Do you know how many cenotes there are in the Yucatan Peninsula? Do you know them all? In case you haven’t heard about Cenote Zaci yet, we bring you information about its location in the state of Valladolid and much more.

If you are visiting the state, we recommend you to take the tour that you can not miss, Chichen Itza, an archaeological site where you will learn about the history and see amazing buildings.

The Zací Cenote in Valladolid

This open cenote is one of the largest in the Yucatan Peninsula, an impressive cave full of vegetation with stalactites and stalagmites bathed by the sun’s rays.

It is about 40 meters in diameter, and there is a depth of 30 meters underwater, although it is believed to be much deeper depending on the specific areas. You can access the interior through a grotto or a tunnel, through which you will descend stone stairs that surround the cenote.

Zací has the same name of the ancient Mayan city that years later would become Valladolid, back in 1543. Specifically, it is located in the Santa Ana neighborhood of the city of Valladolid, which can be reached by car or public transportation. If you are traveling from other parts of the country, you should know that there are approximately 159 kilometers between Mérida and Valladolid.

Legend of Cenote Zací

It is said that before the arrival of the Spaniards, the city of Zací was inhabited by two Mayan groups called Cocomes and Cupules. Near the cenote lived an old woman healer who was faithful to the Cocomes family, grandmother of a good and beautiful granddaughter named Sac-Nicte. Both she and the son of the village chieftain, named Hul-Kin and belonging to the family of the Cupules, fell madly in love.

This love was impossible because of the enmity of both families, so the son of the chieftain was sent to another tribe to marry another girl, while the young Sac-Nicte lost her joy for that outcome, still in love with Hul-Kin. Despite her grandmother’s rituals and spells to take away her sadness, Sac-Nicte threw herself into the cenote with a stone tied to her hair.

When the young woman died, Hul-Kin felt such pain that he had to return to his hometown and when he found out what had happened, he too jumped into the cenote to drown in it.

Cenote Zací Entrance Fee

The price of general admission to the Parador Turístico is around 300 pesos, and you can visit it every day of the week from 9:00 AM to 17:00 PM. On the premises there is a restaurant serving typical regional cuisine, a la carte menu and much more.

You can also find a lookout area where you can take amazing pictures of your stay at Cenote Zací, diving equipment rental and life jackets. You can visit the handicraft store to buy your souvenirs. Don’t miss anything during your adventure in this wonderful area near Valladolid.