Tulum Ruins & 4 Cenotes Tour: swim Casa Tortuga

Mayan ruins, four cenotes, and a sculpture stop in one day

This 12-hour guided tour from your hotel covers the Tulum Ruins archaeological zone, four cenotes (two open-air and two cave) at Casa Tortuga natural park, the Mother Nature sculpture, and free time on Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen. A local guide leads you through Casa Tortuga's cenotes and explains the site; lunch at a regional restaurant and park entry are included. The tour runs in English or Spanish, and shared transportation picks you up from your hotel.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Tulum ruins and cenotes

• Photo at Mother Nature Sculpture
• Tour Tulum archaeological zone
• Eat regional meal in Mayan zone
• Visit 4 cenotes at Casa Tortuga
• Free time at Playa del Carmen Fifth Avenue

The Experience

The day starts with a photo stop at the Mother Nature sculpture, then moves to the Tulum Ruins where you walk the archaeological zone on your own before lunch at a regional restaurant in the Mayan zone. After eating, the group heads to Casa Tortuga natural park to meet a local guide who takes you through all four cenotes—two that are open to the sky and two set inside caves—and explains what you're looking at as you swim. The cenotes are the draw here: they're freshwater pools formed in limestone, and the cave ones stay cool and dim even in midday heat.

The afternoon wraps with free time on Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen, the beachfront strip of shops and restaurants where you can walk, eat or just sit. Shared air-conditioned transportation picks you up from your hotel or a nearby meeting point and brings you back at the end of the 12-hour day. Lunch is a la carte at the restaurant, so you order what you want; drinks there are separate.

What’s included

• Park entry and the Casa Tortuga complex ticket.
• lunch a la carte at a regional restaurant.
• a local guide inside Casa Tortuga to explain the cenotes and lead the swim.
• access to all four cenotes (two open-air, two cave).
• the Mother Nature sculpture photo stop.
• free time on Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen.
• shared air-conditioned transportation from your hotel or meeting point.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Quality Tours Riviera Maya

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to visit both open and cave cenotes in a single day with bilingual guidance in English or Spanish, plus a stop in Playa del Carmen's Fifth Avenue.

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Top questions

What are the four cenotes at Casa Tortuga like?

Casa Tortuga has two open-air cenotes and two cave cenotes, all filled with freshwater. The cave cenotes stay cooler and darker than the open ones, and a local guide meets you there to explain the site and lead the swimming.

Do I need to hire a separate guide at the Tulum Ruins?

No—you walk the archaeological zone on your own after the tour arrives. A guide at the box office is available for hire if you want commentary there, at a cost of 35 USD for groups up to 12 people, arranged directly at the site.

Is transportation from my hotel included?

Yes. Shared air-conditioned transportation picks you up from your hotel or the nearest meeting point and returns you at the end of the day.

What's included in the lunch?

Lunch is a la carte at a regional restaurant in the Mayan zone, so you choose and pay for what you order. The meal itself is included; drinks are separate.

How long is this tour?

The full tour runs 12 hours from pickup to drop-off, covering the Mother Nature sculpture, Tulum Ruins, Casa Tortuga cenotes, and free time in Playa del Carmen.

What languages does the guide speak?

The local guide at Casa Tortuga speaks English and Spanish.