must-visit in Chichen ItzaNational Park & Nature

Cenote Ik Kil

📍 Cenote Ik Kil, near Piste, Yucatan, Mexico

1 photos

4.7/ 5.0

★★★★★

Quick Facts

Location: Mexico, Chichen Itza
Category: National Park & Nature
Duration: 1-2 hours
Opening Hours: Daily 9:00-17:00 year-round; last entry about 16:30 and the park clears around 17:30.
Ticket Price: Adult: Free · About 180 MXN for adults (older quotes of 150 or 100 still circulate), about 90 for ages 4-12, free under 4; cash in pesos only.
Address: Cenote Ik Kil, near Piste, Yucatan, Mexico
Coordinates: 20.6644, -88.5517

Introduction

Cenote Ik Kil is the most visited open cenote on the Yucatan Peninsula, about three kilometres east of the Chichen Itza ruins beside Highway 180 towards Valladolid, near the village of Piste. Form and scale: the opening is almost perfectly round, roughly 60 m across, with walls dropping about 26 m to the water and another 40 m below it, some 48 m in all, among the deepest open cenotes in Yucatan. Vines and tree roots hang from the walls, midday sunlight falls through the canopy onto the pool, and visibility reaches ten metres or more. The water comes from the limestone aquifer and holds at 24-26 degrees C year-round, about eight degrees cooler than midday air, so swimming is possible in any season. Maya belief: Ik Kil means 'place of the winds' in Yucatec Maya. The Maya treated cenotes as doorways to the realm of the rain god Chaac, from whom rain was thought to well up out of the underworld. Early divers recovered human bones and jade offerings from the depths, so the site shared the rain-making and sacrificial character of the Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza. What it is today: a stone-and-wood staircase winds down the wall to a platform at the water's edge, and the platform carries two stone diving boards, about 3 m and 5 m above the water, both supervised by lifeguards. Changing rooms, showers, lockers, a shop and the Yucatecan restaurant Ek Balam are all on site. Three practical points matter most. This ticket is separate from the Chichen Itza ruins ticket, and the booth takes cash in pesos only, no cards and no dollars. Everyone entering the water must wear a life jacket, and jumping from the rim some 26 m up is prohibited, fenced off and fined, with people injured there every year. And sunscreen and repellent are barred from the water, so rinse at the showers first. On timing, the crowd curve here runs about two hours behind Chichen Itza: entering at the 9:00 opening is quietest, 11:00-13:30 is the coach peak with queues at the platform, and numbers fall off clearly after 14:00.

✨ Highlights

Among the deepest open cenotes

About 60 m across, some 26 m from rim to water and about 48 m in all; vines overhead, sunlight onto turquoise water.

Place of the winds, god of rain

Ik Kil means 'place of the winds'; the Maya saw it as a doorway to Chaac's realm, and bones and jade were found below.

Two authorised diving boards

Stone platforms about 3 m and 5 m above the water, lifeguard-supervised, jumping allowed only with a life jacket on.

Water at a constant 24-26 C

Fed by the limestone aquifer, the pool stays at 24-26 degrees C all year, about eight below midday air, with ten metres of visibility.

Next door to Chichen Itza

Only about 3 km from the ruins, the standard midday shade-and-swim stop after a morning at the site.

Full facilities

Changing rooms, showers, lockers, a shop and the Ek Balam restaurant on site; parking free for drivers.

🛈 Practical Info

→Duration：1-2 hours; budget two with changing, showers and a meal

→Worth it?：Yes if you are already doing Chichen Itza and want a swim in the shade, it is a 30-minute detour; not worth a special trip on its own

→Hard rules：Life jackets mandatory (free, 50 refundable deposit); jumping from the 26 m rim is banned and fined; no sunscreen in the water, rinse first; no drones or selfie sticks

→Opening Hours：Daily 9:00-17:00 year-round; last entry about 16:30 and the park clears around 17:30.

→Transportation：About 3 km east of Chichen Itza beside Hwy 180; taxi from the ruins 100-150 MXN one way; free parking.

Ticket Information

Ticket Information
Adult	Free

About 180 MXN for adults (older quotes of 150 or 100 still circulate), about 90 for ages 4-12, free under 4; cash in pesos only.

💡 Tips

• Enter at the 9:00 opening for the quietest swim; coaches peak between 11:00 and 13:30 with 15-20 minute waits at the platform, and numbers fall off after 14:00.

• Life jackets are mandatory and free, with a refundable 50 MXN deposit; non-swimmers can enjoy the water too.

• Jumping from the rim, some 26 m up, is prohibited, fenced off and fined, and people are injured there every year; use only the two authorised platforms.

• No sunscreen or repellent in the water: apply ashore, rinse at the showers before entering, and bring a dry bag for cameras.

• The booth takes cash in pesos only, no cards and no dollars; lockers cost 50 MXN and snorkel gear rents for about 50 MXN.

• This ticket is separate from the Chichen Itza ruins ticket; the classic day is the ruins in the morning, the cenote at midday, Valladolid in the afternoon.

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Cenote Ik Kil?

Daily 9:00-17:00 year-round; last entry about 16:30 and the park clears around 17:30.

How much is the admission for Cenote Ik Kil?

Adult: Free; About 180 MXN for adults (older quotes of 150 or 100 still circulate), about 90 for ages 4-12, free under 4; cash in pesos only.

Any practical tips for visiting Cenote Ik Kil?

Enter at the 9:00 opening for the quietest swim; coaches peak between 11:00 and 13:30 with 15-20 minute waits at the platform, and numbers fall off after 14:00. Life jackets are mandatory and free, with a refundable 50 MXN deposit; non-swimmers can enjoy the water too.