Cenote Zaci in Valladolid: Prices, Depth, Jumping Rules and Whether It Beats Ik Kil
Cenote Zaci sits inside Valladolid town: entry price, opening hours, depth, whether you can jump, how it compares to Ik Kil and Suytun, and how to fit it around a Chichen Itza day.
Cenote Zaci is the swimming hole inside Valladolid itself, a 100-metre semi-open sinkhole three blocks from the main square. Entry costs around 100 MXN, the water sits 15 metres below street level, and it stays quiet while tour buses queue at Ik Kil.
Prices, Hours and What the Ticket Actually Includes
The cenote opens daily from 08:00 to 17:30, with last entry around 17:00. The ticket covers access and use of the changing rooms and showers, which are basic but functional. Life jackets, lockers and towels are all separate rentals paid in cash.
| Item | Typical cost (MXN) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult entry (foreign) | 100 | Cash only at the gate |
| Mexican national / child | 50 | ID may be requested |
| Life jacket | 30-50 | Mandatory for weak swimmers |
| Locker | 30-50 | Small, bring your own padlock if possible |
| Restaurant meal | 150-250 | Terrace overlooking the water |
What Swimming in a Half-Collapsed Cenote Feels Like
Half the pool sits open to the sky and half under a limestone overhang hung with roots. Water temperature holds around 24 to 25 degrees year round, visibility is good but darker than the fully enclosed cenotes, and black catfish move in the shallows.
Rules That Get Enforced at the Gate
Sunscreen and insect repellent must be rinsed off before entering; staff check. Drones are banned, jumping is allowed only from the marked platform, and glass is not permitted. The same conservation rules apply at every cenote on the route, including Cenote Ik Kil.
Zaci Against Ik Kil and Suytun, Honestly Compared
Each of the three does one thing best. Zaci wins on price and quiet, Ik Kil on the vertical vine-draped drama covered in the Ik Kil guide, and Suytun on the single light beam photograph explained in the Cenote Suytun guide.
| Cenote | Type | Entry (MXN) | Crowds | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaci | Semi-open, in town | ~100 | Low | Cheap quiet swim, walkable |
| Ik Kil | Open vertical shaft | ~180 | Very high | Classic photo, tour stop |
| Suytun | Closed cave | ~250 | High | Light beam platform shot |
Fitting Zaci Into a Chichen Itza Day Trip
Valladolid sits 45 minutes east of Chichen Itza, which makes Zaci an easy afternoon stop after the ruins close in on midday heat. What else the town offers is set out in the Valladolid Mexico guide.
Timing decides everything: reach the ruins at opening, leave by 12:30, and you swim while the buses are still parked at the archaeological zone. The gate schedule is in the Chichen Itza opening hours guide, and crowd patterns in the best time to visit Chichen Itza guide.
Getting There Without Renting a Car
Zaci needs no transport once you are in Valladolid, which is the point. Getting to Valladolid from the coast is the harder part, and the drive times are broken down in the how far is Chichen Itza from Cancun guide.
Our Chichen Itza cenote and Valladolid tour builds the town stop into the day with a certified INAH guide and private transport, and travellers starting on the coast can compare pickups on the Chichen Itza tours from Cancun page. Itza Quest keeps the group private, so the cenote stop lasts as long as your group wants it to.
Zaci is the cenote you walk to; Cenote Oxman is the one you drive 8 km south for. Oxman trades Zaci's town-centre convenience for a rope swing, a hacienda pool and a restaurant credit built into the entry fee, which is why most Valladolid visitors do Zaci in the morning and Oxman in the afternoon.
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Related guides with the same travel intent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Cenote Zaci cost to enter?
Entry runs about 100 MXN for adult foreign visitors and roughly 50 MXN for Mexican nationals and children, paid in cash at the gate. Life jacket rental and lockers cost extra, usually 30 to 50 MXN each. Cards are not reliably accepted.
Where is Cenote Zaci located?
Cenote Zaci sits three blocks east of Valladolid's main square, on Calle 36 between 37 and 39, inside a small municipal park. It is the only major cenote you can reach on foot from a town centre, about a 7-minute walk from the cathedral.
How deep is Cenote Zaci?
Cenote Zaci is about 100 metres across and roughly 25 to 30 metres deep at the centre, with the water surface some 15 metres below ground level. It is a partly collapsed open cenote, so half the pool sits under an overhanging limestone roof.
Can you jump into Cenote Zaci?
Yes, from a marked platform roughly 4 to 5 metres above the water, when a lifeguard is on duty. Jumping from the upper rim or the unmarked ledges is prohibited. The water is deep enough throughout the jump zone, but the rock edges are slick.
Is Cenote Zaci better than Ik Kil?
Zaci is quieter, cheaper and rarely crowded, while Ik Kil is more dramatic and far busier because every group tour stops there. If you want photographs, Ik Kil wins. If you want to swim without queueing behind 200 people, Zaci wins clearly.
How long do you need at Cenote Zaci?
One hour covers changing, swimming and drying off at an unhurried pace. Add 30 minutes if you plan to eat at the restaurant above the cenote, which overlooks the water and serves Yucatecan dishes like longaniza and cochinita pibil.