Cavern

Cenote Car Wash

Aktun Ha

Under a calm, easy-to-reach surface hides one of the most photographed cenotes on the Riviera Maya. Water lilies float on its clear water; further down there are petrified trunks and a striking gallery of stalactites and stalagmites. Up to 16 metres deep, it suits snorkelling as well as cavern diving, and the sunbeams filtering through the trees turn every dive into something almost cinematic.

Dive depth: 16 m
Card to show: Open Water or equivalent
From Tulum, straight line: 7 km N
Snorkel: Good for snorkelling too

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Cenote Diving

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A rope hanging over the clear water of Cenote Car Wash, fringed by jungle, near Tulum

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Nearby

The turquoise water of Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich under a rock overhang, wooden steps leading down into it

TO 8 M

Cavern

Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich

Part of one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world. It is known for an astonishing concentration of stalactites and stalagmites, many of them huge, forming real stone “forests” underwater. Its crystal-clear water and intricate passages make it a must for experienced cavern divers looking for formations on another level.

Card to show: Open Water or equivalent

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Shafts of light dropping down the well of El Pit, divers in silhouette

30–32 M

Deep

Cenote El Pit

One of the deepest and most dramatic cenotes on the Riviera Maya, going down to 119 metres. It is famous for the column of light that pierces the water, for its halocline — where fresh and salt water meet — and for a cloud of hydrogen sulphide at about 30 metres that looks like fog underwater. Recommended for advanced or technical divers, it is one of the most striking cenote dives in the world.

Card to show: Advanced Open Water or Deep

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The clear turquoise water of Casa Cenote, ringed by mangrove, near Tulum

9 M

Open cenote

Casa Cenote

An open, lagoon-like cenote connected directly to the Caribbean Sea, where fresh and salt water mix into an ecosystem of its own. It is about 9 metres deep at most — ideal for new divers and for anyone after a relaxed dive. Mangroves surround it, and the visibility, though it varies, puts you alongside fish, turtles and now and then a freshwater crocodile (Morelet's crocodile, Crocodylus moreletii). The perfect way to combine recreational diving with wildlife up close.

Card to show: None — try it with Discover Scuba

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