The Best Family Friendly Cenote In The Yucatan, Mexico

Just over an hour from north Merida, Mexico, there are the magical Cenotes at Hacienda Muycuché. This place is amazing for families, and it was a great way to spend a Saturday full of adventure. Let me give you some details.

Cenotes are huge natural pools located all across the Yucatan peninsula. They are formed when groundwater settles into empty caverns. The water is filtered by the earth and creates pristine water as it leaves mineral deposits that create the caverns' rock formations. When the limestone earth above a cenote collapses, we discover a cenote. Cenotes have been around for centuries and were used in many Maya rituals.

Many of the cenotes in the Yucatan are very raw in form and offer varying degrees of safety. The cenote at Hacienda Muycuché has been modernized to have safety in mind and the ease of an authentic experience. The cenotes here were recommended to me by several folks who lived in Merida for a long time as a great family getaway close to the city. There are many others, but this is the place I wanted to start with based on so many positive recommendations.

During this pandemic, you must first make a reservation to the Hacienda to enjoy the facilities. This was done on the same morning we wanted to attend the cenotes. Once we arrived, we filled out a waiver, had our temperatures checked, then before we got to the reception counter, we had to walk through a sanitizing tunnel. All in all, from the time we arrived and met the masked security guard at the front, the masked parking attendants, and the masked reception staff, it was a very sanitary and secure feeling.

The experience's costs are amazing, and many would consider it cheap for such a high-quality experience. The cost for an adult is $480 pesos or $24 USD per person. The cost for kids from ages 4 to 12 is $240 pesos or $12 USD. As a resident, we only paid $280 pesos for adults, which we had 3, and $140 pesos for our 4-year-old. The total tour and entrance into the facility were $980 pesos or roughly $50 USD. By local standards, this is a bit expensive as many cenotes cost much less. However, I wanted to ensure that the experience would be fun and safe for our little kids in the group. We met two other families at the facility, Amoya Shanta and another friend, who has kids all around the same age as our daughter.

The facility has a huge pool with a large shallow end that was perfect for the three musketeers to swim in and enjoy the water safely. When we transitioned from the tour to the cenotes, every person had to rinse in the shower to protect the environment and put on sterilized life vests. It is required to wear life vests in this cenote, and they had all sizes for kids and adults. It is also very advisable because the water is deep. I believe the guide said it was over 13 meters, which would be around 40 feet deep. I was also impressed to know that they had paramedics on-site to assist if there was ever an issue. This place is very remote, so having someone available to render aid, if needed, was another good aspect of this location.

After our guided tour and cenote swim, we had a chance to hang out at the pool and get a bite to eat before heading out. The food is mostly Yucatecan cuisine and very good. We spent roughly $600 pesos on food after the tour, and earlier before our tour, we spent $250 pesos on drinks for the adults. Our total expense for the day was $1850 pesos or roughly $92.00 USD for a family of four.

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I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy the cenotes at Muycuché.

Until Next Time,

MexitPlans Monte