The Ultimate Guide to Coba’s Cave Cenotes (Choo-Ha, Tankach-Ha, Multum-Ha)

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If you want an exciting underground cenote adventure, head to Coba near Tulum.

While there are thousands of cenotes near Tulum and beyond, spread across the Yucatan Peninsula, some of my favorites are the enclosed cave cenotes near the Coba Archaeological Ruins.

The Coba cenotes offer an extra sense of thrilling adventure, as you must trek below ground to reach the water.

Cenotes in Mayan culture are believed to be entrances to the underworld. You’ll understand why as you descend underground to reach these subterranean pools.

The need to enter the caves makes the Coba cenotes so thrilling!

Every time I go inside a cave cenote, I can’t help but feel like Tomb Raider.

Hiking down below the earth’s surface to splash in the crystal clear, cool freshwater hiding below feels like an adventure.

If anything, the Coba cenotes will leave you in awe and make you feel like you’re starring in an adventure film.

Unlike most cenotes in Tulum, the Coba cenotes are entirely enclosed underground like a cave.

I’ve heard that the fully underground cenotes are the youngest in “cenote history” since the cave roof and walls have not yet collapsed. The oldest cenotes are the open-air, lagoon-like ones.

Whether young or old, the Coba cenotes—with their stalactites and stalagmites, clear water, fish, and bats—are well worth visiting, especially if you plan to see the Coba Mayan ruins.

Here’s everything you need to know to enjoy the Coba cenotes! 

How to Visit the Underground Cenotes Near Coba Ruins

1. Cenote Choo-Ha

• Crystal-clear, shallow water
• Great for families with small children!
• Changing rooms, bathrooms, and showers provided

Cenote Choo-Ha is one of the first cenotes you’ll come to in Coba, but it’s not the most popular.

The Choo-Ha cenote is shallower than its neighbors. So, while it’s great for families and parents with children, it doesn’t feel quite as adventurous to swim in and explore as Tankach-Ha or Multum-Ha for adults.

The hours for Cenote Choo-Ha are 9-6 PM, but rather than going mid-day, try to go earlier in the morning or in the late afternoon. 

This is a good rule of thumb for visiting cenotes in general because it means there will be fewer crowds. 

At Choo-Ha, there are bathrooms, and you’re required to rinse off before entering the water.

🤿 Bring a quality scuba mask to snorkel in the clear waters of Coba’s cenotes. Don’t forget to look up to see all the stalactites and stalagmites!

2. Cenote Tankach-Ha

• Jumping platform and deep water!
• See bats flying around the stalactites
• Showers, bathrooms, and changing rooms
• Life jackets available for rent

Cenote Tankach-Ha (sometimes written Tamcach-Ha) is a deep underground cenote near Coba.

In the picture above, it is flooded slightly, but normally, the water sits below the platform, and you can easily wade out into it.

This cenote is pretty neat because you have to climb down a wooden spiral staircase from the cave ceiling to reach the water below.

Once inside, swimming in the Tankach-Ha cenote is like swimming in a big natural pool, except it’s a bit colder, and there are bats flying around the stalactites!

If you have children, make sure they are wearing a life jacket since Tankach-Ha is known to be deep. After all, the name in Maya literally translates to “deep water”.

3. Cenote Multum-Ha

• Swim beneath stunning rock formations inside a massive cavern
• A huge platform that’s great for jumping or taking pictures
• Changing rooms, bathrooms, and showers
• Life jackets for rent

Cenote Multum-Ha (or Multun-Ha with an ‘n’) is my favorite of the three cenotes near Coba because of its depth underground (about 60 ft) and because of it’s open, circular shape. 

You’ll need to climb down about 80-100 steps to reach the wooden deck. There, you can jump in or take the ease-in stairs. Cenote Multum-Ha has such crystal clear, calm water that it’s simply mesmerizing to wade in.

This cenote is also fairly deep but not quite as deep as cenote Tankach-Ha.

In any case, all the cenotes have a safety rope extending through the water from either side of the cave walls to support you if you get tired of wading.

When you descend down the staircase to cenote Multum-Ha, you’ll notice a light illuminating the caverns. This is an artificial light because this cenote is entirely underground rather than semi-open like Dos Ojos or Gran Cenote in Tulum.

You can visit Cenote Multum-Ha between 9 AM and 6 PM. Likewise, I’d recommend going in the late afternoon after your visit to the Coba Ruins or just before, in the morning, although it’s much more refreshing after sweating from your jungle explorations!

📸 You’re allowed to bring your backpack with your items, like an underwater camera or towel, down to the cenote. You can store it in a corner on the wooden deck while you swim.

How to Get to the Coba Cenotes From Tulum & Coba Ruins

By car

The easiest way to get to Coba is to rent a car from Cancun Airport and drive there from Tulum.

It’s only a 45-55 minute drive from Tulum to Coba via Highway QROO 109.

The cenotes are a 5-10 minute drive from Coba Ruins.

Once you’re there, having your car (or carpooling) is the most accessible mode of transportation. This means you’ll be able to go at your leisure and visit the Coba ruins before or after your cenote visit.

If you’re coming from Cancun, you’ll take the road to Tulum and then turn right to follow QROO 109 towards Coba. If you keep going past Coba for another 30-45 minutes, you’ll end up in Valladolid.

Guided Tours

A second option is to book a tour to include Coba Ruins + the cenotes in one trip. Usually, these trips include Tulum Ruins as well. I haven’t found a Coba-only option.

Colectivo/Shuttle

Taking a white colectivo (minivan) from Tulum to Coba Ruins is another way to get there.

You’ll have to organize with another van or taxi to reach the Coba cenotes. You’ll also likely need to wait until the colectivo is complete before it leaves. The colectivos depart from the main Avenida Tulum at the junction of Calle Osiris Norte and cost MXN 50 one-way.

You can spot them easily enough because “Tulum – Coba” is written on their windshield. The journey will take around one hour.

Bus

If you can’t find a colectivo, head to the ADO bus station in Tulum Centro (just a 5-minute walk from Calle Osiris Norte). There, you can buy bus tickets from Tulum-Coba via the Mayab bus line.

The buses leave Tulum almost every hour of the day. If you take the bus, you will be dropped off at the ruins, not at the cenotes.

Taxi

Taking a taxi from Tulum to the Coba cenotes isn’t ideal because it will cost you double or triple the price of a rental car. It will cost at least $800 MXN ($40 USD) or more for a one-way trip.

How Much Do the Coba Cenotes Cost?

All of the cenotes at Coba cost $100 MXN pesos each.

While there used to be a “package” deal you could buy a couple of years ago, they’ve stopped offering that and now just charge a $100 MXN fee per cenote. 

That being said, if you visit all three, you’ll pay a flat fee of $300 MXN or around $17.50 USD. It’s still a great deal when you compare it to the cost of the cenotes in Tulum.

Coba Cenote Tours

I would suggest touring the Coba cenotes on your own because it adds to the adventure and is MUCH cheaper (check my itinerary below).

However, for the sake of simplicity, you can also book a tour and go with a guide to visit both the Coba cenotes and Mayan ruins archaeological sites as an organized day excursion.

Ruins + Beach + Cenotes Tour: This tour includes a visit to both the Tulum Ruins and Coba Ruins, as well as lunch and a stop by Paradise Beach and one of the Coba cenotes (either Choo-Ha or Multum-Ha).

A 1-Day Coba Cenotes Itinerary (Self-Guided)

Morning

Wake up early to enjoy a nice breakfast in Tulum at DelCielo Tropical Bistro.

Ki’Bok Coffee is also good but if you need more inspiration, read my guide to where to eat in Tulum.

Then hop in a colectivo, bus, or your rental car and hit the road to Coba. Park at the Coba ruins and enjoy a tour around this impressive Maya archaeological site.

Pro Tip: It’s best (and faster) if you rent a bike inside the Coba Ruins (the cost is around $65 MXN pesos) and explore the grounds that way rather than walking everywhere.

It takes around 2-3 hours to visit Coba Ruins. 

For lunch, grab a typical Mexican meal at the nearby restaurants just down the road from the Coba ruins entrance. I believe the one we ate at was El Cocodrilo or just the one next to it.

If you have a bit more of a budget, you could consider splurging at the nearby Coqui Coqui Residence & Spa, a 4-star hideaway that evokes a sense of luxurious serenity.

The restaurant, which aims to source only sustainable produce from its orchard while supporting the local Mayan community, is situated on the ground floor, just beyond the shores of the Coba lagoon.

The atmosphere is calm and tranquil, and you’ll be in for quite a treat.

Afternoon 

After your lunch break, hop back into your mode of transport to head to the Coba cenotes.

If you arrive by bus or colectivo, you’ll probably need to find a taxi to get to the cenotes.

The closest cenotes will be Choo-Ha and Tankach-Ha (on the left side of the road).

Multum-Ha is further down the road, located on the right.

Pick which cenotes you’d like to visit: Choo Ha, Multum Ha, or Tankach Ha (or all three), and enjoy your time splashing around in the underground Coba cenotes!

Finish the evening back wandering Tulum’s Pueblo. On the way back, you could stop by even more cenotes.

Cenote Calavera is on the way and is a classic semi-open cenote with a fun jumping hole.

Once back in town, why not explore a little before sunset?

I always recommend renting a bike in Tulum and exploring the town’s street art.

What to Pack for Coba Ruins & Cenotes

You should wear comfortable clothing (i.e. breathable shirts and pants or shorts, depending on the season) to visit the Coba Ruins.

It can be super buggy in the jungle, so come prepared with eco-friendly mosquito balm.

Other things you may want to pack to visit the cenotes and ruins at Coba are:

• Bathing suit
• Non-slip shoes
• Sandals or flip flops for walking around the cenotes
• Quick-drying towel
• Underwater camera or waterproof phone pouch
• Reusable water bottle
• Portable snacks (i.e. banana, apple, nuts)
• Cash (pesos) for making tips and change

Do not use sunscreen (even if it’s eco-friendly) in the cenotes. You are required to rinse off all body products before entering the water to protect the ecosystem.

I hope you enjoyed this complete guide to the cenotes near Coba! If you have any questions about visiting these cenotes or exploring the Mayan village, feel free to drop a comment below.

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