1 dive site within 1.5 kmArea photo
hotel
Casa Cenote Hotel
Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí)124 m
Oceanfront rooms at Tankah right beside Casa Cenote, a Level 1 cavern dive; the hotel arranges cenote dives and intro classes.
Guided cavern dives in the jungle
Tulum Cenotes: Where to Stay Near the Cavern Dives
Dive sites, places to stay and trips to book, in one place
13 dive sites mapped · 8 hand-picked stays
Where to stay in Tulum and the cenotes for diving
Stay close to the shore sites. 1 of our 8 picks in Tulum and the cenotes have a dive site within 1.5 km. Casa Cenote Hotel has the most, with 1 inside 1.5 km: Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí) (124 m).
Map of Tulum and the cenotes
Every dive site we map and every stay we picked. Pick a dive site to see the stays closest to it.
Pick a dive site
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Stay
Pick your dates in the map to see live prices in Tulum and the cenotes from the big booking sites.
Hand-picked stays for divers in Tulum and the cenotes
Picked for divers, sorted by how close they are to the dive sites
Photos show the area. View Deal opens the property's own photos.
Nearest dive site 2.1 kmArea photo
guesthouse
Mama's Home
Budget hostel in Tulum Centro with a shared kitchen and free breakfast; the town's cenote shops are nearby.
Nearest dive site 6.1 kmArea photo
hotel
Zamas Hotel
Beach hotel on the Tulum hotel zone road with Mexidivers operating from the property; the shop runs morning and afternoon cenote departures.
Nearest dive site 10.4 kmArea photo
dive resort
Hotel Akumal Caribe
Akumal's original beachfront resort, with Akumal Dive Center on site running Dos Ojos cenote trips as well as cavern and cave courses.
Nearest dive site 22.9 kmArea photo
hotel
The Reef 28
Adults-only all-inclusive near 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen; The Reef Dive Shop lists its address at the hotel, and divers' own gear is rinsed, dried and stored.
Nearest dive site 23.8 kmArea photo
dive resort
The Reef Coco Beach
Family all-inclusive on the beach in Playa del Carmen with The Reef Marina (PADI 5 Star) on site, max 5 divers per guide, and a rinse, dry and store service for your own gear.
Area photo
hotel
Azura Boutique Hotel
Small suite hotel in Tulum Centro that houses Agua Clara Diving, a cenote shop offering nitrox and two-tank cenote days from 3,000 MXN.
Area photo
hotel
Puerto Aventuras Hotel & Beach Club
Beachfront hotel with two pools and a children's pool in Puerto Aventuras, where Aquanauts Dive Shop in the marina runs 2-tank cenote dives for up to 4 divers.
No hand-picked stays match those filters. The map above shows everything available.
The closest Tulum and the cenotes stay to a dive site, Casa Cenote Hotel at 124 m, ranks #3 of 58 across all our destinations. See every stay ranked by distance to the reef
Dive sites in Tulum and the cenotes
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Car Wash (Aktun Ha)
BeginnerCavern dive, CREER Level 1: open water certification with a guide, minimum age 15 and recent diving beyond your course. Wide open pool with lily pads and aquatic plants that turns green with algae in the rainy season, leading into a spacious, decorated cavern with a halocline near 15 m, on the Coba road west of Tulum.
Closest stay: Mama's Home 7.7 km
20.2747, -87.4863 -
Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí)
BeginnerCavern dive, CREER Level 1: open water certification with a guide, minimum age 15 and recent diving beyond your course. Open-air river cenote winding through mangroves just across the road from the sea at Tankah, 2 to 7 m deep, where fresh and salt water mix and sea turtles and juvenile barracuda turn up.
Closest stay: Casa Cenote Hotel 124 m
20.2670, -87.3917 -
Dos Ojos
BeginnerCavern dive, CREER Level 1: open water certification with a guide, minimum age 15 and recent diving beyond your course. Two sinkholes joined by a decorated cavern; the Barbie Line (Level 1) runs past big stalactites and stalagmites at 8 to 10 m, and the Bat Cave Line (Level 2) surfaces in a dark air dome with roosting bats.
Closest stay: Casa Cenote Hotel 6.5 km
20.3247, -87.3906 -
Eden (Ponderosa)
BeginnerCavern dive, CREER Level 1: open water certification with a guide, minimum age 15 and recent diving beyond your course. Semi-open jungle cenote about 20 minutes south of Playa del Carmen with wide, well-lit cavern passages and a halocline, max about 12 m; good for mixed groups of divers and swimmers. CREER notes it closes Saturdays.
20.4917, -87.2583 -
Chikin Ha
BeginnerCavern dive, CREER Level 1: open water certification with a guide, minimum age 15 and recent diving beyond your course. High-ceilinged cavern with stalactite curtains, soda straws and a pronounced halocline, max about 12 m; often paired with neighbouring Crystalino. CREER notes it closes Saturdays in low season.
Closest stay: Hotel Akumal Caribe 12.7 km
20.4992, -87.2608 -
Kukulkan
BeginnerCavern dive, CREER Level 1: open water certification with a guide, minimum age 15 and recent diving beyond your course. In the same park as Chac Mool, about 25 minutes south of Playa del Carmen; stalactite galleries and columns to about 14 m, with light entering at several points along the line.
Closest stay: Hotel Akumal Caribe 14.7 km
20.5133, -87.2472 -
Calavera (Temple of Doom)
IntermediateCavern dive, CREER Level 2: open water certification with a guide plus a previous dive in a Level 1 cenote. Three skull-like holes in the roof throw light columns into a dome cavern with a sandy bottom near 15 m; entry is by ladder or a jump through the main hole, just outside Tulum.
Closest stay: Mama's Home 2.1 km
20.2292, -87.4573 -
Tajma Ha
IntermediateRated CREER Level 2 (open water plus a previous Level 1 cenote dive, with a guide), but CREER currently marks cavern tours here as not recommended because sediment from a nearby excavation made the cavern line unsafe. Known for ornate formations such as the Sugar Bowl chamber, to about 15 m.
Closest stay: Hotel Akumal Caribe 10.4 km
20.4834, -87.2770 -
Chac Mool
IntermediateCavern dive, CREER Level 2 when entered via Little Brother: open water certification with a guide plus a previous Level 1 cenote dive. Two pools linked by a wide cavern with sunbeams through ceiling holes and a strong halocline at 8 to 10 m.
Closest stay: Hotel Akumal Caribe 14.7 km
20.5131, -87.2470 -
Dreamgate
AdvancedCavern dive, CREER Level 4 (expert): Advanced Open Water or equivalent plus previous dives in Level 1, 2 and 3 cenotes, with a guide. Very densely decorated cavern to about 13 m with a halocline near 10 m; formations sit close, so tight buoyancy control matters. CREER lists the cave zone as closed, cavern open.
Closest stay: Casa Cenote Hotel 4.4 km
20.3052, -87.3927 -
The Pit (El Pit)
AdvancedDeep cavern dive, CREER Level 3: Advanced Open Water or equivalent required, plus previous dives in Level 1 and 2 cenotes, with a guide. Open shaft inside Parque Dos Ojos with a halocline near 15 m and a hydrogen sulphide cloud around 30 m; midday sunbeams are strongest from about 11:00 to 13:00.
Closest stay: Casa Cenote Hotel 6.6 km
20.3232, -87.4098 -
Angelita
AdvancedDeep cavern dive, CREER Level 3: Advanced Open Water or equivalent required, plus previous dives in Level 1 and 2 cenotes, with a guide. Deep open cenote about 15 minutes south of Tulum; a thick hydrogen sulphide cloud at about 30 m looks like a river, with sunken trees poking up through it.
Closest stay: Zamas Hotel 14.4 km
20.1375, -87.5783 -
Nicte Ha
AdvancedDeep cavern dive, CREER Level 3: Advanced Open Water or equivalent required, plus previous dives in Level 1 and 2 cenotes, with a guide. Descent through a lily pad garden into a decorated cavern to about 12 to 14 m; shallow water near the plants can be hazy with organic particles.
Closest stay: Casa Cenote Hotel 6.4 km
20.3230, -87.3799
No dive sites match these filters.
The sea off Tulum averages 26.8 °C (80 °F) in February and 29.7 °C (85 °F) in September. Tulum water temperature by month, with the wetsuit for each month
Dives and trips to book in Tulum and the cenotes
Top-rated on Viator. Each rating is that trip's own, with the month we checked it.
The Cenote Guy
Dos Ojos: Barbie Line and Bat Cave (2 dives)
See dates and prices
La Calypso Dive Center
Two cenote dives, one deep
See dates and prices
La Calypso Dive Center
First cenote dive or refresher in Tulum
See dates and pricesViator
All scuba dives in Tulum and the cenotes
Compare guided dives, courses and boat trips in Tulum and the cenotes, with reviews and free cancellation on most.
See all on ViatorLiveaboards
No liveaboards operate from Tulum and the cenotes right now. Divers here stay on land and dive from shore or day boats.
About diving in Tulum and the cenotes
Cenote diving on the Riviera Maya is freshwater cavern diving in flooded limestone sinkholes, with stalactites, sunbeams and the shimmer of the halocline instead of reef fish. Every dive is a shore entry with a local cave-certified guide, at most four divers per guide, and you stay within reach of daylight the whole time. Open water certification gets you into the starter cenotes like Dos Ojos, Car Wash and Casa Cenote, while The Pit and Angelita need Advanced Open Water and a few easier cenotes first. Tulum is the handiest base, since most of the classic cenotes sit on the highway north of town or on the road to Coba.
Nearby: Cozumel
How the Caribbean destinations compare, by stay-to-reef distance and water temperature: Best Caribbean diving
Planning questions answered from these maps: Field notes
- Water
- 24-26 °C
- Visibility
- Often 30 to 40 m inside the caverns; rain can briefly reduce it near entrances
- Best months
- Year-round. November to April is the dry season with the most reliable visibility; June to August brings the strongest vertical sunbeams at The Pit; September and October are the quietest and cheapest.
Diving Tulum and the cenotes: common questions
Where should I stay in Tulum and the cenotes for diving?
Stay close to the shore sites. 1 of our 8 picks in Tulum and the cenotes have a dive site within 1.5 km. Casa Cenote Hotel has the most, with 1 inside 1.5 km: Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí) (124 m).
What kind of diving does Tulum and the cenotes have?
We map 13 dive sites in Tulum and the cenotes, all reached from shore. 6 are rated beginner, 3 intermediate and 4 advanced.
What is the best time of year to dive Tulum and the cenotes?
Year-round. November to April is the dry season with the most reliable visibility; June to August brings the strongest vertical sunbeams at The Pit; September and October are the quietest and cheapest. Water temperature is 24-26 °C. Visibility: Often 30 to 40 m inside the caverns; rain can briefly reduce it near entrances.
Are there dive sites for beginners in Tulum and the cenotes?
Yes. Beginner-rated dive sites in Tulum and the cenotes include Dos Ojos, Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí), Car Wash (Aktun Ha), Kukulkan, Chikin Ha and Eden (Ponderosa).
What should divers know before diving Tulum and the cenotes?
Cenotes are overhead dives: guided cavern only, cave beyond the light
Under the cenote diving rules published by CREER, the regional cave diving committee whose manual was written with local operator associations and the major cave training agencies, a guided cavern dive stays within natural light, within 60 m (200 ft) of the nearest surface point and no deeper than 30 m (100 ft), with at most 4 divers per guide (3 at Level 4 sites) and no dives starting after 4 pm. Going past the light zone is cave diving and needs a cave diver certification. Single-tank cavern diving is only allowed at designated cavern sites with a qualified local guide, even if you hold a cavern certification. Each cenote charges its own entrance fee, paid at the site: 200 to 500 pesos per diver at the main dive cenotes, plus a camera fee at many.
Source: CREER
Are there liveaboards from Tulum and the cenotes?
Not from Tulum and the cenotes right now. Divers here stay on land and dive on day trips.