Good morning everyone, I’m Kim, the Abundant Traveler, and today I’m going to be sharing my road trip from Tulum to Coba and a couple of sunny days. I have just left my hotel. It’s around eight o’clock in the morning, and I am stopping at Burrito Amore, which is a very famous place to get burritos. Also, if you’re gluten-free, they have coconut flour tortillas. Wish me luck! I gotta get my fuel for my coffee, and then I’m on my way.

So, I’ve just left the city of Tulum, and I am off on my day trip, starting with Coba, which is about an hour and 20 minutes away from the city of Tulum. And I made it! It’s about 9:30, and this is why you want to get here early. My parking lot’s completely empty. [Music]

Well, this is disappointing. I came all the way here to Coba today, and you can’t climb the stairs. They’re on the ropes; it’s all blocked off. So maybe it’s because of the pandemic. I’m going to have to find out. But the good news is I’m here, and I’m the only one here. There’s not another soul here, which is fantastic. But I want to climb up and come down. Oh well.

So that was a great experience. I’m so glad I went to Coba. I’m so glad I got up early and did it. I was considering just going to the cenotes today because I’ve been to several Mayan ruins, but it was well worth it. I loved it, even though I didn’t get to climb 120-130 steps. It was worth it.

Now I am headed to the cenotes. I did a little research on the different cenotes, and I decided I’m only going to go to one of them. I’m going to go to Multun Ha. I watched some YouTube videos from some other vloggers, and I looked at the different ones, and that looked the most interesting to me. So that’s what I’m going to go to here, and then I’m headed back to Tulum. Multun Hai is only a 14-minute drive from the archaeological site of Coba, and what makes this particular cenote so unique is the fact that it is completely underground. Oh, the things we do for a little adventure.

I am now on a dirt road out here by myself in the middle of nowhere going to where the sign says Multun Ha. Oh well, nothing like a good adventure.

So the crazy thing about coming to a cenote is it’s in the middle of nowhere, typically, and there’s usually not many people around. This particular cenote, the reason I chose it, is because it’s down a spiral staircase, and it’s actually underground. So, a cenote is an underground river or a place where there is water underground, and sometimes there’s a hole in the earth where the limestone has fallen through where you can see the water. But the reason I chose this is they’re going to be stalactites and stalagmites. I don’t know the difference, but they’re all going to be down there when I get down there.

It’s getting darker and more wet now. I’ve been totally on my own, but another car pulled up. So, there are four other English-speaking tourists that are about to arrive. This is so cool.

This is much more my speed. There are only two other people here besides the people diving and just to let you know the entrance fee to this one is 100 pesos. So much more affordable than the one that I was just at. I’m going to go for a swim here and then head to my final stop. [Music] Well, this last cenote that I stopped at is called Casa Tortuga and it is completely different than the other ones that I went to. This one is more like a lagoon. It’s huge. You could definitely spend a lot of time here. There’s plenty of room for people. There are kayaks, paddleboards, and life jackets all included in the price. Now, the entrance fee here is a little bit more than the others at 200 pesos but for what you get it is well worth it. [Music] Well, I just got out of the water and I have to say that Casa Tortuga was definitely worth the stop. There are plenty of shaded areas to sit under. There’s a restaurant. They have a restroom. They have showers. They have lockers. They have a really cool platform that you can jump off of and they have a lot of turtles. I didn’t see them until I got out of the water but there are turtles swimming around. So definitely worth the stop here at Casa Tortuga. Well, I have to say that the cenotes today did not disappoint. They were all so different but so beautiful in their own way. And I have to say that my favorite one was definitely Multun Ha. If you’re in the area of Koba, definitely make the stop. It was worth the drive down the dirt road. And just remember when you’re visiting cenotes, it’s really important to respect the environment. Don’t wear sunscreen if you can help it. Wear biodegradable sunscreen. Don’t wear bug spray. Don’t touch the stalactites or stalagmites. Don’t touch the roots of the trees. Just respect the environment so that we can keep enjoying these beautiful places.

I am at my first cenote of the day, and it’s called Multun Ha. It’s about 20 minutes away from the town of Coba. I am the only one here, and the water is crystal clear and not moving. This is why they say to go to cenotes. I’ve been to a handful of them, which were cool, but this is by far the coolest I’ve ever seen. Normally, the ones I go to are open-air or have a hole in them.

As I climb up the stairs to head to the next cenote, I wonder how many stairs there are. But it’s a cool experience, and I’m glad I did it. If you’re going to Koba, come to Multun Ha and go for a swim after you’ve been to the ruins because it’s hot, and the water is beautiful. There are bathrooms and showers available if you need to change your clothes, and lockers to store your belongings.

One of the best things about having your own car when you’re doing a day trip is being able to stop on the side of the road and do a little bit of shopping whenever you feel like it. This particular area of the Yucatan is known for its macrame, hammocks, hanging chairs, and all types of textiles. I made another stop along the road to check out this family shop.

The shop has no name because it’s actually their house, but it’s located four shops down from Dos Cencos, the artisan shop. The lady at the shop was showing me how she makes everything, from the macrame to the hammocks. I ended up buying a blue chair, which I don’t even need, but it was such a great experience, and that’s why you go shopping. If you have a great experience, that’s when you should buy.

My first cenote stop was close to the town of Koba, while my last three stops were near Tulum. It took me about an hour to get from Multun Ha back towards the city to my second cenote stop. This is the first of three cenotes that I’m going to visit near Tulum, and it’s called Zahilja or Zacil. It’s like a swimming pool and costs 100 pesos with free parking.

There’s a lot more going on here than the previous cenote, with statues, a restaurant, shops, and different pools. However, with so many people here, I’m going to skip swimming and head to one of the other cenotes. The next stop is called the Car Wash Cenote, and it’s only a minute away from Zahilja.

The reason it’s called the Car Wash is that the taxis from Tulum used to come here in the evenings and wash their cars after a hard day taking tourists around the city. This cenote is very different from the others I’ve seen. It’s very green, and I can’t see the bottom. Some people are scuba diving in the cenote, so I wonder what they’re seeing down below.

I’m going to swim here since there aren’t many people around. There’s a rope to hang on to and a rope swing, but I’m not going to try it. This cenote is right off the highway, and you can hear the traffic passing by. It’s much more my speed since there are only two other people here besides the scuba divers.

Just to let you know, the reason I’m not getting my hair all the way wet is that I’ve been swimming every single day, and my ears are a little tender. I use some ear drops after I swim, but today they’re just a little tender, so I decided not to go all the way in. So, we’ll see.

That was fun! I love the car wash cenote, but as the name states, it’s a car wash or used to be a car wash, which means it’s right next to the road. Now I’m headed to the last stop. I’m actually getting a little hangry. It’s almost three o’clock in the afternoon, and all I’ve eaten today is a third of a pack of potato chips. That’s not very healthy, I know, but that’s all I’ve eaten today. Um, I’ll definitely have a delicious dinner tonight, but it’s my last stop, the last cenote. So come on, let’s do it!

I’m now at Calavera, and it was 250 pesos. Every other Sunday I’ve been to today has been 100 pesos. This was 250, but he said that they are creating a place here with hammocks and places you can sit and have a picnic. Hoping to really, really enjoy this beautiful water.

Something that’s extremely important about going to the cenotes is to make sure that you’re not wearing sunscreen, bug spray, or anything else that can contaminate the water. The water is very pure and clean, and the more people jumping in with sunscreen and bug spray, the more it ruins the water. So make sure you don’t have any on, or that you go and take a quick shower in their bathrooms at each of the cenotes before you jump in.

Three, two, one, go! Go! The highlight of Calavera is the monkey up here. He’s so cute feeding. Sanote Calaveras is full of wildlife. I’ve seen two or three monkeys, and look here, this beautiful parrot. See him? I wonder if he’s a pet because he’s not flying away. And how much fun it has been to jump in the cenote in all the tiny little holes like that one, just jump in. It’s great for pictures, it’s great fun, it’s different than all the other ones I’ve seen. Highly recommend it. It’s also extremely close to the city of Tulum, and I can’t believe there aren’t more people here. Well worth it.

It’s been a great day. I am now headed to go get some lunch in town. I’m gonna look at what options are available to me. I am ready for some lunch and possibly a cocktail. Well, I finally made it back to the city of Tulum, and I am headed to the beach to have a cocktail and some guacamole. What a great day it’s been! First with my coffee and burrito, then out to Coba, then the four different cenotes, and back to town. I am worn out. It’s gonna be an early night, but it’s been a lot of fun. Make sure to let me know what your favorite cenotes are in the Yucatan Peninsula.