San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote

Our favorite activity in the Yucatan Peninsula is swimming in Cenotes. The San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote, located just 10 minutes from the picturesque town of Valladolid, is one of these beauties we enjoyed visiting.

Not only that, but it is also one of the cenotes in Valladolid that has a restaurant.

In this hacienda, you can spend a whole day relaxing and enjoying not only the cenote -its waters, surroundings, and activities- but also the restaurant and the outdoor pool -the pool is filled with the same water from the cenote-.

Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman

About the San Lorenzo Cenote

The San Lorenzo Oxman cenote has one of the characteristics that very few cenotes have: it is part of a hacienda, the well-known San Lorenzo Hacienda.

The San Lorenzo Oxman cenote is an excellent alternative if you don’t want to encounter a crowd, as you might in the most well-known and frequented cenotes, where groups of tourists arrive daily.

While this cenote receives bus excursions, they usually arrive late afternoon. Therefore, if you go in the morning, you will likely have the cenote to yourself.

Before going down, we approached one of the upper platforms outside of it. The view is impressive.

After a while on these platforms, we headed towards the small entrance, where the 73-step ladder that leads to the cenote water is located.

Once down there, there are several places to leave your belongings. If you’re going to swim, you can enter the water using the wooden steps or attempt to jump in using the hanging rope.

The moment when the rope reaches the maximum height of its arc is so exhilarating that you’ll climb the stairs and jump again and again.
You grip tightly, take a good leap, and jump… Go for it! It’s so much fun!

Depth of San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote

This is an open-type Cenote located 20/25 meters underground, and, according to the employee we consulted, it is approximately 45 meters deep.

How to get to Oxman Cenote

Oxman Cenote is located in Hacienda San Lorenzo, 5 km from Valladolid.

On this occasion, we went to spend the whole day at the Hacienda to take a break from all the back-and-forth traveling. And to get there, we took a taxi that charged us 80 pesos for one way.

We took a taxi because we were determined to enjoy the pool all afternoon and the margaritas and mojitos that the Chilean girls we had met had recommended. So we left the car we were traveling in at the hotel and went to the Hacienda by taxi.

On the way back, we paid double since the taxi had to come to pick us up and then take us back.

As you can see on the following map, the route is straightforward; you can do it on foot, by bike, or by renting a scooter.

  • If you go by car or taxi, it takes between 15 and 20 minutes.
  • If you go on foot, it can take you approximately an hour.
  • If you go by scooter, it will take you almost the same time as by car.
  • If you go by bike, you can take more leisurely time.

You will only take up to 30 or 35 minutes to get there.㋡

Parking

Like many other cenotes, the first thing you’ll find at Hacienda San Lorenzo is its large and free parking lot.
So, if you’re traveling by car, motorcycle, or bike, you’ll have a worry-free place to leave it.

Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman Visiting Hours

The cenote is open every day from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Remember that if you arrive close to closing time and are hungry, you won’t be able to eat at the restaurant because the kitchen closes at 4:30 pm.

What is the best time to visit?

In the past, Cenote Oxman was one of the best-kept secrets of Yucatan; nowadays, tour buses make regular stops in the late afternoon.

That’s why I recommend arriving in the morning, swimming in the cenote, having a delicious lunch at the hacienda’s restaurant, and spending a few hours by the pool.

Also, the sun’s position in the late afternoon makes it quite challenging to photograph the cenote from above.

Earlier in the day, you’ll have better lighting conditions to take better pictures.

If there’s bad weather and it’s raining, don’t worry, because you can see the rain falling through the tree roots, and when the water drops on all the vegetation, it generates a pleasant and relaxing sound.

Cenote San Lorenzo

Price to enter the San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote

Once you arrive at the parking lot, you will walk along the short path to the colorful hacienda. There will be a small table at the main entrance where you can pay for access.

**Bring cash: They do not accept credit or debit cards, so make sure to bring some money when you visit the cenote

At the San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote, there are three different prices for entrance.

  • 150 Pesos (USD 9).

*Note: it is important that you confirm the price before you go because the prices mentioned correspond to the time when we visited them: Phone: +52 985 106 5066 (number listed on Google My Business)

In Valladolid, we met 4 Chilean friends who suggested we eat here, so we arrived planning to have lunch and drink some margaritas by the pool, which is why, for us, the best option was the 150 pesos entrance. The lunch was delicious and the margaritas while sunbathing by the pool: A marvel!

Piscina Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman

Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman

We only found out through word of mouth that the beautiful Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman building was built in 1746.

Once a plantation of henequen (agave), it is now a place to spend the day, sunbathe, have a bite to eat, and swim in the cenote.

I appreciated the care put into the historical building and restaurant, the bar and pool area, and the surrounding grounds.
After spending a few hours in the cenote and working up an appetite, we were ready for lunch (some delicious chicken nachos).

Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman

After lunch, we sat down to rest in the shade, waiting to digest before heading to the pool. What came next were some inevitable margaritas and mojitos that we bought at the bar on site.

TIP
If you’re going to refresh yourself in the pool, be careful with the bees. Bees are essential for Yucatan, and honey is one of its biggest products. There are often bees enjoying the water around the pool. Pay a little attention not to sit on one of them; don’t even think about hurting them, please!

We had a great time eating and drinking, swimming in the cenote, and drinking a little more. There we met people from different countries. It was a beautiful experience, with people of all ages relaxing together.

We took a taxi back to Valladolid at the end of the afternoon, just in time to enjoy a coffee and watch the sunset in the central square.

Swimming in Cenote Oxman

You can walk straight past the pool and turn right to get to the cenote. From here, you can see the cenote from above.

The showers and the stairs to access the cenote can be found behind the bar.

Cenote San Lorenzo

Once you arrive, you’ll be asked to shower to remove any insect repellent or sunscreen on your body.
And please do it properly ㋡!

Cenotes are part of a delicate ecosystem we want to preserve for future generations.

To get to the water, you descend the well-constructed wide stairs to the cenote platform, 3 meters above the water level.

Once you reach the platform level, jump into the water using the rope or go down the wooden ladder leading directly into the water (be careful as it is always wet).

The water is a pleasant temperature, not as cold as you might expect, and it is obvious.

There are a series of fixed ropes throughout the cenote underwater that you can stand on.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is an excellent activity at Cenote Oxman, as the water is very clear, which is ideal for this activity.

Although, if you want to enjoy this activity, you should bring your snorkel mask as they are not rented at the cenote.

Remember one of my suggestions for snorkeling? Well, buy a clear plastic mask, because if it has any color tone, it won’t be used much in the cenotes.

The Rules of San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote

Visiting cenotes is a bit different from a traditional swimming pool, so there are some extra rules to follow when you see them.

In this case, the rules for the Oxman Cenote were as follows:

Showers: You will be asked to take a shower before swimming. It’s more of an “obligation” than a request.

Sunscreen and insect repellent: Using sunscreen or mosquito repellent before entering the cenote water is not allowed. This is to preserve the water quality for everyone to enjoy. That’s why you need to shower before entering.

Food and drink: Food and beverages are allowed in the restaurant, bar, pool, and park areas. However, they are prohibited from the access stairs leading to the cenote and below.

Diving: Diving is not allowed.

Drones: Unlike most cenotes we visit, drones are allowed in the San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote – at least, we were told. However, we recommend consulting with the administration beforehand and asking for permission.

Changing rooms and lockers: There are changing rooms near the entrance to the cenote, but there are no lockers on site – most of us who went down to the cenote left our belongings in the spaces around the water.

Life jackets: Life jackets are available at the cenote and are included in the entrance fee. When we visited, there were 30 life jackets available, so keep this in mind because if many people arrive before you, you may end up without one. We suggest bringing our life jackets as part of our cenote visiting kit.

Hacienda San Lorenzo institutional video

 

 

✅ Where to Stay in Valladolid

Do you not care about any hotel? Or do you want a reference of hotels so that you don’t have any unpleasant surprises when you arrive in Valladolid?

We’re going to help you choose a hotel in Valladolid that won’t disappoint you. Beautiful as you expect, excellent service, spacious rooms, and a relaxed atmosphere, perfect for your days in the city.

Best Hotels in Valladolid

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How to Take Care of Cenotes

How to be a good Cenote-goer! When visiting any of the Cenotes in Yucatan, please refrain from using the following:

. Makeup
. Skin products
. Insect repellent
. Sunscreen.

After all, cenotes are a source of freshwater that forms part of underground rivers. You won’t find signs in the cenote asking you to take care of it, but as good cenote-goers, we will try to take care of it by all necessary means, and we invite you to do the same be part of this great imaginary club of Cenote-goers ♡.

☛ If you found this helpful guide, we would like to ask you to share it. Your help would mean a lot to us! Thank you very much!

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Hey, check out more Cenotes in Valladolid.

 

 

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