Cenote Zaci

After visiting the spectacular cenote Zaci in Valladolid all I could think was ‘If only every town in the world had a huge, natural swimming pool right in the centre!’ 

Cenote Zaci is literally right in the middle of the charming colonial town of Valladolid. The cenote is certainly very beautiful in its own right but the fact that you can stumble on it coming out of the market or by just walking a few blocks from the main square makes it extra special.

Zaci means ‘white sparrow hawk’ in Mayan and the settlement we now call Valladolid was originally called Zaci. 45 meters across and 100 meters deep in places, cenote Zaci is a huge, partially collapsed cave. Its also home to hundreds of swallows who provide a sweet soundtrack to your swim.

The water is a deep, deep blue and the whole place is spotlessly clean which is amazing considering that its within the town.

There are loads of different platforms and places from which to dive or jump into the water, depending on how brave you’re feeling! There is also loads of space around the cenote for sitting and admiring the view, people watching and soaking up the cool cenote air.

Perched on the edge there is a restaurant serving up local Yucatecan food. We had this amazing breakfast after our swim…including lots of free botanas to get us started. Yum.

Cenote Zaci is open everyday 8am – 6pm with a cost of 30 pesos or free if you eat in the restaurant. You can find it at Calle 37 and 39, in Valladolid. 

Have you visited Cenote Zaci? How was your experience? Got any questions? Let me know!