal made by a local person and support the community

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It was a special day!

[@sheafan1971]

Wow What an experience that is. So cool

[@Sarae89]

Beautiful! Better videos than K&N??? Most definitely !!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We're glad you enjoy the videos!

[@randytempleton5797]

Those cenotes are beautiful!

[@JessicaNobles83]

We love the Yucatán and we love finding good vlogs there! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We love it too! Thanks and thanks for watching!

[@Ostrom38]

So gorgeous! I loved the swimming and the history of the area. It looked amazing!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It was a perfect mix of our favorite things!

[@kayleebeare]

This was so cool! Thanks for bringing us along as always! We truly appreciate it. I LOVED hearing the local's story of the hacienda. So interesting.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks and thanks for watching!

[@Roadtosomethingnew1]

Awesome tour

[@mickster1780]

from Alaska to Mexico. you guys are getting around!

[@lshwadchuck5643]

Wow, thanks for all that great swimming in the cenotes! We have a grotto like them in Ontario if you ever go up the Bruce peninsula on your way over the top of Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

[@cindykuhlman2927]

Beautiful! And am so glad I am not alone in not liking to jump into water!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It can be pretty scary jumping in! Thanks, Cindy!

[@brunnie]

WOW!!! The BLUE!! What an adventure. Katherine, I agree with you that seeing the sights of the area, the towns, nature, old buildings, is well worth the exploring factor. Until next time... Travel safe.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The tour was a perfect mix of our favorite things! Thanks for watching as always!

[@tnt3171]

@7:22 it was super hilarious! Hope Adam didn’t give you a hard time afterwards 😅

[@dawnhannon6302]

U guys are awesome! Thanks for sharing! That looked like an awesome tour! The food looks so good!😍

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thanks and thanks for watching, Dawn!

[@myjourneysinfaith]

Wow that tour was awesome. Love the blue water. You guys are awesome.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We had a blast out there! Thanks, Darlene!

[@JarheadAndGingersJourney]

This does look like a great tour!

[@peterkunka2694]

Moi was awesome - "I'm your friend and guide". We need more of that warmth in people. The cenotes were beautiful! Okay, some cavern terms I've learned along the way while visiting (Carlsbad Caverns in NM, Natural Bridge Caverns in TX, and Cumberland Caverns in TN) - Stalactites (hold tight from the ceiling) and Stalagmites (might grow to reach the ceiling). That's how I remember each one's meaning, tight and might. More food! Just endless deliciousness in Mexico. Cheers and enjoy! Pete in Arizona.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We agree! We need more people like Moi in this world! He was the best guide we could have asked for. We always learn so much when we visit caverns. It's truly a different world down there! That's a fun way to remember those terms. We always struggle haha

[@anncarsten1161]

This was a wonderful Adventures. I looked like a lot of fun jumping in the water. The food looked wonderful. Moi was a great guide with lots of information. I'm glad your having a great time. Thanks for sharing. 😃

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The cenotes are a ton of fun! Moi was a fantastic guide! Thanks for watching

[@susannenerad9851]

Wow, beautiful the water is, that's so great supporting the locals, the only thing I feel bad about is the dogs, I am sure some are strays, just hope they are cared for, but thanks for sharing wonderful video

[@bertkelly7650]

A+K! Yay!

[@suzanneaydelotte801]

What a beautiful video…the cenotes were so cool and colorful…the hacienda was so full of history…the yummy food had my mouth watering…what a great day! Moi was also wonderful! Thank you for showing me another area I would not have seen without this wonderful video❣️

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The tour was the best mix of our favorite things when traveling! Moi was the best guide!

[@thedakotaroadshow3371]

Stalactites with a "C" (Ceiling) Stalagmites with a "G" (Ground) I've benefited from this my whole life. I want to see some cenotes someday....Thanks for sharing

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

That's a good one to remember with! Thanks for watching! We hope you can see some cenotes. They are really special!

[@freddiemorales5030]

When your guide Moi was talking about the chimney at the hacienda he said it was called a "chacuaco". I remembered my mom calls people who smoke or smoke a lot (my ex being one) she would call them "chacuacos". I always wondered what that meant. Enjoy exploring my parents homeland with you guys. Keep up the good work. Greetings from San Diego.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Moi told us that exact same thing! He said that’s a nickname for people who smoke! How funny! Thanks and thanks for watching, Freddie!

[@debrabalawajder2617]

That was so interesting and educational about those “cenotes”! Never heard of them before - thanks for keeping me informed!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Cenotes are so interesting! There's lots to see down there!

[@dannafrench1509]

You guys do the coolest things! I am so jealous. LOL!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We're lucky we get to do what we do! Thanks for watching!

[@stevethompson8154]

I had never heard of Cenotes but now I have to go check them out. Thanks

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

They are so gorgeous and fun!

[@dancepuebla]

Ayayay, my exact same reaction 90% of the time 😅 Your videos always leave me with a smile on my face and feeling hungry 😁💚

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you so much and thanks for watching! 😀

[@montysano]

We visited several cenotes in the Yucatan. Kankirixche was our favorite.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We really enjoyed both of them! Thanks for watching!

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

Betraying my ignorance, your experience is much more “first world” than I would have expected. Encouraging to go there.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Everything was pretty nice! We didn't feel like we were "roughing it" at all

[@kimberlyshalaby1134]

This was so beautiful. I loved seeing the hacienda. The cenotes had interesting history. Pretty color of blue in the 2nd. A trip to Costco, that sounded neat!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It was the perfect mix of our favorite things! Thanks for watching!

[@dennismacdonald2003]

Ty awesome

[@kevinstrahle9687]

Hola amigos Looks like a fun day

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It was a great day! Had a little bit of everything we enjoy!

[@stargazer5073]

K well played, Adam went in, LOL

[@michaelwilkinson2110]

K, I like how you "got back up on the horse" and jumped after you done hubby wrong! Yeah, wifey and I will be hitting Merida and all its highlights (including the cenotes) later this year. Hope you went to Uxmal, it's aaaaawesome.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

She made up for bailing on me! haha We hope you have a great time in Mérida! Stay tuned next week for our video of Uxmal! Thanks for watching!

[@richardbeee]

Yee-Haa! I thought y'all were going to a place that made c-notes. Haha. Boy howdy, was i ever wrong. Will try to have my coffee before reading these titles. Looked like a lot of fun. When i was a kid growing up we had a quarry we'd go swimming in with steep cliffs. Yep, used to show off for the girlies and dive about 40' into the most amazing blue water. Then i got braver and would hold a big rock and wait to let it go till it got so dark under the water you didn't know which way was up. Crazy!! Couldn't get any ladies to join me. You did great Adam🙂I sure was looking forward to some lessons on making c-notes. Next week y'all!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

haha we'd like to tour a c-note factory! Maybe we can walk out with a few hand fulls! 🤑🤑🤑 I tried to dive deep, but the pressure was getting to me! Anyways, we had a blast out there!

[@WhenAdventureKnox]

Had no idea that's how the cenotes were created - I loved your guide's analogy of a pancake! I laughed out loud so mic when you didn't jump with Adam, Kathryn - mostly because of everyone's laughs from the side lines! I feel your pain with the swimsuit. I have one that's really well covered and tight so opt for that one when doing very active things in the water. Love that you guys used AirBnB experiences for this and your commentary of it was similar to my own experience with it. I feel like AirBnB for accommodation has moved far away from what it was back when we first started using it - staying in people's spare rooms where the locals wanted to be great hosts, socialise and exchange cultures... but we've been using AirBnB experiences on recent trips, and they feel a lot more 'local' and authentic than things you find on the likes of Viator. The Hacienda was fascinating and it didn't sound too different to the whiskey process of needing to wait 10 years before you can sell the product. Really loved this video, and your thumbnail was all kinds of epic!

[@saranebeling6375]

Me either!! Thank you Moi!!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

I couldn't believe Kathryn bailed on me! 😂 The tour was fantastic! It was a perfect mix of many of the things we love to do! We are looking into doing more tours on our future travels. Viator and GetYourGuide are good options. Airbnb has definitely changed over the years. The water at the cenotes, especially the second one with the light beams through the water were epic!

[@WhenAdventureKnox]

@@AdventuresofAplusK Sorry, I realise that sounded a bit 'bashy' of Viator - I agree that they have great tours, but they just offer a different type of tour to what AirBnB Experiences offer... and I think it's nice to have a different option... but sometimes you want the more 'established' companies for some things too!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

@@WhenAdventureKnox We agree! It felt more local and that is a big reason why we booked this tour over some of the more commercial feeling ones!

[@steveblankenship5474]

Really an awesome video I enjoyed watching this. Years ago I was watching a dive video where some divers went in one of those and dove into a chamber with skulls, on a shelf was a very strange skull very much like the Starchild skull which was found in Mexico. I don’t know what happened to it and I’ve only heard of another skull like that found in Peru.

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

I read about divers finding skeletons of humans and even of camels, giant ground sloths, and other prehistoric animals 🤯🤯🤯 We don't do any diving, but I (Adam) would love to go down there!

[@steveblankenship5474]

@@AdventuresofAplusK it’s insane how clear the water is

[@darr1954]

Great video! I’m going to Mérida next week and have signed up for this tour! Did you wear your swimsuit all day or do you have the chance to change? Thanks so much!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Hi! There are opportunities to change. There are bathrooms at most of the cenotes they will take you to. We hope you have a great time! Thanks for watching!

[@loeyminske3459]

Beautiful Cenotes! Great tour! We'll be in Georgetown on Thursday and Friday. Anyplace we should visit? I know there's quite a lot to do in Austin and we don't have much time. Best BBQ in the area?

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Hey Loey! That's awesome! We haven't spent very much time in Georgetown so unfortunately we aren't much help there. If you're driving down I35 and you go through Belton, TX (north of Georgetown), Miller's Smokehouse is super good! We went there in our driving home video at the end of last year. For Austin, we have a guide on our website with lots of spots we recommend checking out. adventuresofaplusk.com/a-weekend-in-austin Mount Bonnell is a really neat place and a walk along Lady Bird Lake on the hike and bike trail is a nice walk as well

[@loeyminske3459]

@@AdventuresofAplusK thanks guys!

[@mbrooks5555]

Learned something new today - all about cenotes! So, how are there fish in these cenotes? Is there an underground connection to them from the ocean and then the fish travel from one to another?Or, were fish introduced into them by people? Loved seeing you enjoy them, as well as the rest of the tour!!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Yes some of them are connected to the ocean and many of the cenotes are connected to each other! In fact, the largest underwater cave system is on the eastern side of the Yucatán Peninsula under Tulum. They've found all kinds of prehistoric bones under there as well. Divers go down and explore them often. Pretty mind blowing stuff 🤯🤯🤯

[@carlasiow6031]

Aloha Kathryn, loved the adventure you took swimming in the cenototes. Had a random question for you. I noticed your make up didn't smudge or fade off. Would you mind letting me know what type you use? Thank you for the adventures. 😁🌺

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

I wear Clinique eyeliner (which holds up well in water) and I just had a cheap waterproof mascara on. That's about all the makeup I wear. Hope that helps!

[@zoldyckzoldyck9129]

❤❤❤❤

[@jethrobodine4638]

hey guys! i have watched tons of your videos and enjoyed them greatly. as a person that loves the American National Parks as well has the new law (needing permits to film in national parks) had a negative impact on your future park videos?

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

The new law is a big bummer! Thankfully we don't have any plans to visit any national parks this year so we are hoping that this gets reversed or a more streamlined and sensible process is implemented over the next year. What makes it worse and what many people don't realize is this doesn't just apply to national parks, but also to national forests, BLM land, and many other nationally governed places. It's a big pain! Thanks and thanks for watching!

[@cashstt716]

Mexico Videos are really good! Its just weird not seeing you guys in a Van......do you miss Van life OR are you happy you are taking a break from it?

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Thank you! Yes we do miss our van! At the same time though we are loving being able to do some flying/international adventures! We have done a couple major upgrades over the holidays (we'll have a video covering everything) and we are eager to try them out, but won't be back in the van until April. But we've got a lot of fun van adventures planned for this year!

[@cashstt716]

@@AdventuresofAplusK That is SO awesome to hear!!! Thank You for all you guys do for your loyal subscribers......

[@Juan-Blasquez]

Great video!! Costco with a cenote! 😫😫😖😖😖😖😡

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

😂 thanks for watching!

[@diamondroadphotography9086]

Did you get the name of that hacienda??? Thanks

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

No, I'm sorry Thanks for watching!

[@tanyagwilkins962]

Does the price include entrance fees?

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Yes the price for the tour included the entrance fees for the cenotes. If you look at the google maps images for the cenotes you might find a photo of the prices, but we don't know how much they were since they were included

[@devilschild]

🐟🐟🐠🐠🐟🐟

[@paulskystoneadventures]

👍👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍👍

[@Fitpardo]

Go further, those are ok cenotes, but near Valladolid are the best ones

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

We didn't have a car and didn't want to rent one or go very far away. We thought these cenotes were stunning (much more than just ok 😉)! As our guide said to us "all cenotes are beautiful and unique" 😊

[@Fitpardo]

@@AdventuresofAplusK I have been to those two, that is what i though when i did not knew the rest, those are small and ok, but there are tons way more interesting (renting a car in Mx is extremely easy, use visa platinum for the insurance, amex do not work for insurance in mx)

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

@@Fitpardo Our guide has been to 300+ cenotes and these are in his top 10. Everyone has different preferences, I guess!

[@Fitpardo]

@@AdventuresofAplusK close to Merida those are ok, close to Merida (Homún area is better but you need like 3 days there are a lot) but when you guys see one from the ones close to Valladolid, you will know, that I told you, I love my country, been everywhere in Mexico, I just know those are way more breathtaking.

[@ChrisRoxDuhh]

That food looks soooooo incredible!! So jealous! And the geology history was fascinating to hear!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

It was super good! Thanks, Chris!