Cenotes are clear water wells and ecosystems that mix Mayan history with natural beauty. To immerse oneself in their caverns is another way to take advantage of the wonders they offer to those who seek to enter into this marvelous adventure.
Cenote diving is a recreational activity that allows you to explore the secrets of this hidden world while staying in the safer parts of the caves, the parts that are easy to dive in and close to the exit, for a dive to be considered a recreational cenote dive (our cavern dive for talking in the same language as the local diving community)
Be less than 60 meters from the surface
Have a visible surface outlet with easy access
Have an extension large enough to comfortably fit two people side by side.
Be shallower than 40 m (120 ft)
This activity is conducted by a cavern guide who, in addition to being a dive guide (Divemaster), must be certified as a full cave diver. Cenote diving enjoys safer rules than open water diving, the maximum number of people allowed per group is 4 members. This group will be organized after the guide in a single row and follow a guide line so as to dive safely in caves that could reach a maximum depth of 40 meters.
It is extremely important to take care of the ecosystem to which it is accessed, for which it is necessary to handle the buoyancy very well in order not to damage the cave and thus avoid the dispersion of sediments.
Tulum is a great destination to encourage a baptism in cave diving or to intensify your skills, as each cenote has a different level of difficulty. For example, Casa Cenote has a large open area and small caves that makes it an optimal place to refresh diving skills if you have not been diving for some time. Dos Ojos and Gran Cenote, are optimal for divers who maintain a constant practice but who are going to dive cenotes for the first time. Carwash, Chikin Ha and Taj Mahal cenotes have an average level of complexity and Dream Gate and Calavera are more even more difficult. For all those you need to have some cenote diving experience in advance. Pit and Angelita are the ones with the highest degree of complexity, apart from been caverns they are deep and so it is necessary to be well trained (advanced open water at least) and have planned every detail of the immersion.
It’s time to discover a new water world under the jungle!
Last week we shared some great photos taken while scuba diving in the coral reef near Tulum. All sorts of fish inhabit in the reef, you will witness so many amazing creatures! Just to name a few: Angel Fish, Butterfly Fish, and Trumpet Fish. This second post with photos taken in our tulum diving trips begins with a magnificient Yellow Snapper spotted in Cozumel. Continue reading Part 2 Photos Diving and Snorkeling in Tulum in Tulum Coral Reef
Features: saltwater and freshwater wildlife, mangroves
Casa cenote is an open cenote that is located right next to the sea and is connected to it via a huge cave. The cenote has fresh water coming from an underground river and salty water coming in from an ocean connection. The cenote is also completely surrounded by mangroves. These factors come together to make it a very special place. Casa Cenote is home to many young fish that seek refuge from sea currents inside its calm waters. It is also home to many freshwater fish that belong to the cenote ecosystems. Both ocean and cenote fish share this piece of paradise. Many egrets and cormorants love it here, and we can often see them inside and outside of the water. The protected nature of this cenote as well as its beauty make it ideal for almost anyone. Snorkelers, scuba diving students, scuba divers that need a refresher or even very experienced divers want to explore its magic. It offers beautiful mangrove views, algae gardens, small caverns and a variety of marine inhabitants. The dives taken here go to a maximum depth of 8 m (24 feet) and last for about 45 min.
List of the Cenotes near Tulum
All of these cenotes are part of our guided eco tours both for snorkeling and scuba diving
The Pit is one of the deepest cenotes in the state of Quintana Roo. It is part of Sac Aktun cave system (the longest flooded cave system in the world) and is a spectacular dive site in a huge chamber. It has exceptional water clarity with a visibility of more than 100 meters. It also features strong light beams that during the summer penetrate the cavern for more than 27 meters. At this depth, there is a thick hydrogen sulfide cloud. Additionally, small and large stalactites are visible.
Scuba diving in The Pit requires previous deep scuba diving and cavern scuba diving experience. Always go with a cave diver guide. When you dive in this cenote, frequently check your air, and remember that deeper dives consume more air: at 40 meters, you breathe 5 times more compressed air than at the surface. One should also be aware of their decompression limits. It is also important to stay near your dive guide and to ascend slowly and do a safety stop. We follow the rule of thirds for air consumption on this dive. The dive we operate in this cavern usually lasts for about half an hour.
All of these cenotes are part of our guided eco tours both for snorkeling and scuba diving. If you are planning to visit Mexico to discover this amazing natural places, do not hesitate in contacting us we offer personalized scuba diving eco tours into the cenotes of the Mayan Riviera. Contact Us
Click on the Cenotes to find details about each of them:
Car Wash (or Aktun Ha, meaning water cave in Mayan) was one of the first cenotes that cave divers explored. The name originated from taxi drivers who used to go to this cenote to wash their cars.
The open water part of this cenote is like a small lagoon. It has a beautiful underwater garden that houses fish, turtles, and even a small crocodile. The cavern dive we operate here starts in the garden area and then proceeds into the cavern. The speleothemes in this cavern are black, stained by the tannic acid that once passed trough this system. The cavern is large, and the most beautiful part of the dive is perhaps the view of the light when moving back out into the garden from the cavern. Fallen trees can be seen silhouetted against the bright entrance. To finish, we do the safety stop while looking around the garden and at its various inhabitants.
This is an easy cavern dive, and the cavern spaces are very large. The way in seems dark, but the sunlight is always visible. There is a thin sediment at the bottom of the cavern, but since the cavern is very large, there is no need to swim near the sediment. Diving in one of the beginner caverns (like Dos Ojos and Gran Cenote) is recommended before visiting Car Wash, but this cenote does not require special skills.
List of the Cenotes near Tulum
All of these cenotes are part of our guided eco tours both for snorkeling and scuba diving
Angelita is a magical cenote that is often described as mysterious and a bit spooky. At first, the cenote appears to be unassuming, just a small pond in the middle of a very thick jungle. However, the deepest parts of the cenote go down to 204 ft (66 m). Its most amazing feature is a 4.5 ft (1.5 m) thick hydrogen sulfide cloud that starts at 83 ft (27 m). This cloud is made up of gases that have leaked out of decomposing trees and leaves that fall from the jungle into the cenote. This gas accumulates where the fresh and the salt water meet (the halocline). This creates a false floor at the bottom, which can be traversed to reach a dark, otherworldly chamber that is full of jungle detritus. The base of this mountain of detritus starts below but reaches above the cloud. Rising again from below the cloud, the peak of the mountain of detritus takes on a new face, as if one is ascending a cloud-topped mountain. On the way out of the cenote, there is a small cave loop, and at the surface, one can get an appreciation for all of the trees that provide this cenote with its hydrogen sulfide cloud.
The dive lasts about half an hour. It requires experience in deep diving and cavern diving.
Scuba diving video shot in Cenote Angelita, Tulum by Agua Clara Diving Tulum diveshop located in Tulum. The video shows the amazing “clouds” that form in the cenote depths. Angelita in Spanish means “Little Angel”.
List of the Cenotes near Tulum
All of these cenotes are part of our guided eco tours both for snorkeling and scuba diving
Cenote Dreamgate is the cavern with the most rock formations in Tulum
Map cenote Dreamgate
2 tanks
Difficulty: moderate to difficult
Maximum depth: 5 meters
Features: beautiful cave formations
Dream Gate is a cenote and large cavern that it is part of Sac Aktun underwater cave system (like Gran Cenote and Casa Cenote). It is located about 10 km north of Tulum. Dream Gate has some of the nicest speleothemes (cave formations): the cavern is completely full of stalactites, columns, and stalagmites.
There are two independent dive circuits in this cavern: The upstream line and the downstream line. The upstream line is the most elaborately decorated, and at the furthest point of the dive there is an air pocket with a fully decorated ceiling where we come to the surface. When heading back to the entrance, the light streaming into the cenote silhouettes the stalactites for a breathtaking view. This dive takes about 35 minutes and the maximum depth is 5 m (15 ft). The downstream line is quite different; it is also fully decorated and connects with another cenote. Many tree roots from the jungle penetrate the cave to absorb water. At the furthest point of the circuit, light from the other cenote can be seen. The dive time and depth are similar to those of the upstream dive: 35 min and 5 m (15 ft).
Diving in this cavern is recommended for people who were comfortable in the beginner caverns because it is small, fragile, and dark in some places.
List of the Cenotes near Tulum
All of these cenotes are part of our guided eco tours both for snorkeling and scuba diving
Since 2017 it has closed its doors to diving. Only snorkel is allowed
1 dive
Difficulty: easy
Dive or snorkel
Maximum depth: 10 meters
Features: cave formations, light
Gran cenote is a huge cenote located only 3.5 km from Tulum. Its size, clarity, and beautiful views make it an ideal site for snorkelers and scuba divers. It is part of the largest cave system in the area, Saac Aktun (which includes Casa Cenote and Calavera, and Dos Ojos), and it is one of the most frequently used cave diving entrances.
The cavern area for the dive is a huge space full of ornate cave formations. The beautiful light from the cenote opening can also be seen from this area. These conditions make it an ideal place for scuba divers who are diving caverns (cenotes) for the first time.
The scuba dive we operate here lasts for about 40 min and goes to a maximum depth of 10 m (33 ft). The main viewpoints for this cavern dive are the views of light streaming into the cavern and its beautiful cave formations.
List of the Cenotes near Tulum
All of these cenotes are part of our guided eco tours both for snorkeling and scuba diving
We had a wonderful time diving at Dos Ojos Cenote for two tanks with Aguaclara Tulum in early January 2021. We have nearly 200 dives in some of the best places on the planet, but nothing is like diving in a cenote. The rock formations and crystal clear water were enchanting. The dive operation was first rate, and the dive master, Nico, was a joy to work with. Also, a shout out to Gemma who handled our email correspondence, and handled our convoluted schedule with grace and flexibility. A must do for divers in the Yucatan. Many thanks.
Highly professional instruction to do my PADI Open Water Diver certification. Everything worked seamlessly and I had a lot of fun whilst also getting myself qualified to dive in the future. Would highly recommend Agua Clara to anyone visiting the area who has to desire to learn how to dive from a reputable shop
Great company. We did 2 tours with them. First was a tour of cenotes and a Mayan village lunch. Zip lining and cenotes were fantastic. Lunch at the Mayan village was even better! (Seriously best food in Tulum) Guy was very knowledgeable and a great tour guide. Scuba diving discovery was awesome your. I have been scuba diving before and learning in a cenote beats learning in a pool anytime…
I went to several cenotes with Agua Clara and did the PADI Rescue Diver course with them. The guides were all very knowledgeable and fun, and my instructor was great: he was very attentive to the needs of the group and tried very hard to make everyone have a good time. They have a lot of dive experience, and it shows. The perfect combination of fun and professional!
This was the highlight of our trip! We reached out to Agua Clara to see if they could give us a personalized tour to fit our needs and they went above and beyond with it! As a professional photographer I wanted to be able to capture different things like : cenotes ( under water caves ) , wildlife and beautiful scenery and I was able to see it all. Our guide Erica was the sweetest and funniest!
World class service!! A must for any experienced diver looking for professional dive masters and diving tours. Noe and Guy ( Dive masters ) exceded our expectations on the tours they took us. Excellent price for the quality of service. Highly recommended and super friendly staff!
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour led by Erica. Got to swim with sea turtles, check out baby tropical fish from below Mangrove roots, and explore an underground/underwater bat cave all in one day! Erica was a wonderful tour guide and is fluent in 4 languages. Highly recommend this tour, a good value and great time. Also very environmentally friendly other than the generator at the office.
A friend and I took two private tours with Agua Clara. They were both excellent, but we especially loved Sian Kaan. Our guide, Jose, was knowledgable and accommodating. We had a great time spending two days seeing amazing sights around Tulum.
I’ve been diving for 22 years, and I’ve never done a cave dive. Diving the Dos Ojos was the coolest dive I’ve ever been on. Our guide was phenomenal. He brought yummy sandwiches for us and energy bites. We got to do two dives in the caves with flashlights and wet suits (cause that water is pretty cold). Swimming through those caves was one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had. I will remember it forever.
Fantastic diving experience in the Cenotes with a great dive guide
Imke G
We did 2 days diving in 6 different cenotes, with Eyal as our guide. We had a great time, always felt safe. It was a breathtaking experience. The selection of the cenotes was carefully done, and we were well advised in the Office what to do. We hope to be able to come back one day and dive the cenotes again. Our favourite: El pit!
Loved our first tour so much, we booked another for the next day
Laila Fahim
My friends and I found our way to Aqua Clara on the recommendation of our Airbnb host, and touring with them was honestly the best part of our trip. We initially signed up a 2 cenote snorkeling trip. The owner reached connected with my friend on Whatsapp to answer our questions and coordinate the details of which cenotes we wanted to visit, which was our first positive experience.
My boyfriend and I enrolled in the 3-day Open Water PADI course with Agua Clara. I previously had a scaring experience taking a scuba discovery adventure in Hawaii which put me off to the idea of scuba diving for a few years. Agua Clara helped make my experience seamless and comfortable…
Outstanding diving, instruction and PADI certification
Guss D
I was looking to complete my PADI open water referral having done the initial PADI sections back in the UK. Agua Clara are on of the few PADI certified dive operators in Tulum and we couldn’t have made a better choice. My girlfriend was already PADI certified so we wanted to be able to dive together whilst I completed my training. Guy, our instructor/guide was fantastic…
Truly incredible dives with them most fantastic and passionate guide!!!!!
Huyen N
We were going to Sayulita for New Year but changed it to Tulum last minute. Most diving sites were booked but I decided to email the shops anyways. I received a handful of emails back saying they can accommodate us on the date I requested which was 30th December 2017. I chose to Aqua Clara because I love their professional informative respond to my request…
Went to Tulum for a relaxing vacation with a friend, and the snorkel tour turned out to be the highlight of the trip. It was raining but we went out anyway and practically had some of the sites to ourselves. The rain brought out a lot of turtles which was really cool. Linda, our guide, was super passionate and knowledgeable…
My husband and I finished our open water certification here, and could not have been more pleased. The dives were beautiful, and our guide, Noe, was highly knowledgeable as well as one of the best people we’ve come across in our travels. We can’t wait until our next dive. We would highly recommend Agua Clara to our friends.
Luca Benecchi was a great guide! Very knowledgeable of the ecology and history of the area. Though we were booked for a kayak tour, the wind was high that day and Luca wisely chose exciting alternatives that were equally fun. Wearing float vests we floated like leaves through a beautiful channel joining the two main lagoons, then walked on a…
We took the open water PADI course while visiting the Tulum area. Noe was excellent. We had a family of 4 taking the class for the first time. My kids were 12 and 16 and Noe was so patient with them. We will definitely book a tour with them when we return!
I did my open water course with agua clara diving tulum and had a great experience. The instructor was cool and also had a lot of advice to offer about other attractions, food, and nightlife in addition to all the diving knowledge. I enjoyed dives in some really nice cenotes, which was quite a different experience from diving in the reef…
I had four dives over two days with Agua Clara Diving and everything exceeded my expectations. They were very receptive to my request to dive in a variety of cenotes (regular cavern/stalactite/stalagmite ones as well as a halocline dive) . I will definitely return to do another dive with them in the future.
A w e s o m e, Mercedes was an amazing tour guide!
Raul D
From when we arrived at their location and she extended her arm to say HELLO, Mercedes, our guide was AMAZING. She was very knowledgeable and super NICE person overall. The tour was unparalleled to anything I have ever experienced. Highly recommended.
I was in tulum on holiday for only one week so decided to do a one day diving trip. I wanted to dive in a cenote and the sea, so Noé at Agua Clara organized this for me. I then decided the best idea was to do my PADI OPEN WATERS course, as this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and the price was reasonable…
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