Cenote Azul, Playa del Carmen: Fee, Cliff Jump, Getting There
Updated October 27, 2026
Cenote Azul is an open, L-shaped cenote at km 266 of the Cancún–Tulum highway, about 25 km (15 miles) south of Playa del Carmen, opposite the Barceló hotel. Entry was 120 to 180 pesos (MXN) per adult in 2025-2026 reports, and it opens from 8:00 every day. Shallow, shaded pools near the entrance lead to a main pool with a deep end and a natural jumping ledge about 4 m high. This is the Riviera Maya Cenote Azul, not the Cenote Azul next to the Bacalar lagoon in the south of the state, and not one in Cancún. Two other cenotes, Cristalino and Jardín del Edén, sit right next to it.
What Cenote Azul is like
Cenote Azul is open to the sky, so it is bright and warm compared with a cave cenote. Rivieramaya.mx describes it as L-shaped: shallow pools in the shade by the entrance, good for children and weaker swimmers, then the main pool with a deep area and a shallower area. Life jackets and snorkels are rented at the entrance. There are bathrooms, a basic shop and parking. Alcohol is not allowed. Rivieramaya.mx gives no maximum depth, and we found none in an opened source.
Cenote Azul entrance fee and hours
Cenote Azul has no official website with prices; its Facebook page is the only official channel. Secondary sources agree on the structure but not the adult price:
- General admission: 120 pesos — Posta (June 2025) and rivieramaya.mx (undated). Quintana Roo residents 100 pesos, children 4 to 8 years 80 pesos.
- General admission: 180 pesos — Go Visit Cancún's guide (January 2026).
- Extras — Life jacket and snorkel rental at the entrance (no price published).
- Hours — 8:00 to 17:30 every day of the year (rivieramaya.mx); 8:00 to 18:00 (Go Visit Cancún, 2026).
The cliff jump, and a safety note
The natural jumping platform is about 4 m high, over the deepest part of the main pool (rivieramaya.mx). That is the spot rivieramaya.mx describes for jumping. On 16 September 2023 a US tourist died at Cenote Azul after hitting his head on a rock while diving in from the edge; he lost consciousness and drowned (Diario de Yucatán, 17 September 2023). Sources differ on whether a life jacket is compulsory here, so take one if you are not a strong swimmer. Our page on whether cenotes are dangerous covers the rules that apply across the region.
How to get to Cenote Azul
From Playa del Carmen, a colectivo heading south toward Tulum stops at km 266 for about 30 pesos (Posta, June 2025); ask the driver for Cenote Azul. By car it is about 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen and 40 km (25 miles) from Tulum. From Cancún, Playa del Carmen is about 68 km away: the ADO bus costs about 60 pesos and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, and colectivos leave in front of the Cancún ADO station for about 40 pesos (rivieramaya.mx). Change in Playa del Carmen for the colectivo south.
Cenote Azul, Cristalino and Jardín del Edén in one stop
Three open cenotes cluster around km 266, so you can do two in a morning. Fees are paid separately at each one.
- Cenote Cristalino — Next to Cenote Azul. 150 pesos, 8:00 to 17:00, jump platforms and shaded rest areas (Go Visit Cancún, January 2026).
- Cenote Jardín del Edén — Also called Cenote Poderosa, 3 km from Puerto Aventuras. One of the largest open-air cenotes, with platforms for jumping. 200 pesos for adults (México Desconocido, undated) or 250 pesos (Go Visit Cancún, January 2026).
Tours to Cenote Azul
None of the six cenote tours we compare in detail stops at Cenote Azul, and we do not point you to a listing that does not name it. It is an easy cenote to visit on your own from Playa del Carmen. If you would rather have transport from Cancún and a cenote on the same day, compare the cenote tours from Cancún, or read our pick of the best cenotes near Playa del Carmen.
Cenote Azul (official Facebook page)Playa del Carmen on Wikipedia
Frequently asked questions
How much is it to enter Cenote Azul?
120 pesos per adult in 2025 reports (Posta, rivieramaya.mx) and 180 pesos in a January 2026 guide. Residents pay 100 and children 4 to 8 pay 80.
Is Cenote Azul safe?
It is an open cenote with shallow pools near the entrance and a deep main pool. A US tourist died there in 2023 after diving from the edge onto a rock, so use the platform over the deep area rather than the edge, and take a life jacket if you are not a strong swimmer.
Is Cenote Azul in Cancún?
No. It is at km 266 of Highway 307, about 25 km south of Playa del Carmen and roughly 90 km from Cancún by road. A different Cenote Azul is in Bacalar, in the south of the state.
What are Cenote Azul's hours?
From 8:00 every day, closing at 17:30 by rivieramaya.mx's figure or 18:00 by a 2026 guide.
Is Cenote Azul worth it?
For an easy, cheap swim, yes: it is one of the lowest fees on the coast, it has shallow pools for children and a jump for adults, and two more cenotes are next door.
Sources