The Best Cenotes in Playa del Carmen: A Beginner’s Guide

With so many to choose from, what are the best cenotes in Playa del Carmen?

Years ago, a National Geographic photo sparked my curiosity with cave diving. Photos showed a scuba diver exploring cavernous underwater systems, and just like that, I was hooked!

Fast forward some time later, and I found myself in the exact same spot the photo was taken. No matter if you’re a snorkeler or scuba diver, swimming in Mexico’s cenotes is something you absolutely can’t miss!

Read on for my guide on how to visit the best cenotes in Playa del Carmen!

What exactly is a cenote?

A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. Especially associated with the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, the ancient Mayans used cenotes for sacrificial offerings. They also believed cenotes were entrances into the underworld, and it’s not tough to see why!

Where do I find cenotes in Mexico?

Cenotes are prevalent throughout the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Years of rainfall eroded away the limestone and soft earth of the peninsula, forming these water and cave systems underground.

Recently, I found a very similar cave stateside! Click here to read more about the Devil’s Den in Florida.

What are the best cenotes in Playa del Carmen?

There are numerous cenotes, but here are some of the most famed and beautiful ones:

Dos Ojos, meaning “two eyes”

Named after the two sinkholes connected by passageways, this is an extremely colorful system. The water is crystal clear and very blue, with deep mysterious cavern dives and the opportunity to surface in the “Bat Cave.” Suitable for scuba divers, snorkelers, and swimmers, there’s a reason this popular site is called one of the most beautiful cenotes in Mexico!

• Location: 3km off Highway 307, 22 km north of Tulum, 50km south of Playa del Carmen
• Hours: 8AM to 5PM daily
• Entrance fee: 200 pesos / $14 USD
• Equipment: Snorkeling gear can be rented on site for 100 pesos
• Temperature: 24-25 degrees Celsius
• Bathrooms: Yes
• Restaurants: No

El Pit, or “The Pit”

A gorgeous and really unique cenote! Instead of a horizontal system of passageways, The Pit goes deep. There’s a halocline where fresh water and salt water meet, and at 30m a hydrogen sulfide cloud as well. You can even spot dead tree branches sticking out! The Pit continues on past 40m, but take your time to dive around in a circular pattern, exploring the overhanging stalactites.

One of my favorite parts of this dive site is the sunlight, which pierces sharply through the water creating all sorts of gorgeous patterns. For me personally, this truly is one of the most beautiful cenotes in Playa del Carmen.

• Location: 2.8km past Dos Ojos (read: less touristy!)
• Hours: 8AM to 5PM daily
• Entrance fee: yes
• Equipment: none on site
• Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius
• Bathrooms: No
• Restaurants: No

Ik Kil

One of the more popular cenotes due to its proximity to Chichen Itza, this is a huge cavernous location, 60 meters in diameter. Archaeological evidence shows that the Mayans performed sacrificial rituals here, with bones and jewelry discovered deep in the cenote!

• Location: near Chichen Itza, Highway 180
• Hours: 8AM to 5PM daily
• Entrance fee: $5 USD for adults, half for children
• Temperature: 27 degrees Celsius
• Bathrooms: Yes (there are also accommodations available to stay around the area)
• Restaurants: Yes

Snorkeling / scuba diving in Cenotes

If you’re snorkeling, be wary of the “no snorkelers past this zone” signs, and don’t dive into any overhanging areas. There have been incidents of snorkelers exploring and getting lost, or coming up for air and banging their heads, losing consciousness and even dying. You definitely don’t want to be part of that statistic!

As for scuba divers…there’s a pretty fine line between cavern diving and cave diving. The upside being that cenotes don’t require you to be cave diving certified, opening up the opportunity for almost anyone with an open water certificate to scuba and explore. Of course, this comes with its downsides as well, as there’s almost no training involved and we are responsible for our own safety.

Remember:

• Be aware of your surroundings
• Stick to your dive instructor
• Don’t break the rules! They’re there for a reason

Cenote diving can quickly become very dangerous, but if done safely with the correct precautions, is a magical experience.

Photography in cenotes

With light filtering through clear blue water and insane visibility, cenotes are extremely photogenic places! Some parts give the opportunity to play with photographing sunlight, while others are dark and mysterious.

The easiest way to go is to use a GoPro with a GoPro Super Suit (Über Protection) with Dive Housing — its wide angle lens will help capture the scale of the place, and it’s also much easier to simply start recording a video and letting it run as you focus on the dive itself.

If you’re a photography addict like me and insist on bringing a proper camera down with you, I suggest the following:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark III paired with the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM – this is a wonderful landscape lens that gives a little more flexibility in framing, while still having great aperture capability — something you’ll appreciate in the low lighting
• Sony RX100 with its housing
• Sea&Sea strobes

For this specific trip, I used a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 with its housing), just make sure to always dive safely first! Many have lost their lives over the years trying to navigate their way through the maze of tunnels, so pay close attention to where you’re going, and keep your eyes on the safety ropes.

Ultimately, cenotes are an absolute dream for divers and photographers. Exploring these marvelous underwater cave systems is truly the experience of a lifetime. Stay safe, and happy diving!

Dying to go to a cenote, or been to one already? Let me know below which one you think is the best cenote in Playa del Carmen!