– Day 5 –
Today, a refreshing stop on our way to the riviera maya: we took a dip in the cenote at San Lorenzo Oxman and loved it!
After four intense days spent exploring the states of Yucatan and Campeche, we are leaving for the beach portion of our Mexican week, in the state of Quitana Roo. Basically, we are crossing the entire peninsula from West to East.
The road from Hacienda Temozon, where we spent two nights, to Playa del Carmen is fairly long (more than 4 hours). Thus, we decided to cut the road in half and to stop in the Valladolid area. Since we still hadn’t seen a cenote, we decided to look for one near Valladolid.
And we found San Lorenzo Oxman! After a quick check on Tripadvisor to make sure that the place wouldn’t be packed, we decided to go, as the reviews were unanimously positive.
Getting to San Lorenzo Oxman
Reaching the hacienda is not particularly easy due to the poor quality of the road. Nor are the surroundings very pleasant. You have to drive by a landfill overflown by vultures, which scared us a bit.
However after 7-8 minutes, you reach the gate and the place is actually nice. We were quite (positively) surprised to see the parking lot almost empty.
We paid the entrance fee of 30 pesos/person (less than $2), which is very cheap considering how magical the whole experience was.
The cenote at Hacienda San Lorenzo Oxman
From the top…
After admiring the view, which was already something, we took the slippery stairs and found ourselves in front of that…
The temperature is perfect, the water is limpid and this blue simply sublime. What a treat! What you don’t see on these pictures are the small fishes (very friendly) and also the rope that allows you to Tarzan your way into the middle of the cenote. We both tried it and it was a lot of fun.
Yes, I am the overexposed bright thing in the middle…
On the map
– Day 5 –
Full itinerary for Day 5
First half of the road to reach the cenote (2 hours approx.)
Verdict
– Day 5 –
To sum it up, we loved this cenote. Its colors, the ideal temperature of the water, the rope allowing you to jump in the middle of the cenote from platform… And above all, we almost had the cenote entirely to ourselves (just one other nice family). Totally worth it. Finally, I should underline that they take really good care of the cenote, with a person present at all times to remove any impurity. Well done!
Practical aspects
– Day 5 –
Time spent driving: A little over 4 hours, split in two (tolls)
Hotel: Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa – Punta Maroma (north of Playa del Carmen)
Restaurants:
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Lunch: Oops, we had so much fun swimming in the cenote that we forgot to have lunch
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Drinks: On the beach at the Belmond
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Dinner: El Sol (Belmond)
