What to pack for a cenote day from Cancun
A cenote day asks for less luggage than a beach day, but a few items make a real difference. Most cenotes ask you to rinse off sunscreen, some charges are paid in cash and the stairs down to the water are wet. This list covers the five tours on this site.
The 11 things in your day bag
Pack light, since you will carry the bag on and off a van and store it in a locker. These are the items we would take on any of the five trips.
- A swimsuit worn under your clothes, because changing rooms at busy parks can have a line
- A quick-dry towel, unless you book Rio Secreto, which hands out towels
- Water shoes or sandals with straps for wet stairs, rock ledges and jungle paths
- A change of clothes for the ride back, dry underwear included
- Biodegradable sunscreen only, and many cenotes ask you to skip it before the swim
- Insect repellent for the jungle, put on after you leave the water
- Cash in USD or pesos for fees, lockers, drinks and tips
- A photo ID if you plan to join a tequila tasting, which is for adults 18 and over
- A waterproof phone pouch, where the photo rules allow your own phone
- Your own snorkel mask if you have one that fits well
- A small dry bag to keep keys and cash dry on the platforms
The listing for the three hidden cenotes trip asks you to bring swimwear and a towel. The others assume much the same, so treat the first two items as the minimum.
Sunscreen, repellent and the rinse rule
Cenotes are part of the groundwater that people in the region drink, and lotions leave a film on the surface. Most cenotes ask you to rinse off sunscreen and repellent in a shower before you swim.
That makes the order of the day simple. Wear a hat and a shirt on the way in, swim with clean skin and put on biodegradable sunscreen and repellent once you are dry again.
Mosquitoes gather in the shade of the jungle, more so in the rainy months. Our guide to the best time for a cenote trip shows when the wet weeks fall.
Cash, and how much of it
Card terminals are rare at cenote parks, and several charges are paid on the spot. Small bills in USD or pesos cover most of them.
- About 40 USD a person (25 USD for children) in park and government fees on the Tulum, cenote and turtle trip
- 44 USD a person for the Chichén Itzá site, paid there, on the Amigo Tours day
- A locker on the ATV and cenote combo, 5 USD plus a 5 USD refundable deposit
- Tips for guides and drivers, not included on any of the five tours
- Drinks beyond what the tour serves, and photo packages if you want one
Our breakdown of cenote tour prices and fees sets these against each tour's price, so you can see the full cost of the day.
Phones, cameras and photo rules
Photo rules vary more than people expect. Rio Secreto sells its own pictures and usually has you leave cameras in the locker, so read the listing before packing an expensive one.
At the open cenotes a waterproof pouch on a lanyard lets you film the jumps without risking the phone. The two Extreme Adventure Cancun trips also sell photo packages, so you can leave the phone in the bag if you prefer.
Extras for the turtle day
The Tulum, cenote and Akumal turtle trip at ~$89 is the one day here that also takes you into the sea. Ekinox Tours includes life jackets, lockers and two bottles of water, and it rates 4.9 from 400+ reviews on Viator.
The ruins at Tulum are open to the sun, so a cap and a water bottle earn their place there. Snorkel gear on the listings is not spelled out in detail, so check the listing, and bring your own mask if a borrowed one tends to leak on you.
For a day of ruins, a cenote and the sea
Ekinox Tours takes you from Cancun or Puerto Morelos to Tulum, the Mariposa cenote and Akumal bay in about 10 hours. Pack cash for the 40 USD in fees.
Turtles at Akumal are wild animals, so no trip can promise one. Our guide to Tulum, a cenote and the turtles explains how the day runs.
What the tours hand you
You need less gear than a packing list suggests, because the parks supply the bulky items. Life jackets come with the three hidden cenotes trip, Rio Secreto and the Ekinox turtle day.
Rio Secreto goes furthest, and its ticket covers a wetsuit and water shoes plus a towel, a locker and a helmet fitted with a headlamp. On the Amigo Tours day you get a life vest and a cenote locker only if you book the All-Inclusive option.
If you are unsure how deep or cold the water gets, our page on swimming in cenotes near Cancun covers depth and temperature. Parents can also read our guide to cenotes with kids and non-swimmers.
Leave these at the hotel
Some things only weigh you down. Jewelry slips off in cold water, and a big beach bag will not fit the smaller lockers.
Leave the drone at home as well, since parks set their own rules on filming. A paperback and a large cooler have no place on a guided group trip either, as the schedule keeps you moving.