Blue water of Cenote Azul in Bacalar, Quintana Roo

How to get to Cenote Azul in Bacalar by ADO bus

Q: How do I get to Cenote Azul from Tulum?

On our sample date 12 ADO buses ran from Tulum to Bacalar, about 2h 50min, from US$21. See Tulum to Bacalar .

Q: How do I get to Cenote Azul from Cancún?

14 ADO buses a day run from downtown Cancún to Bacalar, about 5h 20min–5h 45min, from US$35. See Cancún to Bacalar .

Q: How much does Cenote Azul cost?

About MXN 50 per person in 2026. Pay in cash, because there is no ATM on site.

Q: How deep is Cenote Azul?

It is often quoted as about 90 m deep, one of the deepest cenotes in Mexico. Swim only if you are confident, and rent a life jacket if needed.

Q: Is Cenote Azul part of Bacalar Lagoon?

It sits right next to the lagoon and is linked underground, but it is a separate, round cenote with its own entrance. Boats cannot enter it.

Q: Is there another Cenote Azul?

Yes. A different, smaller Cenote Azul lies on Highway 307 between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. This guide covers the one in Bacalar.

Q: Can I book my ticket in English?

Yes. With ADO International you can book ADO tickets online in more than 12 languages and pay in more than 15 currencies. Digital boarding passes are sent by email, so you usually do not need to print your ticket. Keep your phone charged and your booking confirmation ready before boarding.

Q: How much luggage can I bring?

Each passenger can usually take up to 25 kg of checked baggage free of charge with ADO, plus one carry-on bag. Checked luggage travels in the compartment under the bus; keep your baggage tag until arrival. Keep your passport, valuables, electronics, and medication in your carry-on. Baggage policies can change, so check the latest conditions before travel.

Swim in one of the deepest cenotes in Mexico, next to the Lagoon of Seven Colours. Take an ADO bus to Bacalar, then a 10-minute taxi. Buses from Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Cancún and Mérida, from about US$21.

Cenote Azul at a glance

Bus, taxi and entry on a typical day:

14 ADO buses a day from Cancún and 12 from Tulum to Bacalar

ADO bus to Bacalar

→

Taxi to Cenote Azul, about 5 km

Bus fares from about US$21 · Cenote entry about MXN 50

Getting to Cenote Azul: the essentials

Cenote Azul is a huge, round, open cenote, often quoted as about 90 m deep, ringed by jungle. Its deep sapphire water contrasts with the turquoise Bacalar Lagoon right next to it, and because no boats are allowed, swimming is calm. It sits beside Highway 307, just south of Bacalar, about 5 km from the ADO terminal.

Step 1: take the ADO bus to Bacalar

The ADO terminal is on the edge of town, about 1.5 km from the centre.

Tulum (ADO terminal): 12 buses a day from 1:50 AM to 11:00 PM, about 2h 50min, from US$21. See this route
Playa del Carmen (Alterna terminal): 14 buses a day, about 3h 50min–4h 10min, from US$28.
Cancún (ADO bus station, downtown): 14 buses a day, including 6:10 AM, 7:10 AM and 8:10 AM, about 5h 20min–5h 45min, from US$35. See this route
Mérida: 10 buses a day, about 4h 50min–5h 40min, from US$42. See this route
Valladolid: 1 bus a day at 10:30 AM, about 4h 40min, from US$31. See this route

Step 2: from Bacalar to the cenote

Taxi: about MXN 50–100 in 2026, around 10 minutes. Agree the price first.
Bike: about 20 minutes from the centre.
Walking is not recommended: the route follows the highway.

Step 3: at the cenote

Entry cost about MXN 50 per person in 2026. Cash only, and there is no ATM on site.
Usually open from about 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Bathrooms and changing rooms are available, life jackets can be rented, and a palapa restaurant overlooks the water.

Leaving Bacalar

Cancún: 14 buses a day to the downtown ADO station, about 5h 10min–5h 55min, from US$35, plus 4 a day direct to Cancún Airport Terminal 2. See this route or Bacalar to Cancún Airport
Tulum: 10 buses a day, about 2h 50min. See this route

Bus times, travel times and fares on this page come from the ADO booking flow for Wednesday, December 2, 2026, and can change. Search your travel date for live times. Entry fees, opening hours and taxi fares are set by each site and driver; the figures here are approximate 2026 prices, so confirm them on arrival.

More cenotes by ADO bus

Laguna Bacalar and Cenote Azul from above, Quintana Roo

Cenote Azul and the Lagoon of Seven Colours

Make Bacalar a two-day stop. Swim at Cenote Azul in the morning, before the day-trip groups arrive, then spend the afternoon on the lagoon:

Boat tours to Los Rápidos (with stromatolites), Bird Island, the Pirates' Channel and Cenote Esmeralda.
Lagoon-side swimming spots such as Cenote Cocalitos.
The San Felipe fort in the centre of town.

Good to know

The water is very deep. Wear a life jacket if you're not a strong swimmer.
No sunscreen or creams in the water, here or in the lagoon. Wear a rash guard.
Stay inside the paid area: the ground around the rim is unstable.

Foreign visitors to Quintana Roo pay the state Visitax fee (about MXN 285 per person in 2026) once per trip. Pay it only on the official site, visitax.gob.mx.

Photos via Wikimedia Commons. Top: holachetumal, CC BY 3.0.