Cenotes are natural sinkholes carved into the limestone of the Yucatán Peninsula. Hidden in the jungle, they open onto caverns and underground rivers filled with remarkably clear fresh water. Sunlight streams in among the stalactites and stalagmites, and fresh water meets salt water in striking haloclines: a dive you won’t forget.
With Triton Diving, you dive the best cenotes around Playa del Carmen, from Chac Mool and Dos Ojos to The Pit, Angelita and Zapote. You dive in a small group of 4 divers maximum per guide, and our guides speak English, French and Spanish, so you get your briefing in your language. Transportation from downtown Playa del Carmen, gear and cenote entrance fees are included. Never been diving? Start with a Try Scuba dive in a cenote.
Every cenote has its own character. Here’s what awaits you in the ones we dive:
Chac Mool and Kukulkan. One of the clearest haloclines in the area and the light beams of Kukulkan. It’s the cenote we recommend for your first cenote dive as an Open Water diver, and one Advanced divers love to come back to.
Dos Ojos. Incredibly clear water, stalactites and the Bat Cave, where you surface inside an underground room that’s home to tiny bats. Two dives, 30 ft (9 m) maximum, open to Open Water divers.
The Pit. A deep shaft where the fresh water gives way to a hydrogen sulfide cloud, with stalactites and a beautiful halocline. Paired with Dos Ojos, it’s the trip we recommend first to Advanced divers. It can also be paired with Nicte Ha and its carpet of water lilies.
Angelita. Its underwater river is a hydrogen sulfide cloud that separates fresh water from salt water, with dead branches rising out of it: an unreal sight. Paired with Car Wash, it’s the trip we recommend to Advanced divers after The Pit and Dos Ojos. It can also be paired with Casa Cenote.
Casa Cenote. A cenote lined with mangroves, where you might spot a crocodile. It’s also where we run our Try Scuba dives in a cenote.
Zapote. Its unique bell-shaped formations are nicknamed the “Hells Bells”. Dive it with Kin Ha and its sunbeams, or with Maravilla and its huge chamber open to the sky.
Dreamgate. Two dives along two different lines, through galleries decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. Advanced Open Water minimum.
Jardín del Edén. A refresher dive in the open area, then a cavern dive, on the same day: ideal if you haven’t been diving in a while.
Still not sure? Our “Which dive is right for me?” quiz gives you our advice in 3 questions.
We meet around 8 am in downtown Playa del Carmen; the exact address is sent to you on WhatsApp. We load the gear, then drive to the cenote by pickup truck.
When we arrive, your guide shows you around and briefs you in your language: the route, the guideline, how to use your dive light and the safety rules. Then you make two dives, with a break in between to change tanks, have a drink and a snack.
After a sandwich, we head back to Playa del Carmen around 2 or 3 pm, depending on the cenote. Gear, transportation, cenote entrance fees, snacks and the sandwich are included: just bring your swimsuit, a towel and your certification card. Camera rules vary from one cenote to another; you’ll find them on each trip’s page.
Message us on WhatsApp with your dates, your certification level and the date of your last dive: we’ll suggest the cenote that suits you best.
© Triton Diving – Cyril Serge Sylvain Martellet
