Tulum and the cenotes · dive site guide
Tulum cenote diving: which cenote, which card
Most cenote dives near Tulum are guided cavern dives, and an Open Water card gets you into the starter ones. CREER, the regional cave diving committee, gives each dive cenote a level from 1 to 4. The level sets the card you need and which cenotes you must have dived first. Our map has 13 cenotes.
Cavern or cave: the line that matters.
A cavern dive stays where you can see daylight: within 60 m (200 ft) of the surface point, no deeper than 30 m (100 ft), with no more than 4 divers per guide (3 at Level 4). No cenote dive starts after 4 pm. This is what an Open Water or Advanced diver books.
A cave dive goes past the light zone. That needs a cave diver certification.
A cavern certification does not let you dive a cenote on your own. CREER allows single-tank cavern dives only at designated cavern sites with a qualified local guide, even for divers who hold one.
Every cenote on our map, by level
Start at Level 1. Each level up asks for a dive at the level below, so a first trip usually runs Level 1, then 2, then the deep Level 3 cenotes. The certification field note groups the same cenotes by level in more detail.
| Cenote | CREER level | Depth | Nearest stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dos Ojos | 1 | 0-10 m | Casa Cenote Hotel, 6.5 km |
| Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí) | 1 | 2-7 m | Casa Cenote Hotel, 124 m |
| Car Wash (Aktun Ha) | 1 | 0-15 m | Mama's Home, 7.7 km |
| Kukulkan | 1 | 0-14 m | Hotel Akumal Caribe, 14.7 km |
| Chikin Ha | 1 | 0-12 m | Hotel Akumal Caribe, 12.7 km |
| Eden (Ponderosa) | 1 | 0-12 m | Town-level location only |
| Calavera (Temple of Doom) | 2 | 0-15 m | Mama's Home, 2.1 km |
| Chac Mool | 2 | 0-12 m | Hotel Akumal Caribe, 14.7 km |
| Tajma Ha | 2 | 0-15 m | Hotel Akumal Caribe, 10.4 km |
| The Pit (El Pit) | 3 | 0-30 m | Casa Cenote Hotel, 6.6 km |
| Nicte Ha | 3 | 0-14 m | Casa Cenote Hotel, 6.4 km |
| Angelita | 3 | 0-30 m | Zamas Hotel, 14.4 km |
| Dreamgate | 4 | 0-13 m | Casa Cenote Hotel, 4.4 km |
Level 1: Open water certification with a guide, minimum age 15 and recent diving beyond your course.
Level 2: Open water certification with a guide plus a previous dive in a Level 1 cenote.
Level 3: Advanced Open Water or equivalent required, plus previous dives in Level 1 and 2 cenotes, with a guide.
Level 4: Advanced Open Water or equivalent plus previous dives in Level 1, 2 and 3 cenotes, with a guide.
Check a cenote's status before you book. CREER currently marks cavern tours at Tajma Ha as not recommended, and lists the Dreamgate cave zone as closed.
How you get in
All 13 cenotes are entered from their own edge, not from a boat. You gear up at the cenote park and the guide leads along a fixed guideline, staying within 1.5 m of it. At Calavera the entry is a ladder or a jump through the main hole. Bring your certification card: the level rules depend on it.
Water is 24-26 °C all year. 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.
Where to stay for cenote diving
Cenotes are inland, so you get to them by road, not from a hotel beach. The cenotes on our map sit in two clusters. Dos Ojos, The Pit (El Pit), Nicte Ha, Dreamgate, Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí), Car Wash (Aktun Ha), Calavera (Temple of Doom) and Angelita are around Tulum. Chac Mool, Kukulkan, Chikin Ha, Eden (Ponderosa) and Tajma Ha are south of Playa del Carmen, near Puerto Aventuras. Base in the town closer to the cenotes you want to dive.
These are the stays on our map that sit closest to at least one cenote:
Casa Cenote Hotel
Oceanfront rooms at Tankah right beside Casa Cenote, a Level 1 cavern dive; the hotel arranges cenote dives and intro classes.
Mama's Home
Budget hostel in Tulum Centro with a shared kitchen and free breakfast; the town's cenote shops are nearby.
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.
Zamas Hotel
Beach hotel on the Tulum hotel zone road with Mexidivers operating from the property; the shop runs morning and afternoon cenote departures.
Guided cenote dives you can book
Top-rated on Viator when we checked in Sep 2026. Each rating is that trip's own.
Dos Ojos: Barbie Line and Bat Cave (2 dives)
First cenote dive or refresher in Tulum
All Tulum scuba trips on Viator
Questions divers ask
Do I need a cavern certification to dive the cenotes near Tulum?
No. An Open Water card is enough for a guided cavern dive at a CREER Level 1 cenote such as Dos Ojos, Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí) and Car Wash (Aktun Ha). CREER sets the minimum age at 15, asks for recent diving beyond your course, and keeps the dive in natural light, within 60 m (200 ft) of the surface and above 30 m (100 ft).
What is the difference between cavern and cave diving?
A cavern dive stays in the natural light zone, within 60 m (200 ft) of the surface and above 30 m (100 ft). Going past the light zone is cave diving and needs a cave diver certification. A cavern certification does not let you dive a cenote on your own: CREER allows single-tank cavern dives only at designated sites with a qualified local guide, even for divers who hold one.
Which cenotes need Advanced Open Water?
CREER Levels 3 and 4. They ask for Advanced Open Water or equivalent plus earlier dives at the lower levels. On our map that is The Pit (El Pit), Nicte Ha and Angelita (Level 3) and Dreamgate (Level 4). Book a Level 1 and a Level 2 cenote first.
How deep are the cenote dives?
Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí) is the shallowest on our map at 7 m. The Pit (El Pit) and Angelita reach 30 m, the CREER limit for a guided dive, where a hydrogen sulphide cloud hangs over the bottom.
Where should I stay for cenote diving?
Cenotes are inland, so no hotel beach puts you on one. 8 of the 13 cenotes on our map, Dos Ojos and The Pit among them, sit around Tulum. The other 5, including Chikin Ha and Chac Mool, sit south of Playa del Carmen near Puerto Aventuras. Base in whichever town is closer to the cenotes you plan to dive.
How much are cenote entrance fees?
Each cenote owner sets its own fee, paid in pesos at the site. CREER lists 200 MXN per diver at Casa Cenote up to 500 MXN at The Pit and Eden, with camera fees on top at many. Ask whether your shop price includes them.
Sources
- CREER, cenote levels, May 2025
- CREER, cavern manual summary, 2022
- CREER, guidance for visiting divers, June 2025
- CREER, cenote ratings, status and fees, read October 2026
- CREER
- local dive operator