Cenote Ik Kil – The Wonderful Sacred Blue Cenote

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If you visit the Yucatán Peninsula, don’t skip Cenote Ik Kil. Nestled in the forest surrounding the Chichen Itza archaeological site, Cenote Ik Kil is one of those postcard places. Read on to find out more about this wonderful place.

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Ik Kil is a sacred cenote in the Yucatán Peninsula, near Chichen Itza. Cenotes are very common in this region of Mexico and the Maya often used them for sacrificial offerings.

If you’re new to the term, a cenote is a natural pit of fresh groundwater, sometimes open and other times completely underground. The term comes from the Yucatec Maya “tsʼonot”, meaning a location with accessible groundwater.

These sinkholes are the result of the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes the water underneath. Without going into too much detail, let me just say that the impact of the Chicxulub impactor, an asteroid that hit the earth about 66 million years ago, is the cause of the cenotes. You know, the one that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs? If you’re curious, go read the very interesting explanation of the Chicxlub crater and the cenotes.

Each cenote is unique and many of them look like some forgotten piece of paradise that one would see in adventure movies. For better or worse, most of them are no longer forgotten, but rather popular and frequented by thousands of tourists.

Discovering Cenote Ik Kil

Cenote Ik Kil is famous also in large part due to its location close to the renowned Chichen Itza archaeological site. It only takes about five minutes to drive and taxis are plentiful around the ruins so it’s fairly easy to reach.

Conveniently enough, we booked our accommodation just across the street from the entrance to Ik Kil Archeological Park. Hotel Doralba Inn Chichen is a little oasis in the middle of the forest, with bungalows immersed in lush greenery. To complete it all, two swimming pools sparkle in the sun, surrounded by trees and silence. Check out this place on Booking.com.

We head to the cenote late in the afternoon, almost one hour before closing time. The weather is cloudy and moody so we don’t really prepare for swimming in the cenote. We do wear our bikinis under our clothes, just in case.

We enter the park and walk along narrow paths in the forest, with virtually no other human in sight. But as soon as we enter the area of the cenote, we realize how crowded it is.

Children’s laughter and splashes of water travel from the natural pool all the way to the surface. As we look down, we see dozens of people swimming and jumping in the water.

Cool Facts About Cenote Ik Kil

Unlike other cenotes around the Yucatán Peninsula, this one has a big opening at the top, about 26 meters from the surface of the water, with vines hanging from the top. Then there are the fifty meters of depth of the round cenote, at the bottom of which archaeologists have found a variety of things, from jewels to human bones.

We learn that cenote Ik Kil was used by the Mayas for human sacrifices to the rain god Chaac. That explains the bones.

As we start to descend towards the cenote, we find a little balcony overlooking the sinkhole. Through lianas falling from the top to the water’s surface, we see people swimming in the “Sacred Blue Cenote” as it’s also called.

A dark stairway carved in the limestone leads us down to the cenote and as we descend, the voices fill the air, echoing in the narrow tunnel.

Unexpected Consequences

The sight of people jumping in the water and swimming around is too inviting and despite being totally unprepared, without even a towel to dry ourselves, we decide to go for a swim.

As I swim in the bottomless pool, I try not to think about the sinister remains lying several meters under my feet. The temperature of the water is pleasant and as I look up, I see the blue of the sky framed by the leafy walls of the cenote. Cenote Ik Kil is without a doubt one of the most spectacular places I’ve swum.

Unconscious of the consequences, we head outside and wear our clothes on top of the wet bikini. They are damp within seconds but we have the brilliant idea to have ice cream. And why not eat it swinging on the hammocks hanging by the trees in an area near the cenote?

The temperature is dropping and the wind starts to get chilly but it’s all so pleasant. We swing idly in our hammocks, the branches of the tall trees swaying in the wind.

The cost of the lovely afternoon? A night spent throwing up every 20 minutes, hoping it would end before I passed out on the bathroom floor. Not my best night in Mexico.

So make sure to prepare before visiting the cenote. Bring towels and a change of clothes. Also, you’ll have to take a shower before swimming in the cenote.

And remember, no eating ice cream while swinging from a hammock in wet clothes. But then again, it’s Mexico so it could have been a number of other things making me sick.

Useful Info About Cenote Ik Kil

Getting there: ADO has regular bus rides from Valladolid and a few from Cancún as well.

Where to stay: We stayed at Hotel Doralba Inn Chichen, in an affordable bungalow immersed in nature. There’s a restaurant on-site and it’s conveniently located near Ik Kil and a short drive from Chichen Itza.

Entrance fee: The entrance to the cenote is 100$ pesos which is just over 5 USD (as of October 2024).

Opening hours: The cenote is open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM.

Services: At the cenote, you’ll find a small shop (for ice cream), a restaurant, and changing rooms. You can rent locker space, towels, and even life vests.

Enjoy the swim and remove any valuables! It can be hard to retrieve your watch from the bones of some sacrificial victim at the bottom of the cenote.

Just kidding.

Or not?

Finally, if you’d rather avoid the stress of planning everything on your own, why not join an organized tour? You’ll get to meet other people and won’t have to worry about every single detail. Check out these options or find out more on Viator.

P.S.: if you’re planning on visiting Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, check out also my articles on Isla Holbox and Isla Mujeres.

Travel Resources

These travel websites and apps are my go-to for all my travels.

Purpose	Website/App	Description	Book Here
Accommodation	Booking.com	My favorite website for great accommodation for different budgets.	Find a Place
Flights	Skyscanner	The platform I typically use for finding the most affordable flights.	Find Flights
Cheap Buses	Flixbus	My favorite app for cheap bus fares around most of Europe and the US.	Bus Rides
Transportation	Omio	You can book everything from buses and trains to ferry rides.	Transportation
Train Travel	Trainline	If you travel by train, this app is great for booking rides in Europe.	Train Rides
Travel Insurance	SafetyWing	One of the best travel medical insurances for frequent travelers.	Get Insured
Activities	Manawa	A great platform to book activities and adventures with local hosts.	Find Activities
Experiences	GetYourGuide	Another great platform for tours and experiences with lots of options.	Experiences
Car Rental	DiscoverCars	My go-to platform for car rental anywhere in the world.	Rent a Car
eSIM	Airalo	My favorite app for buying digital SIM cards when traveling abroad.	Get an eSIM

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