A guided walk and swim through a cave cenote system south of Playa del Carmen, with all the gear, lunch and hotel pickup, from $119.
- Free cancellationFree cancellation - Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
- Duration6.5 - 8 hours
- LanguagesFrench, English, Spanish
This underground river and cave cenote tour is a 6.5 to 8-hour trip, from $119 per person, to Rio Secreto, a cave and underground river system just south of Playa del Carmen. Rio Secreto, the company that owns the reserve, runs the tour. The price covers hotel pickup in the Cancún and Riviera Maya areas, a wetsuit, life jacket, helmet, water shoes and lamp, a live guide, a light lunch, towels and showers. Underground you walk and swim for about 1.5 hours in a small group. It holds 4.6 on 201 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide. Cameras are not allowed in the cave, the minimum age is 4, and you must weigh under 120 kg.
Compare Cenote ToursKey facts
underground river / cave- Duration
- 6.5 - 8 hours
- Meeting point
- Hotel pickup in the Cancún hotel zone, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Akumal and Tulum areas
- Price
- $119 per person
- Entry ticket included
- Yes
- Languages
- French, English, Spanish
- Group size
- Small groups of up to 15 people
- Accessibility
- Minimum age 4. Participants must walk without help and weigh less than 120 kg.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation - Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Included
- ✓ Round-trip air-conditioned transportation from your hotel
- ✓ Wet suit, life jacket, helmet, wet shoes, lamp
- ✓ Live guide
- ✓ Light lunch
- ✓ Towels, bathrooms, showers, hammocks
Not included
- ✗ Photographs
- ✗ Souvenirs
- ✗ Tips (optional)
Meeting point
Rio Secreto Nature Reserve, Carretera Federal Libre Chetumal – Puerto Juárez km 283.5, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — An air-conditioned van collects you from your hotel. On arrival there is a 15-minute safety briefing. You must reconfirm the tour at least 48 hours ahead.
What a cave cenote is, and what Rio Secreto is
A cave cenote is a closed cenote, one fully covered by rock, so the water lies in caves rather than in an open pool (Yucatán Today). Type D in the standard classification, a cave entrance leading to the water, is the most common type in Quintana Roo. Rio Secreto is a cave system with an underground river just south of Playa del Carmen. Wikipedia says it was found in 2004, when a farmer followed an iguana into an opening, and opened to visitors in April 2008. The system has about 38 km of caves, and about 10% of it is used for tours. The route passes stalactites and stalagmites, and the site is protected as a nature reserve. Our guide to how cenotes are formed explains how caves like this one appear.
The day: pickup, 1.5 hours underground, lunch
The tour takes 6.5 to 8 hours door to door, because most of the time is the drive. An air-conditioned van picks you up at your hotel. At the reserve you get a 15-minute safety briefing and your gear. Then you walk and swim with a guide for about 1.5 hours underground; the listing gives the route as 600 m, while the reserve's own site describes its Classic route as about 1 km. Back above ground you eat a light lunch of local food, shower and change, and the van drives you back. One of the 10 latest reviews says the guides pick from five routes, some with more swimming than others.
Wetsuit, helmet and no phones: the rules
The gear is provided: a wetsuit, life jacket, helmet, water shoes and lamp. You do not need to be a strong swimmer, but you must be able to float, according to the reserve. The water is 22 to 24 °C, and the wetsuits are 2.5 to 3 mm thick. Cameras are not allowed in the cave, and reviewers say that includes phones. Hats, glasses, sandals not strapped at the ankle, watches, jewellery, band-aids, backpacks and handbags go in the lockers. The reserve asks you to shower before you go in and to wear no lotion, makeup or hair gel. A photographer goes with each group and sells the photos after the tour.
Who cannot go
Children under 4 cannot go, and anyone who cannot walk without help or weighs 120 kg or more is not allowed, according to the listing. The reserve's own site also says the tour is not recommended for pregnant women or people with claustrophobia, heart problems or difficulty walking. Minors must be with an adult. If an enclosed cave is not for you, an open cenote such as the ones on our cenote swim day is the simpler choice. Our page on whether cenotes are dangerous covers the general risks.
Booking here or on the Rio Secreto website
Rio Secreto's own website sells the Classic tour at the same $119 with transport from Cancún or the Riviera Maya, or $89 if you get there yourself. The difference is the cancellation rule. On the reserve's site, cancelling 5 or more days ahead costs a 10% fee, and later cancellations or no-shows get no refund. This listing gives a full refund up to 24 hours before. For other cave and cenote trips, compare our page of cenote tours from Cancún.
| Compared on | This tour | Rio Secreto website, Classic | Tulum and Cobá with cave swim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per person | from $119 | $119 with transport, $89 without | from $59, plus 44 USD ruins fee |
| Transport | Hotel pickup | Optional | Meeting point or hotel pickup |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before | 10% fee from 5 days before; no refund within 4 days | Free up to 24 hours before |
| Underground time | About 1.5 hours | Classic tour about 3.5 hours in all | A guided cave swim at a cenote |
| Gear | Wetsuit, life jacket, helmet, water shoes, lamp | Wetsuit, life jacket, helmet with lamp, towels | Life vest and locker extra |
| Rating on GetYourGuide | 4.6 (201 reviews) | No GetYourGuide rating | 4.5 (289 reviews) |
What reviewers consistently say
- All 10 of the latest reviews (November 2024 to October 2026) give 5 stars
- 7 of 10 praise the guide; 1 says the guide helped a non-swimmer through
- 5 of 10 complain about the price of the photos sold after the tour, since cameras are banned
- 4 of 10 mention the lunch, mostly positively
- 3 of 10 report transport problems: a late pickup, a bumpy ride or a long return with several stops
- 1 of 10 met another group in the cave
- GetYourGuide's category scores: guide 4.77, transportation 4.26, value for money 4.02
Who should not book this
- Children under 4
- Anyone who weighs 120 kg or more or cannot walk without help
- People with claustrophobia, heart problems or difficulty walking, and pregnant women: the reserve does not recommend the tour for them
- Anyone who wants their own photos: cameras stay in the lockers
-
Cancun: Tulum & Coba with Cenote, Cave Exploration and Lunch
from $59A guided cave swim at a cenote added to the Tulum and Cobá ruins, with lunch. Cheaper, but a 12-hour day and the ruins fee is extra.
Check availability -
Cenote swim day with lunch
$594.9 75 reviews
Two cenotes in a quiet park, with no cave, no gear rules and no camera ban, for about half the price.
Read the full page
How to book
Use the button on this page to open the listing, choose a date and enter your hotel. Reconfirm the tour at least 48 hours ahead, as the listing asks. Leave your phone and jewellery in the hotel or the reserve's lockers, and skip lotion and makeup that morning. Reserve now, pay later is available, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start. This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to swim at Rio Secreto?
You walk and swim, but you do not need to be a strong swimmer: you must be able to float, and a life jacket and wetsuit are provided, according to the reserve.
Can I take photos in the cave?
No. Cameras are not allowed in the cave, and reviewers say that includes phones. A photographer goes with each group and sells photos after the tour.
What is the minimum age?
Four years old. Minors must be with an adult.
Is there a weight limit?
Yes. The listing says participants must weigh less than 120 kg and be able to walk without help.
How big are the groups?
The listing's rules say small groups of up to 15 people; its description says up to 12 per tour. The reserve's own site says up to 10 on the Classic tour.
How cold is the water?
About 22 to 24 °C, according to the reserve. The wetsuit, 2.5 to 3 mm thick, keeps you warm for the 1.5 hours underground.
Sources