Guide To Cenote Oxman, Valladolid & Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman (2023)

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You may have heard about Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman in Valladolid, Mexico. Cenote Oxman has recently gained a lot of attention on Instagram due to its rope swing and picturesque tree roots hanging down from the top.

Cenote Oxman is located at Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman near Valladolid and one of the best cenotes around Valladolid.

In this post, we will give you an overview of visiting Cenote Oxman and Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman Valladolid along with some cool photos and practical information like opening hours, prices and rules, etc.

The Best Cenotes Around Valladolid

Cenote Oxman & Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman

Guide To Visiting Cenote Oxman In Valladolid, Mexico

What Is A Cenote?

Cenotes are sinkholes that have naturally formed by the collapse of their limestone bedrock ceiling. Yucatan has thousands of these natural sinkholes, called cenotes. Researchers found that these cenotes are not standalone waterholes, but rather a vastly interconnected underground water system spanning across the entire Yucatan Peninsula.

The cenote water is usually crystal clear and cool which makes the cenotes so incredible for swimming and snorkeling. Some cenotes are very deep which makes them the perfec environment for scuba, cave, and free diving.

At other cenotes cave divers can explore incredible underwater worlds with stalactites and stalagmites and sometimes even encounter fossils.

Different Types Of Cenotes

Cenotes vary in size, depth as well as type. Some cenotes are partially open through a collapsed ceiling that exposes the underlying groundwater. Others are completely open and exposed. Yet other sinkholes are entirely underground and cavelike and again others are only semi-underground.

The natural sinkholes around Valladolid are different from the cenotes around Tulum and Playa del Carmen. You will mostly find cave and pit cenotes around the colonial town.

Cenotes In Ancient Mayan History

The ancient Mayans used the cenotes as natural wells for their water supplies. Famous cities like Chichen Itza were built around cenotes for that fact, as the Yucatan Peninsula has almost no rivers and only a few lakes.

The cenotes were believed to be a passageway to the underground world and afterlife. In ancient times, cenotes played a big part in Mayan rituals and sacrificial offerings.

The Mayans deposited valuables and human bodies into the cenotes as a form of sacrifice to their gods. Divers have found several human remains and objects dating back to the Mayan era inside the sinkholes.

Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman, Mexico

Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman is one of the most famous and best cenotes near Valladolid. It is actually also one of the closest natural swimming holes to Valladolid and is easily accessible.

What To Expect At Cenote Oxman, Mexico?

The Mexico Cenote Oxman is on the premisses of Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman. The cenote was fairly unknown until recently when it became popular on Instagram because of its rope swing and pretty tree roots growing down to the water from above.

Rope Swing

There is a platform at Cenote Oxman with a rope swing. From there you can gracefully (hopefully) swing into the crisp deep blue cenote water.

Swimming & Snorkeling At Cenote Oxman

You can swim and snorkel at the Oxman natural swimming hole. The water is fairly clear and you can see little black fish underwater.

Snorkeling gets especially beautiful when the sun light hits the water. Under water you will see the light rays bounce off the limestones then, creating an incredible light spectacle.

Facilities

There are changing rooms and bathroom facilities. There are also showers for everyone to rinse off before entering the cenote.

There is also a pool and restaurant next to the cenote, which you can use when getting a day pass.

Restaurant

If you are hungry you can buy food and drinks at the restaurant of the Hacienda. They serve traditional and simple Mexican cuisine.

You can order a la carte or participate in the buffet, including a day pass for the pool and cenote access.

Visiting Cenote Oxman, Valladolid

Cenote Oxman Location

The Oxman Cenote is located just outside of Valladolid and therefore a popular activity when visiting Valladolid.

Tough, due to its popularity, lots of people also visit Cenote Oxman from further away like Cancun and Tulum.

How To Get To Cenote Oxman Near Valladolid?

Biking To Cenote Oxman

Riding a bike is a good option if you are coming from Valladolid to Cenote Oxman. The ride is only about 6 km / 3.7 mi and absolutely doable by bike.

Taking A Taxi To Visit Cenote Oxman

If you are not into biking, taking a taxi from Valladolid to Cenote Oxman is super easy and fairly cheap, since the ride is only about 15 minutes.

Getting Around By Rental Car

If you have a rental car, this is obviously the most convenient option to get to the cenote and hacienda Oxman. You should book your rental car, right from Cancun airport for the cheapest prices and best availability.

When driving to Cenote Oxman from Valladolid, there are several routes to get there. It’s best to take Highway 295 or Highway 180.

There is a slightly shorter route to get there, but it takes you on a bumpy dirt road and past a landfill, which actually ends up not being faster at all. Waze took us there when we first drove to Cenote Oxman. The second time we drove the much easier and faster highway route.

Taking A Cenote Oxman Tour

There are also several tours to Cenote Oxman. The tours also visit other sites like Chichen Itza, Cenote Ik Kil, etc. around the area.

➤ Chichen Itza and Cenote Oxman Day Trip

➤ Mayan Culture and Cenote Oxman Bike Tour

➤ Private Instagram Valladolid Cenotes Tour

➤ VIP Chichen Itza & Oxman Cenote Private Tour

Cenote Oxman Tulum To Valladolid

Due to its popularity, many people visit Cenote Oxman from Tulum. It’s best to rent a car to drive from Tulum To Cenote Oxman as the drive is approx. 1,5 hours and about 110 km / 68 mi.

If you make this Tulum-Cenote Oxman drive, we recommend to check out the nearby colonial town Valladolid while you are there.

Cenote Oxman Opening Hours

The opening hours of Cenote Oxman are from 9 am to 6 pm. Cenote Oxman is open for visitors every day, including Sundays.

The Best Time To Visit Cenote Oxman

The best time to visit Cenote Oxman depends on what you are looking for when visiting the natural swimming hole in Valladolid.

During the day when the sun is at its peak, the sun rays shine directly into the cenote making the water light up in its incredibly blue tones.

This time is also the busiest time to visit Cenote Oxman. Most people opt to visit around noon and later. On our first attempt to visit San Lorenzo Oxman we showed up in the late afternoon hours. We already knew that there were going to be people there, but didn’t expect that many. So we turned around and came back the next day.

Avoiding The Crowds

If you want to avoid the crowds and take photos of Cenote Oxman, you should go as early as possible. We got there as soon as it opened at 9 am. It was very peaceful having the cenote all to ourselves. We had time to take photos of the rope swing and the incredible tree roots hanging down from the top of the cenote.

We enjoyed our time alone in the cenote while it lasted. Pretty soon after, the first small tour already arrived, and gone was the peacefulness.

So even though, there are some tours visiting Cenote Oxman in the morning hours, most tours visit around noon and afternoon.

One downside of visiting the Oxman Cenote in the morning is, that the sun isn’t fully shining into the sinkhole yet.

How Much Does Visiting Cenote Oxman Cost?

There are different entry fees to Cenote Oxman. You can choose between cenote access with lunch included or only cenote access.

Cenote Only Entrance Fee

The regular entrance fee to Cenote Oxman is 150 MXN. The price including the lunch buffet with the cenote access is 250 MXN. Drinks are separate.

Due to the popularity of Cenote Oxman, the prices have doubled over the last few years. We have also seen different entrance fee models, sometimes with a buffet and other times with a food consumption voucher. So it seems it changes a bit depending on seasonality and demand.

Guests at Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman get to use the cenote and premisses free of charge.

Sunscreen & Swimming In Cenote Oxman

With the crystal clear water Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman and all the other cenotes are not only precious, they also contribute to the health of the peninsula’s ecosystem. It is therefore paramount to keep Cenote Oxman and all others clean.

This means the natural swimming holes need to be kept free from trash and pollutions. Specifically, this also includes sunscreen and mosquito repellent as well as other body lotions that we use.

Can I Wear Biodegradable Sunscreen At Cenote Oxman?

The short answer is: No! Sunscreen, mosquito repellent as well as other lotions and sprays that we apply to our bodies are toxic to the ecosystem and aren’t decomposable. Even biodegradable sunscreen!

This is because most so-called biodegradable sunscreens are actually not really biodegradable. Even the ones that are, still leave a residue in the water which ends up polluting the pristine clear cenote water.

At Cenote Oxman in Valladolid and most other swimming holes, you will be asked to take a shower before entering the water to remove all the cosmetic products from your skin.

Please do your part and help keep these precious ecosystems clean and healthy!

Life Jackets For Swimming In Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman

Contrary to other cenotes, it is required to wear life jackets when swimming at Cenote Oxman and they are pretty strict about it. We went early in the morning and had the cenote all to ourselves. Once staff started to show up for work, they made us put on life jackets. There was no way around, even for good swimmers.

Personally, this was quite annoying for us, as we have no issues with swimming. Especially, with Felipe being a triathlete it didn’t make much sense, but we wore them eventually. The rules probably got stricter due to the high amount of visitors each day and they don’t want to take chances.

If you don’t feel 100% comfortable with swimming, please always wear a life jacket. They are free at Cenote Oxman and required for that reason.

Things To Pack For Swimming In Cenote Oxman

Here’s a brief packing list of things that we have found handy for visiting Cenote Oxman in Valladolid.

If you want to take underwater photos of Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman a GoPro and GoPro Dome or other action camera is great. All the new GoPros are also waterproof and you can take them into the water without a case.

If you bring your phone, there are really cheap phone cases for the water or more professional underwater phone housings. They work surprisingly well and the photos can also turn out great.

One item that makes exploring the cenotes a 100% more comfortable are water shoes.

Summary: Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman Mexico

Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman

The Oxman Cenote is part of Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman. Once you arrive at the premises you can’t miss the hacienda. You will enter through a pretty arch and walk along a pathway leading up to the hacienda.

Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman is a simplistic accommodation in Valladolid that features various budget-style rooms. There is also an outdoor pool area and a restaurant at the Oxman Hacienda.

The highlight of staying at Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman in Valladolid is definitely the cenote.

Cenote Access For Hacienda Oxman Guests

Guest of the Oxman Hacienda get to swim in Cenote Oxman free of charge all day long. They also get to swim in the cenote an hour earlier, starting at 8 in the morning already.

Staying At Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman, Valladolid

If you are planning to visit the cenote as early as possible staying at Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman is the way to go. That way you get to jump in an hour earlier, before everyone else.

The nightly rates of Hacienda Oxman are also quite affordable.

Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman Rates

Check current prices here!

Other Places To Stay Nearby

Aside from the Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman, most of the places to stay near the cenote are in Valladolid.

However, there are four accommodations outside of Valladolid worth mentioning. Hotel Real Zaci, Hacienda Selva Maya, Casas Luna y Sol – Casa Sol and CAPITAL O Hotel Villas Del Ángel. All accommodations are not far from Cenote Oxman.

CAPITAL O Hotel Villas Del Ángel is located across the street from Cenote Saamal and Hacienda Selva Maya is right at the cenote.

Casas Luna y Sol – Casa Sol is a vacation home rental with pool. This is a great option for groups visiting Cenote Oxman and Valladolid.

Cenotes Near Valladolid

Besides the San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote, there are many more cenotes to be explored around the colonial town Valladolid.

There is actually a swimming hole directly in the town center of Valladolid – Cenote Zaci. So when you are visiting Valladolid, you don’t have to look far to find Cenote Zaci.

The most popular cenote around Valladolid is Cenote Suytun. The sinkhole is famous for the sun rays shining through a narrow hole in the cave cenote’s ceiling, creating an otherworldly photo opportunity.

We wrote an entire post about the cenotes near Valladolid. Check it out to learn more about the following cenotes.

The Best Cenotes Near Valladolid – Guide & Map

Valladolid Cenote Tours

Find some of the most popular Valladolid cenote tours here. You can either take a day drip directly from Valladolid our visit the area from the beach towns along the Riviera Maya, like Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, etc.

Valladolid Cenote Excursions

Other Swimming Holes Near Playa del Carmen

There are actually many more natural swimming holes near Playa del Carmen. Besides our favorite sinkhole, Cenote Azul, there is also Cenote Cristalino and others.

Check out our post about the best cenotes near Playa del Carmen if you want to explore more swimming holes.

Incredible Playa del Carmen Cenotes

Awesome Cenotes Near Tulum

As mentioned before, Tulum is also known for its many beautiful sinkholes. In Tulum, you will find some of the most popular cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Cenote Calavera in Tulum is one of them. Lots of tourists visit this swimming hole because of its instagrammable ladder and swing.

Other very popular cenotes in Tulum include Cenote Dos Ojos and the Gran Cenote. We wrote an entire post about the cenotes near Tulum. Check it out if you are visiting Tulum during your Mexico vacation and want to learn more about the cenotes there.

The Coolest Cenotes In Tulum

Travel Insurance For Mexico

While looking for amazing swimming holes in Yucatan it is a good idea to also look into travel insurance for your trip to Mexico.

Cenote Oxman Mexico
Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman Valladolid

We hope you found this guide about Cenote Oxman Valladolid and Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman helpful and got inspired to visit this beautiful cenote near Valladolid.

If you want to know about other cenotes in the area, check out our post with the best cenotes around Valladolid.

Julia & Felipe

Follow our adventures on Instagram! @piscoandbier

Mexico Beach Vacation

Ultimate Travel Guide

YUCATÁN PENINSULA

READ HERE

Yucatán Peninsula: Best Places To Visit
What To Wear To Mexico? Outfits For Mexico

TULUM
Visiting Tulum – Things To Do In Tulum
Affordable Beach Hotels In Tulum
Tulum Hotels With Private (Plunge) Pools
Sian Ka’an Jeep Safari Tour Into Paradise
Cenote Calavera Tulum – Temple Of Doom

CANCUN
Best Things To Do In Cancun
The Best Cenotes Near Cancun With Map
Cancun Vs Tulum – Which one is better?

PLAYA DEL CARMEN
Awesome Playa Del Carmen Rooftop Pools
Cenote Azul Playa del Carmen
Cenote Cristalino Playa del Carmen

ISLA MUJERES
Top Things To Do On Isla Mujeres

VALLADOLID
Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman & Cenote
Iglesia Uayma Yucatan Near Valladolid
Izamal Pueblo Magico – The Yellow City

AKUMAL
Snorkeling With Turtles In Akumal

HOLBOX
Things To Do In Holbox & Where To Stay

CENOTES
Best Cenotes In Playa del Carmen + Map
Best Cenotes Near Valladolid With Map
Best Cenotes In Tulum & Cenotes Map

BEACHES
Best Beaches In Tulum & Tulum Beach Clubs
Best Beaches In Cancun Hotel Zone

PACKINGS LISTS & OUTFITS
What To Wear In Cancun & Packing List
Tulum Outfits & Tulum Packing List

RUINS
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