Cenote Caverns

Explore freshwater underground caverns in the Mayan Jungle

All certified divers are able to enjoy the unique and beautiful Cenotes of the Riviera Maya. The typical characteristics we can find are:

  • Stunningly clear water which seems like you are floating through air
  • Formations such as stalactites and stalagmites
  • Beams of sunlight creating laser-like effects
  • Haloclines where fresh and salt water meet
  • Fossils embedded in the rocks

Dives

2 dive and 3 dive trips available
From $140 for 2 dives
Small group sizes (4)

Schedule

Morning departures every day
Arrive: 08:30
Trip duration: Approximately 6 hours

Requirements

Open Water certification
Recent dive experience
Excellent positioning and buoyancy control

Includes

Transportation to the cenote
Dive light
Lunch, snacks and water
Tanks & weights
Free Nitrox

Extras

Full dive equipment rental: $18
Dive computer rental: $10
GoPro Rental: $50
(includes memory card for you to keep)
Nitrox tanks: $FREE
15L/100cuFt tanks: $5 per tank
Cenote entry fees
payable in cash upon arrival at the cenote (details below)

Dive info

7m-30m / 20ft-100ft
Max 4 divers per guide
24-25°C / 75-77°F
Guide is Scuba Instructor + Full-cave tec diver
Dive times: typically 4060min
We always try to give you the best experience and long dives whenever possible. Of course, we need to respect air consumption and no-decompression limits

Book now…

Start your booking by selecting the date you would like to dive

Cenote Caverns – Standard
$140.00
Cenote Caverns – Premium
$160.00
Cenote Caverns – Premium Triple
$200.00
Pay a deposit of $45.00 per item
Let us know the name of each diver you would like to book for. Also, let us know any equipment rental each diver will require.
Diver Name
BCD
Regulator
Wetsuit
Computer
If you would like to add of remove divers to your booking please adjust the quantity next to the "Add to cart" button.
This is a multiple day dive package, so all of the extras such as equipment rental, GoPro rental and private guide fees reflect the total cost across your entire multiple-day package. If you don't want everything on every day then don't add it right now and just let us know via phone/email.
Although we are proud to work with small groups, if you would prefer to have a private guide then we can arrange this for you. You'll notice that generally the cost of the private guide decreases when you add buddies to dive alongside you in the private group.

What is this all about?

The Yucatan Peninsula is covered in sink-holes (cenotes) which allow access for us to cavern-dive in a truly unique underground world unlike any other dive you have done.

Two divers with blurry water
Click to see in full: It’s difficult to photograph, but here you can see the visual effect of a halocline – the mixing of fresh and saltwater.

Cenotes are freshwater because we are essentially diving in the underground aquifer. The rain over time has carved out the limestone rock forming the caverns and cenotes we find today.

Most of the cenotes we visit are relatively close to the ocean (approximately 3-5km/2-3miles) and we can encounter saltwater at depths of approximately 12m/40ft and below. Where the freshwater and the more-dense saltwater meet is called a halocline and we see an interesting visual effect when the two mix (like how the air looks blurry above a hot road surface).

What will I see?

Each cenote has different characteristics. For example, some are better for formations and others can be better for light. To understand the type of things you’ll see, take a look through the photos on this page. These pictures were taken by us on our cavern tours.

That being said, the typical things we see while cenote diving are:

  • Stunningly clear water, in which it often seems like you are flying through thin air
  • Formations such as stalactites and stalagmites
  • Rays of sunlight penetrating the water creating laser-like effects
  • A visual phenomenon called a “halocline” – where fresh and saltwater meet
  • Fossils embedded in the rocks

Am I suitable?

There are different Cenotes available for divers of all levels to enjoy. Being so unique to the area, this really is an experience you shouldn’t miss while you are in Mexico.

To safely enjoy cavern diving the most important consideration is your dive skill level. We will be diving in a delicate, overhead environment so it is critical you have good buoyancy control and trim (horizontal body position). Therefore it is important that you have dived recently so that you can determine if you believe your skill level will be appropriate.

Your safety and the preservation of the cenotes is the most important factor your guide will focus on during your dive. If your guide observes any issues with buoyancy or trim then we might need to end your dive early in order to abide by community regulations here in Mexico. It is not typically possible to train divers and work on buoyancy at the caverns.

If you are unsure your skill level will be appropriate and you are planning on diving for more than one day, we highly advise you plan to first dive in the ocean (either Playa del Carmen or Cozumel). This way we can assess your skills and give you tips and tricks to improve your buoyancy control and trim. All of our ocean dive guides are PADI Professionals and we are passionate about training. It would be our pleasure to help you.

Is it safe?

To keep the experience as safe and enjoyable as possible there are very strict rules here in Mexico.

Your guide will not only be a Scuba Instructor, but also a fully certified cave diver. The guide will lead a group, with a maximum of four divers. The guide is required to wear technical equipment including multiple tanks. However, you will be diving in the standard scuba equipment that you learned with.

How to dive safely in a cavern
Click to view in full: A visual representation of the rules that keep cavern diving safe.

Cavern dives are NOT cave dives. When cavern diving…

  • You will never be more than a one minute swim from the surface
  • You will always be able to find your way out using natural light
  • You won’t have to swim through any spaces that you cannot comfortably get two divers through side-by-side

What’s the point if there are no fish or corals?

If you’re in search of multi-colored corals then the cenotes are not for you. Although, fun-fact: you can find fossilized coral structures in the rocks from when the entire Yucatan Peninsula used to be the sea-bed. Also, technically there are fish in the cenotes, but yes, we must agree that there are not many and they are probably not the most stunning fish you’ll ever see.

Diving in the cenotes gives you access to a unique underground world The caverns offer a 360 degree feast of amazing views, so don’t forget to look around while you are following our guide.

So – Why do we love the cenotes so much? Well, it is probably summed up by the phrase mind-blowing which is commonly used by our divers to describe their experience after diving in the caverns.

Cavern diving in the cenotes is unlike anything you will have ever done before. The water is incredibly transparent so you can see as far as your eyesight will allow you to. In photos it often looks like you are suspended in mid-air. There is also something exciting and mysterious about entering an underground world that is frozen in time.

How does it work?

The Cenotes are located in the jungle and are accessed via road. Your guide will drive you in a truck loaded with your dive equipment.

Truck with divers
One of our cenote guides with a group of happy divers outside Tajma-Ha Cenote.

Before departing from the dive center your guide will help prepare your dive equipment. It can take up to an hour to drive to the cenotes, for this reason you’ll wear your normal clothes during the drive and change into your dive gear once we arrive at the cenote.

An instructor gives a briefing at a cenote
Briefing time at Tajma-Ha

During the journey your guide will give you a history of the formation of the cenotes and once at the cenote the guide will give you a detailed briefing for the specific dive.

Photography: The cenotes are found on private land owned by Mayans. Some cenotes have camera restrictions and others charge additional fees. Please check with us if you want to know more.

Pricing categories

Our cenote trips are divided into two categories, standard and premium. The premium cenotes are located a little further away and can be a little more challenging to operate and for this reason there is a small difference in the price. For all cenotes we include transportation from the shop to the cenotes (and back again!), a dive light and we also provide lunch. We also have an option of “Premium triple” for when we head to The Pit and then two both lines of Dos Ojos for a total of 3 dives, 3 tanks.

Cenote entry fees are not included in our price and will need to be paid in cash using Mexican Pesos on the day when we arrive at the Cenote. We don’t include these fees in our price because entry fees vary between each of the cenotes and with so many cenotes available there are endless combinations which we can operate to give you the best possible experience.

Which Cenote should I choose?

If this is your first time diving in cenotes then we would strongly recommend the following:

  • One day of cenote diving
    • Open Water Divers: Two dives in Dos Ojos or one dive in Garden of Eden and one dive in Tajma-Ha
    • Advanced Open Water Divers: One dive in The Pit follow by one or two dives Dos Ojos (This is a premium triple)
  • Two days of Cenote diving
    • Open Water Divers: Day 1, two dives in Dos Ojos. Day 2, one dive in Garden of Eden and one dive in Tajma-Ha
    • Advanced Open Water Divers: Day 1, One dive in The Pit follow by one or two dives Dos Ojos (This is a premium triple). Day 2, one dive in Angelita and one dive in Tajma-Ha

Full details on the categories and entry fees for each cenote can be found below.

Cenote nameCategoryMin certificationEntry feeNumebr of dives possible
Dos Ojos (Barbie line & Bat cave)

StandardOW$400mxn2
1x Pit + 1x Dos Ojos (Barbie line)PremiumAOW$600mxn2
1x Pit + 2x Dos Ojos (Barbie line & Bat cave)Premium tripleAOW$600mxn3
Chikin-HaStandardOW$350mxn1 or 2
EdenStandardOW$300mxn1
Tajma-HaStandardOW$300mxn1 or 2
Chac Mool (Kukulkan & Little Brother)StandardOW$250mxn1 or 2
AngelitaPremiumAOW$350mxn1
Car washPremiumOW$300mxn1
Casa cenotePremiumOW$200mxn1
Dreamgate¹PremiumOW$400mxn1 or 2
Nicte Ha¹PremiumOW$400mxn1
Pit + Nicte Ha¹PremiumAOW$600mxn2
Tac Be Luum¹PremiumOW$300mxn1
Taak Bi Ha¹PremiumOW$300mxn1
Zapote (North)¹ ²PremiumAOW$350mxn1
Maravilla (North)¹ ²PremiumAOW$300mxn1
Azul-Ha (North)¹ ²PremiumAOW$400mxn1
7 Bocas (North)¹ ²PremiumAOW$300mxn1
Kin-Ha (North)¹ ²PremiumAOW$300mxn1

LAST UPDATED: 6 December, 2023

Notes:

  • For the cenotes that offer only 1 dive, these would typically be paired with an additional cenote to make a total of 2 or 3 dives for the trip
  • Most of the cenotes are located to the south of Playa del Carmen (with the exception of those listed as “North”). It is not possible to do one cenote to the south and another from the northern zone on the same day
  • ¹ These cenotes are particularly challenging and require a very high level of buoyancy control and experience. They are typically suited to divers with 50+ dives and we will need to complete at least one day of cavern diving with you prior to taking you to one of these cenotes
  • ² Nitrox is highly recommended for these dives, since we complete two deep dives on the same trip
  • We do our best to keep this list up-to-date, but in the past the cenotes have made small changes to their prices with little or no warning. If we become aware of a price change prior to your dive we will do our best to update you, but if we fail to do so then we will cover the difference in price for the entry fees

We know there is a problem witht he medical questionnaire. We are actively working to fix it. For now, you can check eligibility by visiting ScubaMedical.com

Medical Questionnaire

These are the core medical questions associated with PADI Discover Scuba Diving. If you need to answer YES to any of these questions you would need medical sign-off from a doctor.

This is only a quick check to help you right now. Before booking any training you should check the full medical and liability statements associated with the course.

  • Do you currently have an ear infection?
  • Do you have a history of ear disease, hearing loss or problems with balance?
  • Do you have a history of ear or sinus surgery?
  • Are you currently suffering from a cold, congestion, sinusitis or bronchitis?
  • Do you have a history of respiratory problems, severe attacks of hayfever or allergies, or lung disease?
  • Have you had a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) or history of chest surgery?
  • Do you have active asthma or history of emphysema or tuberculosis?
  • Are you currently taking medication that carries a warning about any impairment of your physical or mental abilities?
  • Do you have behavioral health, mental or psychological problems or a nervous system disorder?
  • Are you or could you be pregnant?
  • Do you have a history of colostomy?
  • Do you have a history of heart disease or heart attack, heart surgery or blood vessel surgery?
  • Do you have a history of high blood pressure, angina, or take medication to control blood pressure?
  • Are you over 45 and have a family history of heart attack or stroke?
  • Do you have a history of bleeding or other blood disorders?
  • Do you have a history of diabetes?
  • Do you have a history of seizures, blackouts or fainting, convulsions or epilepsy or take medications to prevent them?
  • Do you have a history of back, arm or leg problems following an injury, fracture or surgery?
  • Do you have a history of fear of closed or open spaces or panic attacks (claustrophobia or agoraphobia)?

Small group = big fun

We proudly take our divers in small groups to provide the best service.

Small groups allow us to focus our time and attention on you to make sure you have the safest and most enjoyable experience possible.

Discover Scuba Diving / Open Water
Maxiumum 4 divers per Instructor

Playa del Carmen / Cozumel dives
Maximum 5 divers per Instructor

Cenotes
Maximum 4 divers per Instructor

We believe in quality

We consistently invest in new equipment and maintaining our equipment in excellent condition.

We are proud major-brand equipment we provide. Our standard equipment rental items are:

  • Regulator: Apeks ATA-40 (some with Suunto dive computers)
  • BCD: Zeagle Resort (with weight pockets)
  • Wetsuit: Cressi 2.5mm (ocean)
    or 5mm (cenotes)
  • Mask: 5 models available from Cressi, Beauchat, IST
  • Fins: Cressi branded, full-foot fins