This article is for certified freedivers who already know how to freedive and are looking for the best cenotes for freediving and underwater photography, without the life jacket rules and guided tours.

If you’re already here, I think I know what kind of information you need to plan your next freediving trip to Mexico. I have visited Yucatan in Mexico a few times over the past years, specifically looking for good cenotes for freediving. Here is all the information you need to plan your trip.

The Yucatan Peninsula has thousands of cenotes, some known and many still undiscovered – you won’t find this many cenotes anywhere else in the world!

Many cenotes are privately owned and charge an entrance fee. The most popular cenotes will generally have the easiest access, and the best on-site facilities (bathrooms, changing rooms, tables for gear and even souvenirs), while the less popular and more advanced cenotes will feel rawer and wilder, sometimes they require a bit of effort to access – these are exactly the cenotes we focused on discovering during our trips.

The Equipment You Need for Cenote Freediving

Wetsuit and snorkel

The water in the Cenotes hovers around 75 to 77oF (23 to 25oC) all year around. For fun diving or snorkeling, you don’t need any wetsuit. I usually wear a 2mm Trudive bodysuit just for styling purpose. Since it is fresh water, you do not need any additional weights to fight against with the buoyancy like you would in salt water. 

You can bring your own diving gear – mask, snorkel, and fins, which is what I usually do. Or, you can rent gear from local dive shops. If you book a guided tour, they will usually provide all the necessary equipment.

Underwater Camera

On this trip, we only used our iPhones to capture underwater content. We used a special underwater housing called DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 MAX, which allows you to have full touchscreen control of your phone underwater. The results were simply amazing, you can click here to see all the amazing content I filmed with my iPhone 14 pro and the DIVEVOLK housing.

The DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max smartphone housing is universally compatible, whether you use a Samsung, Google Pixel, Huawei, or any other kind of smartphone. You can pair your phone with the housing by inserting it with a fitted adaptor. It is waterproof up to 60 meters underwater; you can even use your phone to take split shots with an additional DIVEVOLK Dome lens.

If you want to know more about this DIVEVOLK SeaTouch4MAX housing, I’ve written an in-depth review of this smartphone housing. Click here to read the full review.

If you are thinking to buy the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 MAX housing, use the discount code “DIVETIAN6” directly at their online shop, you’ll get a 6% discount and an additional free protective cover, perfect for traveling!

For orders over $500, you’ll receive an additional free EVA box and an L-shaped bracket for your handle!

Additionally, you may need towels, mosquito spray, water, waterproof bags, and cash. In those caves, you usually don’t need sunscreen, but if you do, please use only biodegradable sunscreen to protect the natural environment.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Cenote

It’s true that the cenotes can be dived year-round, but if your goal is to take breathtaking underwater photography with light streams directly shooting down to the bottom of the caves, you should consider planning your cenote diving trip from May to September. During the winter months, the angle of the light stream is different, and the results are not ideal.

Plan your trip according to the weather, choosing the sunniest dates, and aim to be at the cenote around noon. If you arrive too early, there might not be enough light, and you will need to wait until noon for the best underwater photography results. However, arriving a bit earlier usually means fewer divers and tourists.

How Much Does Cenote Freediving Cost

The developed cenotes with some kind of facilities usually charge an entry fee. The entry ticket for cenotes around playa del carmen and Tulum usually cost 250 – 400 pesos per person. They often have a lower rate for the Mexican locals.  Cenotes around the Merida area have entry tickets costing 50 to 100 pesos per person, and sometimes as low as 20 pesos.

There are many cenotes that have not yet been discovered by tourists or shown on Google Maps. These often have no one around, and you don’t need to buy tickets to enter.

If you want to book a guided tour, it usually costs between 100 and 200 USD to visit one cenote.

How To Organize Your Cenote Freediving Trip

Depending on the cenotes you want to visit, you can book your accommodation accordingly. In our last few trips, we stayed in Merida, Playa Del Carmen, and Valladolid. I would also recommend renting a car during your stay if you want to drive around and visit those lesser-known cenotes. As you can see, if you pin out all the cenotes I recommend, they usually require a bit of driving.

Alternatively, you can book guided tours with local dive shops. This way, they will organize all the transportation for you.

Best Mexico Cenotes for freediving underwater Photography

So, we are finally here. Which cenotes are great for freediving and underwater photography, but still relatively unknown? Here is my list of recommendations:

1: Cenote Noh-Mozon

This cenote is my all-time favorite. It is located near the small town of Pixya in Yucatan. To get there, you need to drive about 2 km on a dirt road, which a normal rental car can handle. If you are driving from Merida, it takes around 1 hour.

The cenote is about 10 meters deep at the opening and can reach up to 24 meters in some parts, making it perfect for freediving and underwater photography. You can clearly see the stunning rock formations at the bottom. The entry fee was 70 pesos in December 2023, and you do not need a guide to freedive here.

2: Cenote Secreto Maya

This is the prettiest cenote in the Valladolid area. This cenote is more developed, as you can tell immediately when you walk in. There are drinks and food in the restaurant, showers, changing rooms, a pool, spa treatments, and accommodations. And yet, the cenote is quite pretty, and the cave has a large opening that allows more light to come in. It is also very easy to access by car; if you drive from Valladolid, it takes around 40 minutes.

The entry price is 250 pesos, with a lower rate for locals. You can freedive there with your own gear at no additional charge. No guide is needed.

3: Cenote Chukum

Many freedivers also recommend this cenote, which is located 20 minutes away from Valladolid. If you are planning to visit this cenote for underwater photography, I strongly recommend going in the summer months. This is a big underground cave with three small holes that allow light to shoot down. We visited this cave in winter and waited there from 10 am to 3 pm, but the light streams were unable to shoot directly into the cave.

The water in Cenote Chukum is around 20 meters deep. The entry ticket is 350 pesos. You need to rent a buoy to freedive in the cenote; otherwise, they will require you to wear a life vest or book a guide.

Cenote Chukum is very developed for tourists. There is a restaurant and a souvenir store. This cenote can get really busy as tourist buses come to visit, so you may want to arrive a little earlier to avoid the crowds.

4: Nah Yah Cenote

Cenote Nah-Yah is a semi-open cenote located near Cenote Noh-Mozon. The light beams that pierce through the cenote create a spectacular sight, making it perfect for underwater photography! If you’re into climbing, you can also try some rock climbing over the water in this cave – it’s pretty cool!

The entry fee is 70 pesos, and you don’t need a guide to freedive here.