Tulum Ruins and Snorkeling in Cenote with Absolute Adventure Mexico - GREAT EXPERIENCE! - The Tulum Ruins and Snorkeling in Cenote tour with Absolute Adventure Mexico was the first of two that my wife and I booked for our week in Playa del Carmen (the second was the Chichen Itza Express, which is also highly recommended). This was our first trip to Mexico, and because we were staying at an all-inclusive resort, the two excursions were our opportunity to embrace Mayan culture and see more of the region. Our tour guide Alex and driver Omar arrived promptly at 7 a.m. stocked with plenty of cold water and the snorkeling equipment we would use for our cenote visit. While this may seem an early start, the benefits of arriving at these sites early cannot be underestimated. Crowds build up through the day, so visiting with fewer other tourists is worthwhile. I will also note that it was just the four of us for the excursion, so it really was a private tour, affording an intimacy with our guide Alex that one can only get in a small group. We began by driving to the Tulum ruins. Alex proved extremely knowledgeable and congenial. While en route, he expounded upon the Mayan civilization and what we would see at the Tulum ruins. He even taught us how the Mayan numbering system worked and how to write different numbers. Who knew that Mayans used a base 20 numbering system? We also learned that Tulum had been razed by Spanish conquistadors and was essentially forgotten for centuries, only rediscovered in 1841. Mangrove forests continue to be pushed back as more of the ancient city is rediscovered. Alex taught us how important the seasonal calendar was to the Mayans and how they used window placement to inform the day relative to the equinoxes or summer solstice (think crop management). The fact that Tulum is situated at the top of a cliff makes it a picturesque place; wandering the site listening to Alex's patient narration was a treat. Leaving Tulum, Alex gave us the choice of three cenotes: Nicte Ha, Taak bi Ha, or Jaguar. Alex explained what each was like, and we selected Taak bi Ha because we liked the idea of snorkeling in a cavern cenote. We arrived at Taak bi Ha on schedule (around 11 a.m.) and prepared for snorkeling. Here, I will note that the equipment provided by Absolute Adventure Mexico was excellent, better than what I own at home. Alex also volunteered that the snorkeling equipment is sanitized after every use, which was appreciated. We snorkeled in the cave for over an hour. Alex snorkeled, too, which was helpful since he could point out a few things before allowing us alone time. It was really a remarkable experience exploring the cavern, though seeing the guidelines that scuba divers use to enter the dark depths impressed upon me that I have zero interest in ever doing that. One other point to make is that our driver Omar remained with the van throughout our time in the cenote, so we never had any concerns about the security of our phones, wallets, etc. At no point did Alex rush us through our adventure. When we were done snorkeling, we returned to the van and drove a short distance to the local restaurant where we enjoyed the lunch that was part of the excursion. Very good, traditional food in ample quantities! And having the opportunity to ask Alex more questions and learn about his life was a privilege. In summary, the Tulum Ruins and Snorkeling in Cenote tour with Absolute Adventure Mexico is strongly recommended. Alex and Omar were fantastic, and we learned at the end of our excursion that Alex would be taking us on the Chichen Itza Express in two days. Suffice it to say, we were ecstatic to see him again. Guides make the experience, and hiring the best guide talent appears to be a priority for the company. Great job!

Awesome experience! - We had a great time during our Tulum ruins tour and cenote swim. I would highly recommend it to anyone and we would do it again if we went back. Alex was an outstanding tour guide!

Tulum ruins and snorkeling - What a tour!! Arturo and Omor were awesome. Arturo was very knowledgeable and just a great person to tour around with. Highly recommend taking this tour…you won’t regret it!

Great way to experience Tulum and a cenote :) - We had such a good day on our private tour with Juan. Juan was extremely knowledgeable and great with our 3 and 5-year-old children. Juan and our driver picked us up from our hotel in PDC and took us to the Tulum ruins early before the crowds started and before it got too hot. He provided a lot of history and the views were incredible. Next, he took us to a cave cenote- Taak Bi Ha. We had the place to ourselves! We enjoyed snorkelling in the cenote while the kids explored the cave. Lastly, we had a mexican lunch before heading back to our hotel. There were not a lot of options at the restaurant we went to as alot was apparently not available eg chicken. The restaurant seemed annoyed we did not purchase a drink as we were happy to hydrate with our water. Lunch was nice though, and I would highly recommend the tour and Juan!

Highly recommend Absolute Adventures - This was a perfect tour for our family of 10. It was both informational and recreational. Juan (J.J.) was a great guide and captured memorable family photos. Claire is terrific to help organize and deal with last minute changes. I highly recommend Absolute Adventures!

Terrific experience for our family of 11 - We were a family of 6 adults and 5 children (ages 7-14) on a private tour with just our group. The tour van arrived 10 minutes early, which was great as it gave everyone time to get loaded so we were able to take off at 7:30 am. We first visited the Tulum ruins, which was a great time to be there as it wasn't very crowded and it didn't get too hot. There was quite a bit of walking to get into the ruins and back out again. Artudo, our guide was fantastic. The pace was very nice and he was informative in a manner that was easy for us all to understand. From there we visited 2 cenote's, the first was the Jaguar cenote that had a zip line across the cenote which you could ride 2 times. There were also 2 platforms you could jump off of into the cenote. One was close to 15 feet high and the other maybe 10 feet. The water was clear and beautiful. Artudo then took us on a swim through a carved out rock area to the other end of the cenote. He was always very encouraging and made sure we had plenty of time to enjoy the experience before proceeding to the next cenote. The second cenote was Nicte-Ha, which had a large cave area as well as beautiful underwater plants. Finally we ate at a very peaceful restaurant, which is part of a lodge that was peaceful and delicious. Our family had a fabulous time are Artudo was the BEST!!!!

Perfect day trip, ask for Joshua - Our day was perfect as we went to the ruins of Tulum and two very different types of cenotes, all navigated and highlighted by our wonderful guide, Joshua. One of the cenotes was a beautiful open pool with mangroves, a jumping platform and a super fun zipline. The other was an underground cenote with stalactites and snorkeling I'm crystal clear water. The grounds of the ruins were absolutely stunning. I noticed Joshua, our guide, was significantly more engaged than the other guides. Our group, which included four children, felt particularly cared for as we got historical notes and pro tips for the experiences at every turn. We were fortunate for perfect weather. We also stopped for lunch at a hidden treasure of a boutique hotel with ridiculously good food and drinks in a very cool outdoor dining area. While traveling between stops another great thing about Joshua was how he prepared us for what to expect and gave us instructions on do's and don'ts. He did everything in such a friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming way it really made the experience so much better.

Tulum Trek with Cenotes - Easy breezy tour to Tulum ruins and 2 cenotes with door to door service from our resort. Our tour guide Arturo provided a plethora of cultural facts about the Mayan settlement in Tulum and our driver Enrique provided a comfortable pleasurable ride. Top notch service all day from both and would highly recommend for your next excursion. Do as many cenotes as you can!

The perfect day trip for a large group - We booked a private tour for our group of 16 and it was incredible! Could not recommend more highly. They were able to provide transportation in a van large enough for the entire group, and our guide Arturo was knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. The ruins were beautiful. The cenote we went to was fantastic and not crowded at all. Then the location they chose for the included lunch was delicious. It was honestly the perfect day trip!

Tulum Ruin/Cenote Snorkeling - Alex and Enrique were awesome tour guides! Showed up right on time and made everything really easy the entire day. Learned a ton about Mayan history and the geography of the area. 10/10. Book your trip with these guys if you get a chance