Cenote diving
CENOTE DIVING
BEST CENOTES TO SCUBA DIVE IN MEXICO
Cenote diving is the best experience to live in Mexico as a diver. There is so much adrenalin as when you dive with bull sharks, but the light steams and colors show is absolutely breathtaking.
Cenote Dive
What is a cenotes ?
Cenotes are natural sinkholes in the earth’s surface, typically created by collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath.
They are usually found in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, as well as in Central America.
Cenote is an important part of Maya culture and mythologies. It is said that cenotes are gateways to Xibalba, the spiritual world.
Riviera Maya is famous for cenotes and cenote diving. Here you can find one of the best scuba diving sites in the Riviera Maya.
cenote diving and snorkeling experiences
Best scuba diving in Mexico
Type of cenotes
There are two types of cenote diving in Mexico:
Cenote cave diving
Cave diving is basically diving in a tunnel or closed space, meaning that in an emergency a diver cannot swim vertically to the surface due to the cave’s ceilings.
Cenote cavern diving
Cavern diving is a form of exploration with a permanent sight of the entrance of a cave within the realm of natural sunlight. To cavern dive a diver must either be a certified cavern diver or be accompanied by a certified cavern diver. Most accessible cenotes open to the public are equipped with a permanent line to use as a reference while cenote diving.
Cenote diving Mexico
Why scuba dive in Cenote?
The Yucatan Peninsula is home to the greatest number and variety of cave and cavern diving sites in the world. In these fresh waters you will find a great amount of biodiversity in addition to stalactites, stalagmites, gas clouds (sulfuric acid) and haloclines (a mixture of salt water with fresh water), live this magical and unforgettable cave diving experience.
You won’t find a coral reef or the colorful fish in a cenote but cenote diving in Mexico offers a different sort of beauty and a mystical experience.
- Priceless archeologic value
- Light effects
- Incredible Visibility
- Halocline
- Unique wildlife
- Fresh water
- Jungle surroundings
- Swim throughs
Best cenotes to scuba dive in Mexico
The most famous cenotes for the best cenote diving experience in the Riviera Maya.
Cenotes near Playa del Carmen
Cenote Maravilla
Maravilla cenote is located on the “ruta de los cenotes” in Puerto MorelosIt is very, very deep – going down to a depth of around 70 meters or more – with a profile something like a giant glass jar, with a narrower open lid at the top and a broader base. If you are a fan of the times when light shines down into the water from gaps in the cavern roof above, then Maravilla cenote is for you. When the sun is high, it has one tremendous beam of bluish-green light penetrating the depths from the single hole in the cavern ceiling.
Zapote
Cenote ZAPOTE is located on the “Ruta de los Cenotes” the old road from Puerto Morelos to Valladolid and must be the world’s weirdest dive site. Cenote Zapote is named after the Zapote trees fallen in the cenote.
Suitable ONLY for EXPERIENCED ADVANCED because of the depth and excellent buoyancy control essential to avoid uncontrolled descents or ascents.
CENOTE ZAPOTE is a deep dive that will show you landscapes and structures out of the ordinary.
From the surface this enticing sinkhole loaded with crystal clear water and lush plants, reveals nothing of the mind-blowing formations called Hell’s Bells found within.
TajMaha
This cenote is in the middle of the jungle. Among so much vegetation, you will be surprised to find its small entrance, which is nothing more than the gateway to wonder land. The entrance bifurcates in two. The line on the right, longer, allows you to descend up to 14m deep. The line on the left takes you to the cavern of the bats. But for lovers of cave diving, there is still 40m depth.
Diving cenotes Tulum
Cenote El Pit
The Pit is the fairytale dive. It’s a deep dive so you must be advanced certified to do it. Approximately 30m depth, the organic material decomposition creates a hydrogen sulfide curtain from which the branches of trees emerge ghostly. The visual effects we see here can be truly out of this world.
Dos Ojos
It’s quite shallow with an average depth of only 5 meters. There are big caverns to swim through with lots of natural light coming in. But the best thing about Dos Ojos is the Stalagtites & Stalagmites. These are crazy rock formations that look like they are flowing liquid, they are abundant in the massive cavern at Dos Ojos. Coral and conch fossils decorate the passageways.
Casa Cenote
Casa Cenote is also known by the name Cenote Manati. It is said that manatees used to live in the cenote. The cenote is separated from the sea by the beach and a tunnel of about 50 meters connects them. The cenote is found in the middle of mangroves and is more like a river than a typical cenote. While diving or snorkeling, we get a perfect idea of the diversity of flora and fauna found on the Caribbean coastline of Mexico. Ideal also to do a discovery dive or even open water certification.
The crystal clear freshwater flows between the mangroves and the ocean water. You can see a lot of life, both freshwater, and saltwater, like blue crabs, tarpons, young barracudas, snappers, snooks, and small flounders.
Angelita
Angelita is a deep dark dive into a cloud of hydrogen sulfide gas. To get to the entrance you will have to walk about 45 minutes through the jungle and descend a great height before finding the cenote’s eye. This unevenness continues inside the water because it is an extremely deep cenote: 55 m. Undoubtedly, Angelita is one of the best cenotes in Mexico for technical diving lovers.
Dream Gates
If you want to know what it feels like to dive in a cavern without a full cave certification, it is your opportunity to discover cenote DREAM GATES, the darkness, the thousands of stalactites and the light lasers entering the cavern will leave you amazed.
Claustrophobic divers please let us know before you sign up for this. This dive is a challenging one due to the full darkness and combined spaces.
Cenote Diving
Cenote diving is a unique experience in Mexico. Anyone visiting or traveling to Mexico should definitely make time to see these natural wonders. The caves are filled with clear blue waters, low hanging stalactites, and beautiful other formations.
If you want to try this amazing experience, send us a message and we will send you to the best dive shop in Playa del Carmen for cenote diving.
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