YAL-KU CENOTE Y Laguna Yalku

The snorkeling in lagoon was very cool. The food was subpar and not good. The service at restaurant was lacking. We did rent a palapa and enjoyed it. The ceviche Vallarta was not good. My child said chicken nuggets were mushy inside. French fries good. Crowded in opening with tours, after tours left in afternoon a lot more pleasant. There were hammocks in our palapa that we enjoyed. Make sure you eat well before you get there, as the food service was not good. They do not allow you to bring your own food. They need more help in restaurant.

They require life jackets. That is NOT how you snorkel. The water is hard to see through where the salt meets fresh water. We saw some fish and lots of seaweed. It just wasn't worth the entrance fee.

This was my favorite cenote out of all of them I visited on a road trip from Mérida to Telchac Puerto, Rio lagartos, El Cuyo, Holbox. Akumal, Valladolid, Yaxuna, and Uxmal. While it’s an open cenote blended with salt water, it’s still impressive. There are tons of tropical fish are other wildlife along the hour or so swim to the ocean and back.

A very beautiful cenote. I loved it. It's a good choice since I've visited several. Even though it's an open saltwater cenote, it's still an excellent place. There's a variety of tropical fish and small animals.

Yal-Ku was a wonderful experience. A lot of fabulous fish and I even saw a stingray. The water is a little cold, but I didn't really mind. Amazing place and the staff are nice. Five stars

A fantastic place for snorkeling! The water is crystal clear, and there’s plenty of marine life to see. You can rent all the equipment on-site, and they accept card payments, which is super convenient. There were parking Sport for free. Highly recommended!

This was a great excursion with Mayan Adventures! We got to swim at this lagoon as well as at an open and closed cenote. All three places were unique and fun. We had a big group of 11 people. Our guide, Edi, was so awesome: informative, patient with the kids, funny, and personable. I would give the fifth start except for the snorkel gear (specifically at the lagoon). They tell you that everything is included, but there is a slight catch. At the lagoon, they provide fins and masks for free, but they make adults pay for the snorkel. It's only $1, but it is an open-top, short-length snorkel. It lets in water quite easily. The kids get the same snorkel, but they don't charge you for it. Many of our group ended up just swimming around with only the fins and mask because the snorkel wasn't worth it. We had our own snorkel sets but had left them at the hotel because we were told they would provide all of the gear. In short: I super recommend Mayan Adventures (and this lagoon), but I suggest you bring your own snorkel.

I've been to Yal-Ku many times. This is the location of the original entrance and the lower price entry compared to the new operator. March 2025 it was approx $14 USD to enter at the blue sign entrance vs $21 USD for the new operator with the yellow signs. To be clear, both entrances take you to the exact same lagoon. I have included a photo of the signs - the blue sign is to the original, lower price entrance, the yellow sign is for the newer, higher priced entrance. The yellow entrance may have other services but I didn't check it out, I just know they go to the same lagoon. Yal-ku is a calm lagoon with clear water which makes for very easy snorkelling for anyone. You don't need experience, just snorkel gear or float with a clear bottom for small children so they can see the fish. My preferred entrance offers rentals of snorkel gear, life jackets and lockers but most people just leave there things on the rocks near the stairs to the lagoon. It's easy to get to the lagoon by walking, driving, biking or taking a cab. You definitely to not need a tour guide for this nor a snorkelling guide. Keep in mind, as always in the sea, to protect the delicate eco-system, you should not wear any sunscreen other than reef-safe sunscreen so it's best to bring a long sleeve sunshirt and even something for your legs if you'll be staying in a long time. And remember not to stand on the rocks or churn up the water - the beauty of this place is how calm and clear it is. I love snorkelling so I could be in for a few hours. It's quite beautiful. The best time to go is when they first open and then using the same wrist band, return again after 3. In the middle of the day many tours come through so it gets busy and many guides don't enforce the rules so a lot of people (including the guides) stand on rocks which causes the plants to release into the water, making it less clear. Still absolutely worth going - I love it there.