All about Grutas de Lol-Tún in Yucatan (2025 Travel Guide)

Hold up... “Loltún”? Sounds familiar, right? Yep – that’s where our vacation home “Casa Loltún!” gets its name. It literally means “stone flower,” but there’s more to it than that. It also refers to a pair of limestone columns – but we’ll get to that.

Grutas de Loltún is the largest and probably the most interesting cave system on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. You'll find it about 110 kilometers southwest of Mérida, right at the end of the famous Ruta Puuc.

Did you know that the earliest human settlement discovered on the entire peninsula was actually here at Loltún? Inside these caves, there's evidence that humans were already around thousands of years ago.

For example, fossilized bones of mammoths and bison dating back to the Ice Age have been discovered here. You'll also find about 145 ancient paintings and 42 petroglyphs left behind by the Maya, dating to the Late Preclassic period (roughly 400 BC to 100 AD).

As you wander deeper, you'll even see signs of an Olmec ceremonial site, complete with an impressive stone head carved in typical Olmec style and symbols.

For the ancient Maya, caves were sacred, considered entrances to the underworld and homes of their gods, so Loltún was a pretty important spiritual place.

Interestingly, the cave served as a hideout for the Maya during the Caste War in 1847, and you can still spot traces of their presence from that time.

The entire cave system stretches several kilometers, but don't worry, you won’t be trekking through the dark on your own. Part of the caves has lighting, and visiting is only allowed with a guide. The tour takes about an hour and covers roughly two kilometers.

Driving Route & Tips

The closest town you’ll see on a map is Oxkutzcab, about 20 minutes north of the caves.

To get there from Mérida by car:

1. Hit Highway 180 south out of Mérida toward Campeche.

2. After roughly 75 km, you’ll roll into Oxkutzcab.

3. From Oxkutzcab’s center, follow signs east on Route 261 toward Ticul for about 10 km, then look for the turnoff to “Grutas de Loltún.”

Heads-up for your drive:

• Once you leave the main highway, the road narrows and can get patchy—watch for potholes and loose gravel.

• Signage is minimal, so having Google Maps offline or a printed map helps.

• There’s almost no street lighting, so plan to arrive well before dusk.

• Pack water, sunscreen and insect repellent – this is rural Yucatán, and you’ll want to be comfortable before and after spelunking.

Entrance Fee and Additional Costs

The entrance fee for Grutas de Loltún is pretty affordable, but keep in mind that you can't enter without a guide, and the guide isn't included in the ticket price.

You basically have two options: hire a private guide for about 1,200 pesos, or join a group tour, where the total cost gets split among all participants, making it cheaper for everyone.

Also, don't forget that giving a tip to your guide at the end of the tour is common. I'd definitely recommend tipping them to show appreciation for their knowledge and effort.

Important Tips

Before heading to Grutas de Loltún, you should definitely check the tour schedule in advance. Tours only start every one to two hours, with the last one beginning at 4:00 pm. If you miss it, there’s really nothing to do except wait.

The tour itself lasts about one hour and takes you approximately 2 kilometers into the cave, descending roughly 70 meters. At the end of the tour, you'll have exactly 76 stairs to climb back up to ground level.

The caves are spacious and well-lit, with good walking paths. However, certain areas can get really slippery due to the cool, damp air inside, so keep these tips in mind:

• Wear sturdy shoes (I recommend trekking boots).

• Carry a small water bottle with you.

• Photos are allowed - bring a good flash or ideally a tripod.

• Bring a flashlight or even better, a headlamp - it helps a lot.

• Some paths get narrow and tricky, take extra care if traveling with family.

Also, I'd recommend avoiding visits on weekends or Mexican public holidays, if possible, since it gets quite crowded - especially on Sundays when entry prices are lower for Mexican residents.

There's a paid parking lot available, and restrooms are located near the entrance.

Ever wondered why it’s called Loltún?

Well, shortly after entering, you’ll arrive at the "Sala de Visitantes," the visitors' hall, which has a freshwater spring. From there, you step into "La Catedral," a spectacular chamber over 20 meters high, dominated by two huge limestone columns named "Lol" and "Tún."

By the way, here's a cool fact: stalactites grow extremely slowly, only about one centimeter every hundred years, giving you a good sense of just how ancient this cave system really is.

If you’re visiting Mérida or exploring the Ruta Puuc, I definitely recommend adding Grutas de Loltún to your itinerary - it’s truly worth experiencing.

Cave Systems on the Peninsula

The Yucatán Peninsula is home to some of the world’s largest and most fascinating underwater caves, filled with Mayan artifacts and even remains of extinct animals like giant sloths.

The caves formed because acidic rainwater gradually dissolved the limestone rock. Over millions of years, this slow process created spectacular underground worlds filled with amazing stalactites and stalagmites.

One particularly impressive cave system is Sistema Sac Actun. With a mapped length of about 378 kilometers and 228 cenotes connecting it to the surface, it’s considered the longest underwater cave system known anywhere on Earth.

Another well-known example is Sistema Ox Bel Ha, one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world. It stretches around 269 kilometers and connects to 142 different cenotes, making it a major site for both divers and researchers.

Just in Quintana Roo alone, more than 358 underwater cave systems have been documented, stretching around 1,400 kilometers altogether. Numbers like these highlight just how unique and incredibly complex the geology of the Yucatán Peninsula really is.

The World of Archaeology

As already mentioned, the cave systems and especially the cenotes are closely linked to the Mayan culture. Here are some interesting figures about Mayan archaeological sites on the Yucatan Peninsula:

We have more background information on Mayan archaeological sites.

Calcehtok: A Lesser-Known Alternative

An alternative to the Grutas de Loltún are the Grutas de Calcehtok, located about 75 kilometers to the northwest.

Just like Loltún, the Maya used these caves for religious ceremonies, and later as a hideout during the Caste War when they rebelled against Spanish colonial rule.

The Grutas de Calcehtok are definitely worth a visit. They’re known for impressive stalactites, beautiful iridescent quartz formations, and plenty of bats that call the caves home.

The cave system itself is pretty extensive, and what I really like is that you have different exploration routes to choose from, depending on how adventurous you feel.