Sandos Caracol is one of the few resorts where you can marry at a cenote: its listed ceremony options are a cenote for about 80 guests, a beachfront gazebo for about 100 and an ocean-view rooftop terrace.
A cenote ceremony is one of the most distinctive wedding settings in the Riviera Maya, and Sandos Caracol has one on its grounds. Here is how we photograph each of its three ceremony settings.
The Resort at a Glance
- ResortSandos eco resort in the jungle south of Playa del Carmen
- Ceremony sitesA cenote (about 80), a beachfront gazebo (about 100), an ocean-view rooftop terrace
- Beach facesEast, onto the open Caribbean
Venue names and capacities come from the resort's wedding listings and change with renovations and packages, so your coordinator's current sheet is the final word.
Where the Ceremony Happens
The cenote, about 80 guests, is the signature: limestone, clear water and filtered light. Cenotes are darker than the beach, so we work with fast lenses and soft fill, and plan the ceremony when light still reaches the water.
The beachfront gazebo, about 100, gives the classic sea ceremony. The ocean-view rooftop terrace suits receptions and the last warm light.
Sunset and Light by Month
Times for this beach on the 15th of each month in 2027.
| Month | Sunrise | Golden | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:27 am | 5:57 pm | 6:29 pm |
| March | 6:57 am | 6:29 pm | 6:58 pm |
| May | 6:11 am | 6:47 pm | 7:18 pm |
| June | 6:08 am | 6:58 pm | 7:30 pm |
| July | 6:16 am | 7:01 pm | 7:32 pm |
| September | 6:36 am | 6:22 pm | 6:51 pm |
| November | 6:58 am | 5:36 pm | 6:08 pm |
| December | 7:17 am | 5:38 pm | 6:10 pm |
The coast here faces east onto the open Caribbean, so the sun rises over the sea and sets behind the resort, leaving the beach in soft, even light at the end of the day. Plan the ceremony for roughly 90 minutes before sunset; the portraits then land in the softest light of the day. From roughly October through March the sun rises from behind Cozumel, which makes a sunrise session here unusually striking.
Bringing Your Own Photographer
Bringing your own photographer to Sandos Caracol is allowed, with an access charge for outside wedding vendors that the resort sets by season and package. Because the number moves, the only figure that counts is the one in your own contract or in an email from your coordinator. Ask two questions: is it per vendor or per person, and does a higher wedding package include it? We register with the resort and send our documents ourselves.
Weddings in the Riviera Maya, Through Our Lens
Real IVAE Studios weddings and portraits along the Riviera Maya, so you can see how this light and water look on camera. They show our work in the area, not necessarily at Sandos Caracol.
Coverage and Prices
Our wedding prices are public. Up to four hours of coverage costs 1,800 to 2,800 USD; a full day of eight to ten hours with a second photographer is 3,500 to 5,500 USD; photography plus a wedding film is 5,500 to 8,000 USD. The resort's access charge for outside vendors is separate and paid to the hotel. Your edited gallery arrives within one to three business days.