Close your eyes and picture this: you’re floating in fresh, pure water, surrounded by lily pads and cool rock formations. Warm sunshine plays hide and seek behind fluffy clouds gently drifting across the serene blue sky.
In the distance, you hear birds calling to each other as they fly from tropical tree to tree. A scent of flowers wafts across the water as you gently splash.
This is the dreamy peace you’ll find at Tulum’s most private, tranquil cenote: our Tuuch Cenote Club at Shibari Tulum. Come enjoy a truly luxe cenote experience like no other!
Let the sun kiss you, or stretch out in the shade on our spacious cenote deck. Relax in loungers or cushy balinese beds, to the sweet sounds of nature and our harmonious chill-out DJ sets. Enjoy artisanal drinks made with local fruit and herbs, or sample high-end gastronomy at our cenote-side ATTA Restaurant, one of Tulum’s best culinary treats.
Tulum’s Most Complete Cenote Club Experience
This is the only cenote in Tulum where you can dine, lounge, mingle, swim, chill, shop, and even treat yourself to a luxurious body treatment!
Dive below the surface to visit an underwater cenote wonderland of aquatic plants and fauna, or play mermaid when you book one of our underwater photography sessions.
When you’re ready for a break from swimming in our sacred waters, our Kan Spa beckons just a short stroll away. Indulge in a full body scrub and a massage with almond and rosemary infused body milk, or a sensual Gishiki ceremony for couples with a massage and an aromatic salt jacuzzi soak.
Stop into one of our two boutiques, where you can play with gorgeous eco-couture looks, or pick up local indigenous handcrafts to add colorful flair to your night out on the town in Tulum.
Of all the things to do in Tulum, visiting our Tuuch Cenote Club, ATTA restaurant, Kan Spa, and boutiques offers you luxury, peace, pampering, and the best selection of sensory treats, all in one place.
Tulum’s Most Beautiful Cenotes
Our region is blessed to be home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and amazing Maya ruins. But look below the surface and you’ll find our most unique treasure: the world’s largest number of cenotes—beautiful sinkholes of pure, filtered water that have been sacred to the Maya people for millennia.
The name cenote comes from Maya: ts’on’ot means underground water in Yucatecan Maya. But the origin of our sparkling clear waters is much older than even this ancient culture.
The ground we walk on is made up of limestone, (which is pretty easy for water to dissolve…well, over millions of years!) So over eons, underground cave systems slowly collapsed, turning into shimmering pools teeming with life, connected by a vast network of underground rivers.
The result is OMG-level natural beauty that needs no filters to look absolutely gorgeous. We’ve heard our area’s beauty compared to Avatar, Atlantis, Xanadu, Shangri-La…you get the idea! It’s definitely Mother Earth at her most amazing.
From gigantic, famous cenotes like Sac Aktun, Gran Cenote, and Dos Ojos, to small pockets of clear water in certain lucky people’s private backyards, the Tulum area holds literally thousands of cenotes!
What Type of Cenote to Visit?
The best places to visit in Tulum include open cenotes that are like great big natural pools, and semi-open cenotes where brilliant rays of light filter in to create a dreamscape straight out of Pandora (yes, you’ve probably seen these all over Instagram!)
And of course, cave cenotes for serious cenote scuba diving (only the adventurous need apply.)
Some popular cenotes like Cenote Azul or El Jardin del Eden can get crowded by 11 am, packed with families that give them a Disneyworld feel. Other select cenotes, like Shibari Tulum’s Tuuch Cenote Club, are private, secluded, and always relaxing. Choose your favorite vibe!
For those who’d like to visit our adults-only Tuuch Cenote Club, you can either stay at Shibari Tulum hotel, or reserve a cenote day pass to enjoy most of our luxurious amenities for a shorter stay. The club is open from 11 am to 6 pm, and a visit includes towel service, a complimentary cocktail, and one welcome kit per couple. Reserve at: : +525594185190
Now, ready to learn a little about cenotes’ spiritual meaning, and how to best enjoy them?
Cenotes’ Sacred Waters
Tulum cenotes are not just geological wonders; they represent portals to a magical realm, connecting all who enter with our beloved Mother Earth and Father Rain.
In ancient times, Maya people treated cenotes with great care, as the sacred home of the life-giving rain god Chaak, and a door to underground “otherworlds”.
For the Maya, Chaak’s waters were stored in clay pots hidden away in cave cenotes. When thunder clapped, and the rain fell, it was said Chaak was in the sky, breaking open the pots to nourish all of life on Earth.
Like Japanese shinto, Maya spirituality finds sacredness in all of nature, and reveres an array of nature gods—some peaceful, some fierce—who guide humans on when to plant, when to harvest, and how to live in harmony with their environment.
Considering cenotes’ importance in all that, it’s no surprise that archeologists now believe ancient Maya city planners built their temples, ball courts, and palaces all based on nearby cenotes’ locations!
Where to hold special ceremonies and rituals? At cenotes. Where to plant the highly treasured cacao trees? On cenote banks. How to keep their famous Maya calendars on track, by marking the beloved sun’s passage through the sky? Using sun rays in part-open “cathedral dome” cenotes.
Cenotes’ Spiritual Meaning Today
Maya lives were and are intricately connected to Mother Earth and especially to the cenote waters flowing beneath our feet. Today, local Maya people continue to hold a “Cha Chaak” ceremony next to a cenote, preparing a 13-layer tortilla bread, and drinking balché, a special drink made from a tropical tree covered in bright purple flowers. This is all to ask for abundant rains and a good harvest.
Our beautiful cenotes continue to carry spiritual meaning for local communities—and for newcomers too, who tend to fall in love with them at first sight!
Experience our sacred Cenote Ceremony to immerse yourself in our ancestral waters, be rejuvenated, and emerge with fresh, new energies.
How to Care for Cenotes So We Can Enjoy Them For Eternity
Now that you know how wonderful Tulum’s cenotes are, a few quick tips for enjoying them:
Keep our watery paradises clear and pristine by never using sunblock or repellent (even natural ones) in the water. Even 100% natural sunblocks can get oils in the water that don’t belong there and disrupt animal life.
When you visit cave cenotes, remember that the cool stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years! Steer clear to avoid bumping them.
Our cenotes are home to unique ecosystems, from fish to iguanas, to stunning turquoise Toh birds. Please always avoid feeding them (they find their own food!) or touching them. But gazing at their amazing beauty from afar? Always ok.
No visit to Tulum is complete without a cenote (or 4 or 5!) Whether you’re here for swimming, lounging, diving, or renewing your spirit, there’s no better destination than a glorious natural cenote nestled in the jungle. Come revel in nature’s sheer beauty at Shibari Tulum!