Top 9 Kayak & Paddleboard Trips on the Riviera Maya

1.4 Private Cenotes, Zip-Lines, Canoes & Mayan Village with Delicious Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 757 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $275Our pick

A private Tulum adventure with four cenotes, jungle zip-lines, canoes, cliff jumps, a Mayan village meal, and door-to-door transport.

“Our tour guide Marianna was SUPERIOR!! She picked up my husband and I from our hotel right on time. Her knowledge and expertise on the culture was excellent! She guided us through a beautiful and exciting tour of private cenotes in a Mayan Village, 🛶 canoes, zip lining, and a delicious lunch in the Mayan village. She took photos and videos of us so we could relax and enjoy the experience. Thank you Marianna for giving my husband and I memories together to last a lifetime!”

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2.Kayak Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve Sunset Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 303 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $150

Paddle Sian Ka’an’s quiet mangroves in a small group, learn about birds and wildlife, and watch the sunset from a sea kayak.

“If you are considering going to Sian Ka’an then I would thoroughly recommend this tour. The groups are small so it feels personal & by the end of the day it was like we were all a group of friends. The kayak tour goes through narrow parts of the lagoon that would not be possible in a boat. The guides were amazing & so friendly & the food was delicious & plentiful! They also takes lots of professional style photos & send them to you after the trip.”

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3.Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 61 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $109Best value

Kayak Sian Ka’an’s Mayan canals, spot wetland birds, and enjoy local breakfast and lunch on a community-run tour from Tulum.

“The activity started early and it was the perfect small group of 5 plus our guide Javi. We had traditional Mexican breakfast with some foods I had never heard of despite being to Mexico many times. Javi was an excellent guide, and when he learned that I like birds, he made a special effort to see as many wetland birds as possible. He used his experience and an app to identify birds for us and we even saw one he'd never seen before in "Javi's office". The kayaking was not super physically demanding but very relaxing and peaceful through the beautiful lagoon. The trip was so enjoyable that not even…”

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4.Sunrise Paddle Surf

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 40 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Watch the Caribbean sunrise from a paddleboard in Playa del Carmen with a small group, patient instruction, and photos included.

“We booked a sunrise padel session in advance to celebrate a birthday, which made the occasion especially important for us. Unfortunately, the instructor/organizer did not show up.”

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5.Kayak Sian Ka’an Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $150

Paddle Sian Ka’an’s mangroves with a naturalist guide, spot birds and aquatic life, and enjoy a flexible three-hour kayak trip from Tulum.

“Ricardo was a great guide and, fabulous naturalist. Beautiful paddle, amazing flora fauna. Absolutely recommend. Sunset gorgeous.”

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6.Cenote Tankah and Mayan Village Tour with Zipline, Canoes & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $199

Explore Tankah’s cenotes by zipline and canoe, enjoy a Mayan village lunch, and travel privately from Playa del Carmen or Tulum.

“Loved our guide, Yuri and loved the format. Jumping in senotes and zipping over the crystal clear water. Authentic Mexican lunch prepared over wood flames. Worth it! Thanks Yuri!”

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7.Private Tour Tankah 3 Zip Lines 3 Cenotes Canoe Snorkel Community

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $208

Review of Tankah’s private Playa del Carmen tour with three zip lines, three cenotes, canoeing, snorkeling, lunch, and flexible pickup.

“We booked the private tour and we're glad we did! We can choose the pick up time and how long we spend on the activity. There is no rush, no group to follow, everything goes according to our agenda.”

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8.Zip lining and Canoe Monkey jungle in Tulum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $150

Explore Punta Laguna near Tulum by zip line, canoe, jungle walk, cenote rappel, and monkey spotting with lunch and transport included.

“We had an amazing time. José was a great guide, very knowledgeable. We even went to an extra cenote. I definitely recommend this tour. It was private, which I didn’t expect, but that made it much more special. We got to see spider monkeys, howler monkeys, zip line across Punta Laguna, canoe across the lagoon, take part in a Mayan ceremony, and swim in a sacred cenote. On the way back, José offered to take us to a different cenote that wasn’t included (only cost us an extra $80 pesos each) and we decided to go. It was amazing, and we were the only people there. Go on this tour!”

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9.Bacalar Lagoon! Kayaks & Cenote Azul From Playa Del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 3 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $151

Review of a 12-hour Bacalar tour from Playa del Carmen with Cenote Azul, kayaking, meals, transport, costs, and booking tips.

“5 stars to the tour guide and 2 star to the tour operator. The guide is very nice and professional. However, the operator notified us that we were going to visit different cenote 2 days before the tour. That is totally not the cenote we would like to visit, but we have no time to find another tour. Please confirm with the tour operator again right after receiving the voucher. The itinerary could be mismatched between the voucher and what your will have.”

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