Cenotes near Valladolid stretch well beyond the two most famous names, Ik Kil and Samula, and three more are worth knowing about if you are building a cenote-focused day around this part of the Yucatan: Suytun, X’Keken and Zaci. I would not assume every visitor needs to see all five in this ring, since most trips, and honestly most Chichen Itza tours, only have room for one stop. This page rounds out the rest of the picture so you know what you are choosing not to see, as much as what you are choosing to visit.
What is Suytun known for?
Suytun is built around one specific photo: a narrow beam of sunlight falling through a small ceiling opening onto a round stone platform in the middle of the water, usually strongest close to midday. I would go in treating this as a photo stop first and a swim second, since the platform area draws a steady stream of visitors taking turns for the same shot. If you want the picture, arriving close to the strongest light window and being patient with the line is part of the deal.
Is Suytun worth visiting if I am not that interested in the photo?
Honestly, less so. Without the light-beam moment, Suytun is a smaller, darker cenote than Samula or Ik Kil, and the swimming area itself is more limited. I would prioritize this one specifically for the photo opportunity, and skip it in favor of Samula or X’Keken if a longer, more relaxed swim matters more to you than a single striking image.
What is X’Keken like compared to Suytun?
X’Keken sits right next to Samula and shares a similar semi-enclosed cave structure, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling rather than the tree roots that define its neighbor. It offers more swimming space than Suytun and a calmer, less photo-driven atmosphere. I would pair X’Keken with Samula on the same stop rather than visiting it alone, since they share an entrance area and the extra time to see both is minimal.
What is Zaci, and how is it different from the others?
Zaci sits inside Valladolid’s own town limits, which makes it the most convenient option if you are staying there and do not want to arrange transport out to the Samula or Suytun area. It reads as more of a local swimming spot than a tourist attraction, with less dramatic lighting and architecture than the others on this list, but genuinely easy access. I would recommend Zaci specifically to anyone basing themselves in Valladolid who wants a quick swim without planning a whole excursion around it.
Do any Chichen Itza day tours stop at Suytun, X’Keken or Zaci?
Not currently on this site. The guided tours sold here, like the Chichen Itza, Cenote & Valladolid Tour, include a swim at Cenote Chichikan, a different sinkhole in the same general area, rather than any of these three. I think this surprises some travelers who assume a bundled cenote stop means the famous one they saw in a photo. If Suytun, X’Keken or Zaci specifically matter to you, I would plan them as an independent add-on, most realistically from a Valladolid base, rather than expecting a current tour to cover them.
How much does each of these three cost to enter?
Suytun, X’Keken and Zaci each charge their own entrance fee on site, generally lower than Ik Kil given smaller facilities, though Suytun’s popularity for the light-beam photo keeps it closer to the middle of the range. Zaci, as the most basic of the three, tends to be the cheapest. I would bring cash for all three, since card payment is inconsistent at smaller, independently run cenotes, and I would budget a little extra for a life vest rental at any of them if you plan to swim rather than just photograph.
Are Suytun, X’Keken or Zaci good choices for families?
X’Keken and Zaci both work reasonably well for families, since their layouts offer more forgiving, shallower areas than Suytun’s single central platform setup. I would still require a life vest for any child, and I would keep a closer eye on younger swimmers at Suytun specifically, since the photo crowd around the platform can make it harder to keep track of kids in the water nearby. Zaci’s casual, local feel also makes it the least intimidating of the three for a nervous young swimmer.
What’s a sensible order to visit these three in, if I am doing a dedicated cenote day?
If I were planning a day around Suytun, X’Keken and Zaci specifically, I would go to Suytun first while the light beam is strongest around midday, then head to X’Keken afterward since it sits close to the same general area, and finish with Zaci in town, since it needs no extra driving once you are already back in central Valladolid. I would not try to add Samula to the same day unless you are comfortable with a longer, more tiring stretch of driving and swimming back to back.
How do these three compare on crowd levels against Ik Kil?
All three generally see fewer visitors than Ik Kil, mainly because they sit a little further from the archaeological zone and are not stopped at by the bundled tours leaving straight from Chichen Itza. Suytun is the exception during its peak light-beam window, when the platform area gets genuinely busy for a short stretch of the day. X’Keken and Zaci tend to stay the calmest of the group throughout most hours.
Can I realistically see all five cenotes in one day?
I would not try. Between Ik Kil, Samula, X’Keken, Suytun and Zaci, the driving and entry logistics alone eat most of a day, before you factor in actually enjoying any of the swims. If cenotes are the main point of your trip rather than a side activity to the ruins, I would pick two, maybe Samula and X’Keken since they sit together, and treat the rest as a reason to come back rather than a box-ticking exercise.
Which of these should I prioritize if I only have half a day?
If I only had a few hours and was choosing fresh, I would pick Samula and X’Keken together over Suytun, since you get two distinct cenote experiences in roughly the same amount of driving that Suytun alone requires, and neither depends on catching a specific light window to be worth the trip. Zaci is my pick only if convenience from a Valladolid hotel outweighs everything else.
My full comparison of the best cenotes near Chichen Itza lines up all five by distance, depth and crowd level if you want the complete picture before choosing, and Ik Kil cenote covers the most famous option in the same depth as this page covers the rest. For the town itself, my Valladolid travel guide is worth a read if you are basing your cenote day around a stay there.
My take on the rest of the Valladolid cenote ring
If I were planning a trip around these, I would treat Samula and X’Keken as the pair worth going out of your way for, Suytun as a specific photo errand rather than a full stop, and Zaci as a bonus only if you are already staying in town. None of them are a wasted trip, but they are not interchangeable either, and I would pick based on what you actually want from the visit, a photo, a long swim, or pure convenience, rather than trying to collect all five.
FAQ: More cenotes near Valladolid
Is Suytun worth visiting without the famous light beam?
Less so; it is smaller than Samula or Ik Kil, so I would prioritize it mainly for the photo, around midday when the light is strongest.
Are X’Keken and Samula the same cenote?
No, they are two separate cenotes that sit next to each other and are commonly visited together.
Is Zaci cenote worth a special trip?
Only if you are already staying in Valladolid; it is convenient but less dramatic than the others on this list.
Do Chichen Itza tours visit any of these three?
Not currently; the bundled cenote stop on this site’s tours is a different sinkhole near Valladolid, so these three are best added independently.
General background on how cenotes form across the Yucatan is on Wikipedia. My bottom line: pick based on what you actually want from the swim, not on trying to see every name on this list in a single trip.
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